I chat with a lot of copywriters looking to boost their sales. Many get stuck at the first step — booking that initial discovery sales call.

It’s understandable. Sales conversations make us nervous! But done right, a discovery call turns potential leads into excited clients.

As a copywriter earning 6-figures from freelancing, let me persuade you: getting comfortable with discovery calls is non-negotiable for making real money.

Once I got confident on calls, everything changed. Clients who may have spent $1000 were suddenly paying $5000. My income jumped exponentially thanks to nailing this skill.

Position Yourself as the Expert

Your main goals for a discovery call: get them to trust you, like you, and see the value you will deliver in their business. Explaining your process is key to creating authority so you can charge those expert rates.

So how do we get started? Flip the script and interview THEM first. Ask thoughtful questions uncovering their struggles and objectives. Get them to open up.

Once they have shared their frustrations and pain points, transition the conversation and share the process you take clients through as a copywriter, providing examples, and previous client work as social proof.

Even in the discovery call you can provide valuable (and free) information that helps them to see what it would be like when they actually do work with you!

Explain Your Steps Clearly

Next, map out your proven process if they hire you. Highlight the logical flow and connecting dots of how you’d solve their issues to transform results.

Point out each critical milestone you’d hit together, from early strategy and clarity stage all the way through to delivery.

When they see how working WITH you is better than struggling alone? You paint a wildly compelling vision.

Wrap Up Leaving Them Wanting More

After getting them excited in just 20 minutes with high-level value, let them know you’ll put together a proposal and send it over in a day or two.

No talking money on a discovery call! Thank them for their time, reiterate you can help, and say you’ll send over a detailed roadmap to get started ASAP.

This does 3 things: shows extreme confidence, builds excitement and a sense of urgency, and gives you time to craft an amazing proposal.

A well run discovery call SETS you up for bigger sales when done right. You control the project from the early stages creating the ideal opportunity for delivering great copy.

Why Care About Discovery Calls?

I know some copywriters just want to write! But there’s no writing without clients. Discovery calls are the gateway to bigger projects and higher paying clients.

Part of running a thriving freelance business means confidently guiding clients through a simple but thoughtful process.

The sale is made on the discovery call, every time…this is where you can shift a client who thought they had a budget of $1000 into a client excited to pay you $4000, $5000 or even more!