Sales Guide - Converting clients on discovery calls in nutrition practice

As you might’ve realized by now, it is very hard to convert someone into a customer. It requires sheer dedication and constant persuading to make them even consider your practice.

So, how can you make your practice’s conversion process much more efficient? In what direction should one dedicate their attention so that they can get a positive outcome for their efforts?

Leading nutrition experts have been dwindling with these questions and have found that one faction of the conversion process that does work is the discovery calls.

In the crux of it, discovery calls are the primary interaction that you have with a potential client after they have shown initial interest in your practice. You can analyze their healthcare situation and show them how your practice can help them overcome their challenges.

How important are discovery calls

Allows you to get a deeper understanding of what your audience wants

As a prospective client approaches you with their healthcare needs and wants, it also allows you to get a picture of what your target audience is looking for in nutrition professional. It gives you a better understanding of major problems they are facing and what kind of approach they prefer for their treatment.

Gives you an opportunity to persuade prospective clients

If you are on a discovery call with a prospective client, then ideally, he/she has already considered you as a viable option for their healthcare needs. They will only approach you once they feel like your services can be helpful to them. All you have to do is assure them of that decision and show them how you are a better option than the competitors.

Increases sales

Discovery calls help you to persuade people who are interested in your services and build their confidence in your practice so that they can become promising clients. Inevitably, as your clientele will increase, so will your sales and revenue.

Helps create a connection with your target audience

No matter if a potential client converts or not through your discovery call, it is still a valuable instrument for community engagement. It allows you to portray yourself and your practice to them while creating an interpersonal connection with whoever tries to reach you.

Steps to conduct a meaning discovery call that ends in client sign up

Start positively and clarify the agenda

While conducting a discovery call, you need to remember to be positive and welcoming throughout the conversation. Including how you begin your conversation. Having a positive approach makes you seem more likable and approachable to them.

You can start with a cheerful greeting or an expression of your gratitude, which creates a safe and comfortable space for them to open up about their problems.

Another thing that you should pay attention to at the beginning of your discovery call is to set up an agenda. This will help your potential client know exactly what to expect at the end of this call. Explain it to them that the call is meant to understand their healthcare problems and needs and how you might be an aid for that.

Tip: Ask the caller for feedback on the agenda, like are they fine with it or do they expect something else out of this call.

Discover their problems

Even while trying to persuade a potential client, do not forget about the real mission behind the call… to ‘DISCOVER’ their problems. It is, in fact, a discovery call.

This segment will usually take up the majority of your call. It is important that you ask specific questions that can help you evaluate the gravity of their healthcare problem, and how they expect their treatment to result.

You can start off with a simple, yet precise question, like ‘What led you to get on this discovery call?’ or ‘What seems to be the problem that you need my services with?’.

Ideally, not every caller will be very articulate about their problems. Most of them find it difficult to properly express their issues and come out of their shell. That’s why it is necessary that you guide them throughout the call.

A simple trick that you can use is what journalists do when they are interviewing someone. You use the 5Ws and 1H principles. Ask them questions on the lines of what, where, when, who, why, and how.

Once you have put a pin on what their real problem is, confirm your diagnosis with the caller before moving forward. This will bring more clarity and harmony into the actual conversation part of the call.

Explain how those problems can be solved

Now that you know the crux of their healthcare issue, all you need to do is show them an efficient solution to it. You need to show them the myriad folded ways in which your services can help them and enrich their lives.

You can start off by sharing a story of how you or one of your clients went through a similar experience and how you dealt with it. It is a great strategy to show them how much you understand their problem and how effective your approaches are.

Pitch your practice

You have their attention, all you have to do is reel them in. Pitch to them how your services are the best solution for their problem. Tell them how you are going to approach their healthcare problem and what they can expect from your services.

However, there are certain things that you need to stay aware of. While trying to pitch your services, it is quite possible that the caller might feel that you are being pushy or hard selling your services. And that can have a negative impact on the entire pitch.

To make sure that doesn’t happen, always ask your caller for permission before jumping to the pitch. This will also make the caller more comfortable and accepting of your pitch.

Add call to action (CTA)

You have provided them with all the information that is necessary. All you have to do is tell them what to do next.

As simple as it is, this step is the trickiest one. You need to be cunning and perceptive in order to understand how interested they are in your services. Do they seem more cold or warm towards your pitch, do they seem eager to join your services or are they still reluctant.

Whatever the situation may be, you should always end the call with a CTA. You need to clearly define what they are expected to do next or what they should expect from you next.

If they are eager to join your practice, tell them the exact process of signing up or booking an appointment. If they are still unsure, give them a day’s time and tell them you will call tomorrow.

Tips to improve your discovery calls

Try out these tips and tricks that successful nutrition professionals use to convert client with each discovery call:

Know your ideal client

While each client is individual and has their own unique healthcare needs. However, there are certain requirements and characteristics that all your clients will have in common, provided that they are looking for similar services. If you are a PCOS expert, a lot of your client’s problems will revolve around cyst development in their ovaries.

It can be really helpful if you conduct such a basic survey on your target audience and acquaint yourself with what they are looking for. This will help you create some good pitches beforehand to persuade a potential client during the discovery call.

Create a framework

All successful discovery calls have a good framework.

Having a framework helps you build a flow for your conversation and keeps it enticing throughout till the end. It also helps you retain your confidence and stay on the right path during the call.

You can jot down major bullet points and questions so that you can browse through them during the call. Successful nutrition professionals also create a flow chart that can help them guide the conversation.

Give an interesting name to your call

While the term discovery call has become so common, a lot of people might have a negative impression of the call. You can give a creative spin to your call’s name which can get your clients excited about it.

You can name it something like ‘Get your free Kickstarter plan’ or ‘Get free from your fitness problems’.

Actively listen to your clients

Active listening is a major part of your discovery call. Not only it make the caller feel like they are heard, it also allows you to stay on top of each and every nuance of how your potential client is describing their problems.

To make the caller feel like they are being heard, you can simply respond to each comment with ‘yeah’, ‘I understand’, or ‘carry on’. You can also ask questions in between if you haven’t understood any part. This shows them that you are paying attention to what they are saying.

Conclusion

While other marketing efforts can fall short of converting potential customers, discovery calls give you an opportunity to get the highest results on your efforts and expand your business. It allows you to interact and persuade people who have actually shown interest in your services and are thinking of collaborating with you.

However, conducting a successful discovery call is not always easy and up to your expectations. But with our sales guide, we can help you get better at this process and improve your performance in the long run.

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