How to Sell Paid Discovery Calls That Convert

For a full analysis of the free versus paid discovery call trade-offs in different contexts, the free vs paid discovery calls guide covers when each model is appropriate.

Step 1: Define the Offer

A paid discovery call is not an open-ended conversation. It is a specific, named service that delivers a defined output.

Vague: "Book a discovery call with me."

Bookable: "30-Minute Brand Clarity Call: I review your current positioning, identify the single biggest gap, and give you 3 specific changes to make to your website and messaging before your next sales conversation."

The specific offer does three things:

• Tells the buyer exactly what they will get
• Justifies the price with a concrete deliverable
• Gives you a structure to follow so every call is consistent

Common paid discovery call formats:

Audit and diagnose (30 minutes). You review something specific (a website, a portfolio, a marketing funnel, a financial situation) and identify the top priority problem. Output: 3 to 5 specific, actionable findings. Price: $50 to $125.

Strategy preview (45 minutes). You discuss their situation, map the relevant options, and outline what a full engagement would look like. Output: a clear picture of the path forward and a proposal for the main engagement. Price: $100 to $200.

Deep dive diagnostic (60 minutes). Reserved for higher-ticket consultants. A thorough situational review that produces a documented assessment. Output: a written brief the client keeps regardless of whether they hire you. Price: $200 to $500.

Step 2: Price It

The right price for a discovery call is approximately 5 to 10 percent of your main offer price.

The credit-toward-main-offer model works well for many coaches and consultants. The discovery call fee is credited toward the main engagement if the client hires you. This reduces friction while maintaining the filtering function. It also frames the discovery call as a step in a process rather than a standalone transaction.

For a broader look at consulting pricing by niche and experience level, the how to charge for consulting calls guide covers the full pricing methodology.

Step 3: Set Up Booking, Video, and Payment

The setup step is where most of the conversion work happens. A clunky booking process loses buyers after they have already decided to pay.

One link does booking, video, and payment. A client clicks your discovery call link, answers intake questions, pays, picks a time, and gets a confirmation with the call link. No separate Calendly, no Zoom invite sent manually, no invoice to collect later. Talkspresso Free plan: 10% per session. Pro: $29.95/month with 0% fee.

Setup steps:

1. Create an account on Talkspresso.
2. Create a service named after your discovery call offer: "Brand Clarity Call (30 min)" or "Strategy Preview (45 min)".
3. Set your price.
4. Add intake questions (essential for paid discovery calls).
5. Connect Google Calendar for real-time availability.
6. Copy your booking link.

Essential intake questions for paid discovery calls:

• What specific problem are you trying to solve right now?
• What have you already tried?
• What does success look like to you in the next 90 days?
• What is your timeline for making a decision?
• What is your budget range for addressing this problem?

The budget question is the most important one. It surfaces whether there is a real fit before you spend 30 minutes on the call. If their budget is $200 and your main program is $3,000, you know that before either of you invests the time.

For guidance on building booking pages that convert at higher rates, the booking page that converts guide covers the copy, structure, and trust elements that matter most.

Step 4: Fill the Calendar

Paid discovery calls fill best from warm audiences who already know who you are and what you do.

Email list. Send a direct offer to your list: "I'm opening up 5 paid discovery calls this month. These are 30-minute sessions where we [specific outcome]. The call is $[price], credited toward my main program if you hire me. [Link to book.]"

Existing inquiries. Pull every person who has inquired about working with you in the last 6 months and did not convert. Many of them were interested but not ready. A paid discovery call at a lower price point is a lower-risk way to re-engage them.

Content that demonstrates expertise. Publish one specific insight from your domain each week. End with a mention of the discovery call. People who have read your content and seen your expertise convert at much higher rates than cold outreach.

Direct outreach to qualified prospects. Message 10 to 15 people who fit your ideal client profile. Not a template blast, personal messages. "I saw your [post/company/project]. I work with [specific people] on [specific problem]. I have a few paid discovery call slots this month if you ever want a focused 30-minute look at [their specific situation]."

For converting SEO traffic into discovery call bookings, the how SEO discovery calls convert paid clients guide covers the search intent and landing page approach.

Step 5: Deliver and Follow Up

The discovery call itself is a structured conversation, not a free-form chat. Every minute of a paid discovery call should move toward a clear outcome.

The 30-minute paid discovery call structure:

• Minutes 0-3: Confirm what they want to get from the call. "You mentioned [intake answer]. Is that still the most important thing for you today?"
• Minutes 3-15: Understand their situation. Ask the diagnostic questions that give you what you need to actually help them. Do not give away the full solution yet.
• Minutes 15-22: Deliver one or two specific, high-value insights. This is the deliverable they paid for. Make it concrete and actionable.
• Minutes 22-27: Transition to next steps. "Based on what you've shared, the path forward looks like [outline]. I have a program that addresses this specifically. Would it be useful to see what that looks like?"
• Minutes 27-30: If they say yes, schedule the proposal call or send them a link to your program details. If they say no or not yet, respect it and ask what would help them make a decision.

Follow up within 24 hours. Send a follow-up email that includes: a one-paragraph summary of what you discussed, the 2 to 3 specific insights you gave them, and a clear call to action for the next step. If you promised to credit the discovery call fee toward your main program, include the mechanics.

If they do not convert immediately. Follow up once more at the 7-day mark: "Following up from our call. I wanted to share [one more useful insight related to their situation]. The [program] offer is still available if you want to move forward. Happy to answer any questions."

Scaling Up

Once you have a working paid discovery call format, there are several ways to scale the model:

Group discovery sessions. Offer a once-monthly paid group Q&A or discovery session where 5 to 10 people attend and ask questions live. Price at $25 to $50 per person. Lower barrier to entry than a 1:1 call, higher volume, and the group dynamic often surfaces questions and insights that 1:1 calls do not. For how this model works, the free brand audits to get consulting clients guide covers the group audit approach.

Productize the follow-up. Record a standard follow-up video or document after each discovery call that addresses the most common gaps you identify. This reduces the time you spend on follow-up while improving the quality of what clients receive.

Raise the discovery call price. As your main program price increases, raise the discovery call price proportionally. Clients who book a $200 discovery call are pre-qualified for a $2,000 to $5,000 main engagement in a way that $75 discovery call clients are not.

Life Coaching Expert