In this episode of Nutrition for Your Business, we are going to teach you how to sell your nutrition services like a boss.
If you ask any health professional what their biggest business weakness is, they will probably say “selling”. No one likes selling. It can feel gross and pushy. But sales is a super important skill.
In the health industry, practitioners aren’t really taught how to sell because the emphasis is on helping people. But if you’re in private practice the first step is actually selling them the service that will help.
We know for sure that having sales skills can make such a big difference in your nutrition business. We also know that you can sell in a way that feels authentic, genuine and overall really good to you, which is what we are going to show you how to do today.
There are many ways to sell your products and services, but the most common way health professionals are booking clients is through discovery calls.
A discovery call is arguably the most important conversation you will have when it comes to converting leads into paying clients.
Discovery Call: Can happen on the phone, in-person or online. It is a short, 15 to 30 minute, complimentary chat that you schedule with someone who has expressed interest in working with you.
The goal of a discovery call is to explore the potential client’s needs, determine if you are a good fit to work together and get them to trust in your ability to help.
We love discovery calls because they make it easy to know what to do when a client expresses interest in working with you. Whether they reach out through email, social media or in-person, you know the next natural step in converting them into a paying client is a discovery call.
Having a process for discovery calls in place is a game-changer, especially if you can get really good at them. This call is often the first conversation you will have with a client and it will set the tone for the entire relationship. This is why it is so important to make sure you get it right. If you can master the art of a discovery call, you’ll be booking clients left, right and center.
Properly structuring your discovery calls is super important. There is going to be a lot to get through with your potential clients in a short amount of time.
Once you get on the call, you are going to have to build trust, discover their problems, show them you can solve them and talk about the next steps. That’s a lot to accomplish in 15 to 30 minutes, which is why you have to have a solid structure in place that converts.
We’re going to walk you through, step-by-step, how to conduct great discovery calls that will have you converting leads into paying clients naturally and with ease. So get ready because you are going to walk away from this episode with a solid process for making sales through discovery calls without ever feeling salesy.
Step 1: Start Positive & Set the Agenda
One of the most important factors in making a sale is likeability.
People buy from people they like, which is why it is so important that you start building this likeability with your potential client right away by kicking off the call on a positive note.
Starting the call by complaining about the weather, or your lingering cold is not going to foster likeability. So instead, start with something positive like showing appreciation for them being there and saying how excited you are to chat with them. Smile, even if you are on the phone. Your potential client will be able to feel it. They need to feel safe and comfortable before they are ready to share personal information with you.
After the good vibes are flowing, set the agenda for the discovery call so your potential client knows exactly what to expect. Explain that the goal of the call is for you to learn more about their current situation and how you might be able to help. Also, respect your potential client’s time. Tell them how long the call is expected to take and ask if that timing is okay with them.
Before you move on, it is always a good practice to ask your potential client, “Is there anything else you would like to add?” This question will help ensure that you address their top priorities. It also helps your potential client see that this is a two-way conversation, which will again, help boost that likeability factor.
That sounds like a lot, but it is actually quite simple. Here’s how it might sound on your discovery call:
“Hi! Thank you so much for joining me for this discovery call. I really appreciate it and I’m so excited to chat with you.”
Then for the agenda, you might something like this:
“So the main objective of this call is for me to learn more about your current challenges and to explore if I can help you with those. These calls usually last 30 minutes, so we’ll aim to wrap things up by 10 AM. Does this timing still work for you? Is there anything else you were hoping to get out of today’s call?”
Now that the good vibes are flowing and you and your potential client are on the same page, it is time to move on.
Step 2: Problem Discovery
It is called a “discovery call” for a reason! There is a lot of discovering that needs to happen.
This step will take up the bulk of the call and it is super important that you ask the right questions so you can discover their problems and present a solution.
To get the discovery conversation started, lead with an open-ended question, like “What led you to book this discovery call with me?” This simple question will get the ball rolling, and you will get a general understanding of what their main issues are.
Listen closely and identify their main pain points, then dig deeper into those pain points by asking them to tell you more about them. Ask questions that start with “what”, “why”, who”, “when” and “how” to help you identify your potential client’s pain points and how you can help them.
For example, let’s say a client reveals that they booked the discovery call with you because they have gained a lot of weight and are looking to lose it. You might ask questions like:
- How is this weight gain impacting your life?
- What would losing this weight mean for you?
- What would success look like to you?
- Why are you looking to lose weight now?
- What do you feel you are missing out on because of your weight gain?
- What would life look like for you if you lost the weight?
Once you understand their pain points, summarize them before moving forward. This shows you are listening, you understand and that you really care. Then, ask if there is anything they would like to add, or if there is anything else they would like you to know.
It might sound something like this:
“Okay, so what I am hearing is that you are experiencing consistent weight gain. You are looking to get it under control and shed the weight you’ve put on so you can feel like your usual energetic and confident self again. Is that right? Do you have anything else you’d like to add?”
By the time you are done with this step, you should feel as though you really understand your potential client, their struggles and why they reached out to you.
Step 3: Explain How You Can Solve Their Problems
Now that you have a firm understanding of your potential client and the problems they are experiencing, you can explain how your services or programs can really help them.
If you feel that this client is a good fit for your services, first confirm that you are confident you can help.
Next, tell a true story about how you have helped a client struggling with similar issues. Telling a story is one of the most effective ways to sell. Explaining how you have helped someone similar will be far more compelling than just talking about your services and programs.
We can guarantee that when the call is over, your potential client will remember stories much more than anything else you might present them with.
If you can’t think of a relatable story, don’t worry. Simply tell your potential client that based on what you’ve discussed, you really believe you can help them overcome their challenges. Then, ask if they are interested in hearing about how you can help.
Asking for permission before you jump into your pitch will relieve that feeling of being pushy or salesy. It will make the client feel more comfortable and also helps you seamlessly transition in a way that makes you confident they are interested in learning more.
So here’s how this step could sound in your discovery call:
“Great, so this is definitely something I can help with! I like to focus on habits and daily food choices rather than extreme, restrictive diets. One of my recent clients was able to lose most of the weight she gained just by switching out some pantry staples for healthier options that actually cost less. We go through a Pantry Clean Out in my 12-Week Transformation Program, which I think would be an amazing fit for you. Would you be interested in hearing more about it?”
Once you get permission from your potential client, go ahead and tell them about your services that best suit their needs, including your pricing. Don’t make your potential clients awkwardly ask how much your services or programs cost. Tell them, and tell them with confidence.
Remember: when going through your programs and services, you MUST relate them back to the problems your client is having. Don’t just rhyme off your services with a one-size-fits-all approach. Go into detail about how your offerings will help this potential client with the exact problems they just told you about.
From here, summarize everything you’ve talked about and ask them how they are feeling about your chat. Make sure that all of their questions are answered, and then move onto the next step.
Step 4: Call to Action
Now, this is going to require some emotional intelligence on your end to determine how warm or cold your potential client is when it comes to working with you.
If they seem ready to commit now, tell them exactly how they can sign up, maybe even book their appointment on the spot before the call ends. If they seem unsure, let them know you will follow up with them tomorrow to see how they are feeling about things.
Either way, ensure you always end your call with a call to action that clearly tells your potential client what to do next, or what they can expect from you next and be sure to follow through on that.
There is your super-efficient, highly effective discovery call! Let’s pull it all together so you can see how beautifully this would sound and flow in real life.
Step 1 is to start positive and set the agenda.
“Thank you so much for booking this discovery call with me today. I’m really grateful for your time and I’d be honored to be a part of your health journey.
The main objective of this call is to get to know one another. I want to learn more about you and your current health challenges and explore if I can help you with those.
Is there anything else you were hoping to get out of today’s call that I didn’t mention?”
Step 2 is where you will discover their problems.
"I’d love to start by having you tell me what led you to book this discovery call today?"
Then dig deeper with questions like:
"How is this impacting your life?"
"What would success look like to you?"
"What has made you decide to seek help with this?"
"What do you feel you are missing out on because of this challenge?"
"What would life look like for you if you achieved your goal?"
Once you’ve uncovered their big pain points…
"Okay, so what I am hearing is that this is a really big issue for you. Is there anything else you’d like to add?"
Now onto step 3, where you tell them how you can solve their problems.
"I want to reassure you that you definitely aren’t alone. I’ve worked with many clients struggling with similar issues. In fact, just yesterday I had a follow-up appointment with a woman who has seen amazing results from following a custom meal plan that I created for her with recipes and a grocery list.
Meal planning is just one of the services I offer in my 6-week nutrition coaching program, which I think would be the best option for you based on your goals. Would you be interested in learning more about it?”
Now onto step 4, your call to action.
“So we’re coming up on time here and I promised I wouldn’t keep you any longer than planned, but before we wrap up, I’d love to know how you are feeling after our talk?”
And let’s say the client is super interested in working with you…
“I’m really excited to get the ball rolling on this with you because I know we can work together to get you feeling awesome. Do you have your calendar handy? Let’s get you signed up for your first appointment.”
Boom. See how that works? Of course, your discovery call won’t flow perfectly like this as your potential client’s responses are going to decide on the direction the call goes in. But these four steps give you a solid structure to follow so you can know where you are heading next, keep the call on track and convert as many leads into clients as possible.
This structure is easy to remember and will allow you to have a natural, relaxed conversation that doesn’t need to feel pushy or salesy at all. When you approach it from a place where you are serving instead of selling, we can guarantee it will feel so much better for you.
Eventually, discovery calls will feel like second nature to you, but in the beginning, it is always helpful to have a notebook handy that outlines the four steps listed with some leading questions, so you can always refer to it if you are feeling stuck on where to go next.
We’re really excited for you to implement this practice into your business because we know it will help you to start converting more leads into paying clients.
