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Despite the popularity of electronic communications, business owners are still connecting with clients via phone. Jennifer van Alstyne from theacademicdesigner.com and jennifervanalstyne.com uses what she calls discovery calls to interact with her clients, figure out their needs, and determine if and how she can help them.
The benefits of a direct conversation
Discovery calls are “the first step to working with me, no matter what your project is,” she said. “I feel that talking with someone is way more effective. It’s going to get you the answers that you need and help you understand what your client’s goals are because honestly, in email, they don’t always know. Being able to talk to them and ask them the right questions makes a huge difference for me.”
She records these discovery calls, which take place using Zoom web conferencing, and provides the potential client with a copy of the recording afterward. “Oftentimes, our conversation brings up things that they might not have considered before and I always include at least one tip or suggestion. So that’s something that I want them to have access to long term. It’s also a really great way for people to eventually make decisions about hiring me.”
In the beginning, Jennifer used an email contact form to communicate with clients, but after talking with some of them, she quickly realized that she could offer better guidance during real-time conversations. Speaking to them on the phone or over Zoom also eliminated the time-consuming process of back-and-forth emails.
Honesty is the best policy – even in sales.
Jennifer honed her customer service skills working in a high-end women’s clothing store. The goal was to cultivate long-term clients who would think of the store every time they needed a new outfit, but Jennifer quickly realized that these customers wanted more than a new dress or pair of shoes.
“They’re looking for an outfit, but oftentimes, they’re looking for confidence or they’re looking to feel comfortable in the outfit that they’re wearing,” she said. “Having these kinds of conversations where you’re looking to understand your client made a difference for me when it came to approaching my business.”
Jennifer’s customers appreciated that when they would try an outfit on, she gave them her honest opinion and recommended alternatives if the clothing wasn’t right for them. The same approach works equally well for her business today.
“People want me to be honest with them and they want me to tell them when they’re wrong, but I need to be able to have that conversation in person, as it doesn’t come across very well in email. So those direct conversations help me understand them, help me ask them questions and give them an honest response because sometimes in an email, things can be really misconstrued.”
Leave pricing until the end
Jennifer makes a point of not discussing pricing during discovery calls. At the beginning of each call, she says, “Hey, I have some questions for you. It’ll help me best understand how I can help you. And then, at the end, we can talk about next steps.”
Prior to the appointment, she has potential clients fill in a form that gives her all the information she needs to determine how she can help them. This information includes:
- A copy of their CV
- Social media and website links (if applicable)
- Estimated budget
“Once I have that, the meeting’s going to go awesome,” she said. “I’m definitely going to be able to steer it in the right direction to help my clients understand what their goals are, what their motivations are, and why doing a project with me would be beneficial.”
At the beginning of each call, she encourages the prospect to tell her about themselves and why they got in touch with her. Sometimes they mention different goals or needs than those outlined in their form responses.
“I ask more details about what they’re interested in. If they’re interested in a website project, I ask if they’ve had a website. I ask how long they’ve had a website. If they’ve never had a website, I ask them why. All of these questions are going to change depending on the client, because not everyone is approaching me at the same space. Some people have websites, some people don’t, some people are on social media and some people aren’t and being able to tailor those questions to the person who I’m talking with, makes a huge difference.”
At the end of the call, she asks, “Are you interested in working with me? I can definitely help you with this. Are you interested in working with me?”
She explained that if their response is an enthusiastic yes, it was a big difference between those who say, “Yes, I will definitely look at a proposal from you.”
“I mean, those people definitely have still ended up working with me once they see the proposal, but when you get that, “Yes, I for sure want to work with you. You’re the person that I’ve been thinking would be a great fit and now that we’ve talked, I’m sure of it.” That is so rewarding.”
Her dedication to customer success has caused her reputation to spread and things to happen more quickly.
Professors in other parts of the world are reaching out after seeing her tweet and checking out her website, and making their decision within a week instead of six to nine months.
“It’s all about the content that I’ve created and how I’m talking about myself and my work online,” she explained. “And if you do reach out, I promise to prepare for your meeting. I really do!”
If you are an academic or researcher looking for tips and guidance on how to develop your online persona, you can reach Jennifer on Twitter and Instagram. You can also look up her YouTube channel for practical ideas that can help you make the most of your online opportunities.
If you have tips to share or questions about any aspect of online marketing for academics, leave us a comment below!
