How Offering Consultation Calls Will Help Your Small Business Save Time & Grow
As a small business owner you’re likely wearing a lot (if not all) of the hats for your business to operate and succeed. Totally get it! As a small business owner, time is one of the most precious commodities. Every hour lost to inefficiency represents missed opportunities and potential revenue.
One often overlooked strategy for reclaiming lost time and optimizing workflows is the consultation call. Whether you’re a startup entrepreneur, a small business owner, or a seasoned exec, optimizing the power of the consultation call for your business can help propel it forward it ways you may not expect.
Let’s explore the ways a consultation call will save your business valuable hours!
If you’re a small business owner or creative service professional who owns your website, you’ve probably heard of the consultation call.
There is a lot of mixed info and experiences about the consultation call - Do I need to offer consultation calls? Is a consultation call really necessary for my small business? Can’t my visitors just find everything online?
Believe me, I’ve asked myself these questions a lot over the years, and I’ve always come back to the same conclusion: Consultation calls for service-based businesses are SO worth it.
Here’s how including consultation calls will help your small business save time & grow:
1. A consultation call… provides time to clarify goals and objectives
One of the primary benefits of a consultation call is the opportunity to clarify goals and objectives upfront. By providing your clients with space (think 15-30 minutes tops!) to ask their questions, share their needs or vision, along with desired outcomes, you can gain insights into what the client is really looking for. You’ll be able to determine if you and the client are a good fit, and ensure you are investing your time in a project that aligns with your skills, talents, and offerings.
2. A consultation call… will help you tailor solutions to inquiring customers & land MORE sales
Consultation calls allow for personalized attention to address your client’s specific goals and needs. By discussing your customer’s objectives, you’ll be able to share how your services currently can meet their goals or how they can be tailored to their specific outcomes. Discussing what you can do for the client can give them a better sense of confidence in investing in you, and land more sales by being able to share this info.
3. A consultation call… will help ensure you’re a good match
Building on #1, taking the time to connect with your customer BEFORE they book can help prevent a mismatch in services needed vs services rendered, and prevent an overall negative experience (for YOU as well!).
Consultation calls serve as an opportunity to learn about your potential customer, their expectations, industry, and personality. Although landing consistent clients is awesome (and often necessary for small business owners), it’s important to ensure that clients you sign on are the right-fit for your business offerings.
For example, I offer Squarespace website design services to women small business owners in the creative fields (e.g., photographers, wedding planners, florists, designers, boutique owners, etc.). While I love designing all sorts of websites, there are some sites and clients that wouldn’t be a good fit for my specific business, such as larger businesses in the construction industry, or companies seeking a more masculine design.
By limiting my client base to my niche or service offerings, I can ensure:
My client will LOVE their final product
My client and I are a good match to meet their specific goals
I prevent a negative review or confusing experience
Their project aligns with my portfolio and business growth goals
A connection with a client I will want to work with in the future (and who may have connections with other potential right-fit clients)
4. A consultation call… will help gain understanding of your ideal clients goals and pain points
Setting aside time for a consultation call can feel like a waste when you’re already so busy with 1000 other tasks to run your small business. BUT, consultation calls can be viewed as mini-research sessions with your ideal clients. Although not every consultation call will be with your dream client, the ones that are provide you with an opportunity to learn more about their goals and pain points. This information is invaluable when updating your website content or when marketing your business on social media. Make the most of your calls by having a list of questions ready or ask your client to complete a questionnaire before the call.
5. A consultation call… will build stronger client relationships
Consultation calls are about more than just answering questions (hello FAQ page!). They provide an opportunity for you to share more about yourself, how you work, and your personality. This is especially important for creative entrepreneurs who need to make a connection with their client in order to perform their services (e.g., wedding photographers, brand managers, etc.). They also give you a chance to get to know your client’s personality and how they communicate before getting too deep into the project. This will create an enhanced understanding of each other, and more positive experience overall.
Wrapping It Up
Consultation calls are an excellent way for small business owners to save time and grow their client base in the process!
