The Discovery Call Playbook

An operational script for a coaching/consulting discovery call, from open to close

Disclaimer: This document is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional, legal, tax, or licensing advice specific to your situation. Any worked example is illustrative and must be verified against your own numbers.

How to use this playbook

Work through the 5 blocks in order on every discovery call. Each block has a decision point — what you do next depends on the prospect's actual answer, not a fixed script you read verbatim. The filled example follows one real call structure with a prospective 1:1 coaching client, "Dana."

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Block 1: Open (2 minutes)

Decision point: is this prospect here to explore, or did they already half-decide and just need confirmation? Their opening answer tells you which mode to run the rest of the call in.

Script shape: "Thanks for booking time — before I ask anything, what made you reach out right now?"

Filled example: Dana says "I've been putting this off for six months and finally just did it." → Signal: already decided in principle, run the call in confirm-and-scope mode rather than heavy persuasion mode.

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Block 2: Qualify (5 minutes)

Decisions to make:

• Do they have the authority/budget to actually hire you, or do they need to check with someone else first?
• Is the problem they describe one you've actually solved before, or would this be a stretch case?

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