Walking in having already looked at their business changes the whole call.
Looked at their website — one thing that's genuinely good, one thing that's broken
Looked at one social profile — when did they last post?
Re-read their enquiry
Asked permission to record (say it in the first 30 seconds — wait for a real yes)
Part 1 · 3 minutes
Open
"Thanks for making time. Before anything else — tell me about the business. How did it start?"
Then stop talking. Let them run.
Part 2 · 15 minutes — the bulk of it
Understand
What's been the biggest headache lately?
Walk me through what happens when a new customer contacts you.
What takes the longest that you wish didn't?
What do you keep meaning to do and never get to?
Have you had help with this before? How did it go?
If this were handled a year from now, what would be different?
The three that do the real work: "Can you tell me more about that?" · "What's the hardest part of that for you?" · "How often does that happen?"
Part 3 · 7 minutes
How I might help
Reflect back first. Then name one or two things — not everything you offer.
"So what I'm hearing is… Here's how I'd think about that."
Say both of these, every call:
"I don't bill by the hour." A set list of deliverables, a set price.
"I'm one person." You won't be handed off. I work evenings and weekends and answer within 2 business days.
Walk-away signals
Tick any that show up. Two or more is a no, however much you want the work.
Can't say what they want a visitor to do — not ready
Wants it next week — doesn't fit a teacher's evenings
Names three people who "didn't work out" — you'd be the fourth
Needs you reachable during school hours — impossible
Wants a store, a login site, or someone else's broken site fixed — firm no
Flinches at a price they haven't heard yet
Part 4 · 5 minutes
Close
"Let me make sure I've got this. Your priorities are ___, and the hardest part has been ___. Did I get that right?"
Pause. Let them correct you.
"I'll put together a written recommendation — the package I think fits, what's included, and the price. You'll have it by ___. No pressure either way; if it's not right, tell me and that's genuinely fine."
⭐ Before you do anything else
Within ten minutes of hanging up. A transcript holds what was said; it doesn't hold any of this — and this goes stale within the hour.