Discovery calls are a freelancer’s bread and butter…
And most go in with no real plan but to make their pitch.
Not elite freelancers →
They know that on a discovery call the goal is to diagnose:
What the client actually wants
Why it matters
What’s blocking them
What happens if nothing changes
Whether you’re the right person to help
When you run the call the right way, the client feels led, not sold.
The problem:
Discovery calls are unstructured and largely a waste of time.
You don’t consistently close deals or set clear next steps for you and the client.
The benefit of solving it:
You'll close more deals, ask better questions, and stop wasting time on leads that were never a good fit anyway.
Why what you’ve tried has failed:
You're doing all the talking, trying to showcase your skills, and hoping they'll be impressed enough to hire you.
Here’s how to solve it:
Use my 4-part structure on every discovery call you do from now on →
Step 1: Context (2–3 minutes)
Set the tone and get a quick snapshot.
Your Goal: Understand what they think the problem is.
Step 2: Problem (5 minutes)
Dig deeper into the underlying issue.
Your Goal: Surface the actual business problem behind the deliverable.
Step 3: Impact (3–4 minutes)
Help them articulate the cost of not fixing it.
Your Goal: Establish urgency without pushing.
Step 4: Direction (3–5 minutes)
Offer a clear path forward (not a full pitch).
Your Goal: Position your offer as the natural next step.
When you run calls this way, something magical happens:
The client does most of the talking….
And convince themselves they need help.
The best communicator gets hired, not the best practitioner.
So position yourself as the advisor who can solve their problem.
(Not just another freelancer begging for work.)
Best,
Jamie
More support for your freelancing success in 2026:
→ Ready to escape the feast-or-famine cycle? Join The Freelancing Program and master the Client Domino System that turns chaos into consistent $10K+ months (1,000+ freelancers and counting).
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