The Discovery-to-Close Checklist

Spend 15 minutes on their website, LinkedIn, and any recent press. Know their business model, approximate size, and what they publicly say about their goals. You should never ask a question in discovery that a 10-minute Google search answers.

Look at your CRM or email platform. Have they opened emails, visited your services page, downloaded a resource? This tells you where they are in their thinking before they say a word.

One short email: here's what we'll cover, here's what I need from you, here's roughly how long we'll spend. Prospects who feel prepared show up ready to make decisions.

Know your floor price and your minimum engagement terms before you pick up. You cannot think clearly about a number mid-conversation if you haven't done this first.

Write them down. Budget range, decision-making process, and timeline are the three that matter most. Not having these prepared means you'll forget one when the conversation flows and you'll be guessing later.

State how long you have and what you'll cover. This signals that you run structured conversations and that you respect their time, which immediately shifts how they perceive you.

Let them describe the situation in their own words. Ask 'What's prompted you to look at this now?' You want to understand urgency and pain before you frame any solution.

Ask 'What have you done so far to address this?' The answer tells you what's failed, what they've invested, and how sophisticated their thinking is. It also stops you from proposing something they've already rejected.

Ask 'What does this cost you, either in time or revenue, if nothing changes in the next six months?' If they can't answer, help them estimate. A prospect who can see the cost of inaction is a prospect who can justify your fee.

Ask directly: 'Is this a decision you can make on your own, or are there other people who need to be part of this?' If there's a board, a partner, or a finance director involved, you need to know now, not after you send the proposal.

Say: 'To make sure I'm scoping this correctly, can you give me a rough sense of what budget you're working with?' If they deflect, give them a range from your side and ask where they sit. Never let a call end with no financial context at all.

Ask when they need this in place and why that date matters. A real timeline with a real reason attached is a buying signal. A vague 'whenever' is a warning sign.

Mention one client situation that mirrors what they've described and give a specific outcome. Not a list of services. One real example. 'I worked with a founder in a similar position and we got them X in Y weeks' is worth more than ten bullet points about your process.

Before you hang up, confirm what happens next, who does it, and when. 'I'll send you a proposal by Thursday. You'll review it and we'll talk Friday at 10. Does that work?' Leaving a call with 'I'll be in touch' is where deals go to stall.

Within two hours of the call, send a short email that reflects what you heard: the problem, the goal, the timeline, and the next step you agreed. This shows you were listening. It also surfaces any misunderstandings before they become problems.

Momentum is real. A proposal that arrives five days after a great call arrives into a colder inbox than a proposal that arrives the next morning. Set a personal deadline and keep it.

If there's been a delay of more than 48 hours, send a one-line message before the proposal: 'Just about to send this over, anything changed on your end?' It takes 30 seconds and protects you from sending a full proposal to a prospect who has already moved on.

The first paragraph of every proposal should reflect back what you heard about their situation. If they feel seen, they keep reading. If the first thing they read is your bio, they skim.

More than three options creates decision paralysis. Two is often enough. Each option should have a clear label, a clear scope, and a clear outcome. If you can't summarise an option in two sentences, the scope isn't clear enough.

Scope creep starts in proposals that don't draw clear lines. Write one sentence on what sits outside the engagement so there are no surprises at month three.

Show them what the first month looks like. Prospects buy certainty as much as capability. A concrete kickoff plan removes the 'what happens next' anxiety that stalls decisions.

End the proposal with a single clear instruction: reply with your preferred option, sign here, book a time to ask questions. Do not give them three ways to respond. Pick one and make it frictionless.

One short message: 'Just checking you received this and wanted to make sure you have everything you need to review it.' No pressure. No apology for following up. You agreed on a timeline. You're keeping to it.

Replace 'Have you had a chance to look at the proposal?' with 'What questions came up when you read through it?' The second version assumes engagement and invites a conversation rather than a yes or no.

For any proposal over a few thousand pounds, offer a 20-minute call to talk through their questions. Most prospects have queries they won't put in writing. A short call surfaces objections you can address in real time.

If they go quiet after two follow-ups, send this: 'Happy to close the loop if the timing isn't right, just let me know either way.' It respects their time, removes awkwardness, and often gets a real response where generic follow-ups didn't.

When an objection comes up, resist the urge to immediately counter it. Say 'That's a fair question' or 'I hear you' first. A prospect who feels heard is far more open to what comes next.

If they say 'It's too expensive', ask: 'Is it the total investment or is it more about the timing?' The first is a budget issue. The second is a cash flow issue. They need different responses.

If price is the issue, offer a smaller scope at a lower price. Discounting without changing anything sends the message that your first number wasn't real. Adjusting scope keeps your value intact.

Write down the three objections you hear most often and practise your responses until they're natural. 'We're already working with someone' and 'We don't have budget right now' should have clear, honest, pre-built answers you can deliver calmly.

When you've answered their questions and the conversation has reached a natural conclusion, ask: 'Are you ready to move forward?' Most consultants wait for the prospect to volunteer a yes. The prospect is often waiting for you to ask.

Every hour between the verbal yes and the signed contract is an opportunity for doubt to creep in. Have your contract template ready. Personalise it, send it, and confirm they've received it.

Include a start date in the contract and note that you're holding a slot in your schedule until a given date. This is not pressure. It's honesty about capacity and it gives the prospect a reason to act rather than leave the contract sitting in their inbox.

If the contract hasn't come back within 48 hours, send a short check-in. 'Just want to make sure you have everything you need to sign off' is enough. Don't assume silence means they've changed their mind, but don't assume the deal is done either.

Reply to the signed contract within the hour with a short message: confirm the start date, confirm when you'll be in touch next, and tell them what to expect in the first week. The deal is closed. Now show them they made the right call.