Why do coaches struggle to schedule enough discovery sessions?
Itâs because they donât use these 3 fundamental keys to offering them:
- Share the top 3 benefits of your discovery session.
- Ask DIRECTLY âWould you like to have a discovery session?â
- After asking, be silent for as long as it takes them to answer you.

If you use those 3 fundamental keys, youâll schedule more discovery sessions.
Letâs talk about each keyâŠ
1. Share the top 3 benefits of your discovery session.
Donât mistake these benefits for the benefits of ongoing coaching.
If you dazzle them with too much information about your coaching, youâll scare them off.
Do NOT tell potential clients the benefits of ongoing coaching with you YET (you can handle that later if coaching is a fit for them).
BOTTOM LINE: Only share the benefits of your discovery session, NOT ongoing coaching.
BOTTOM LINE: Only share the benefits of your discovery session, NOT ongoing coaching.“
Here are examples of common discovery session benefits:
- Youâll help clarify exactly what your client wants.
- Youâll help your client build a strategy to get what they want.
- You will identify whatâs holding them back from already having what they want.
- They’ll learn 2 or 3 ideas they can immediately use to improve their results.
- Theyâre getting a session that your clients pay $200 for⊠at no charge.
- Youâll deeply listen to them (without judgment) throughout the session.
- Theyâll experience valuable insights, transformation, and breakthroughs.
Steal and customize any of these benefits to share in your own discovery session offer.
If youâd like some help creating attractive benefits for your discovery session, go HERE and you can schedule a time where Iâll help you.
2. Ask DIRECTLY âWould you like to have a discovery session?â
A newer coach, Kayla, was sorely missing this exact tactic.
She complained that a prospective client ignored her offer, even though she was talking to them LIVE over the phone.
I asked her âHow did they ignore your discovery session offer?â
Kayla said âHereâs what I told herâŠ
âI have a free sample call, and youâre welcome to book one to see what it is about.ââ
âThen I talked about how people got value in my discovery sessions.â
I asked âWhat did she say?â
Kayla: âShe said âThatâs lovelyâ, and then just changed the subject.â
ME: âThatâs not quite an offerâŠ
âŠand she didnât respond to you because you didnât ask her a question.â
âYou showed interestâŠâ
â…but instead of making the offer, you just kept talking about what you do.â
Kayla: âWhy is that a problem?â
ME: âLetâs say a man wants to ask you out on a date.â
âHe says âIâd like to take you out sometimeâ.â
âDid he ask you a question?â
Kayla: âNo, and I could probably just ignore him!â
ME: âExactly. Saying he wants to take you out is only information.â
âAnd itâs a pretty âignorableâ offerâŠ
âŠunless he asks you a direct question.â
âIf he said âAre you free Saturday night at 7?ââ
âTHATâS a direct question.â
âYou canât ignore it, and youâll likely give him an answer.â
Kayla: âSure, but I could just say ânoâ.â
ME: âTrue. A direct question has 1 of 3 possible responses…
- âYesâ
- âNoâ, orâŠ
- They can raise questions or concerns.â
âThereâs no way to get around it.â
âA direct question ALWAYS exposes you to hearing âno.ââ
âBut YES is also possible⊠and, most importantlyâŠ
âŠwhen you ASK DIRECTLY, they canât ignore your offer.â
âThe same is true when offering discovery sessions.â
Kayla: âThat makes sense.â
By the way, itâs ok to talk to your prospective client as much as you wantâŠ
âŠbut once itâs time to offer the discovery sessionâŠ
âŠbe direct and to the point.
Thatâs not the time to talk a lot.
Thatâs not the time to beat around the bush.
Iâve met coaches who wasted years âhinting aroundâ (or over-talking) about their discovery sessionâŠ
âŠcommunicating fear and uncertainty without even realizing it.
BOTTOM LINE: Ask direct questions that require a yes or no answer.
Here are examples of direct questions that offer a discovery session:
- âWould you like to schedule a discovery session?â
- âHow do you feel about scheduling a discovery session?â
- âI have 10am or 12pm available. Which of those times works best for you?â
- âI have 10 time slots available on my calendar. Would you like to reserve one of the 10 slots?â
Direct questions communicate clarity and confidence.
Direct questions communicate clarity and confidence.”
Direct questions move the action forward.
At that point, anything else is stalling.

(NOTE: If you want to learn how to start your own coaching business, then check out this webinar, called “How to Start Your Coaching Business in 30 Days“ Â During the webinar, Iâll cover how to get your first paid clients fast and make it feel natural for you. Click HERE now to attend the webinar.)
3. After asking, be silent for as long as it takes them to answer you.
Your direct question signals to your client that itâs THEIR turn to speak.
Itâs THEIR turn to decide on getting that discovery session or not.
Itâs THEIR decision to take new actions to create a better life, business, body, etc.
Your silence gives the client as much time as they needâŠ
âŠfor them to consider your offer and answer your question.
Beyond that…
WHY is your SILENCE so important?
Your silence shows confidence.
Your silence gives that client certainty that itâs smart to get a discovery session with you.
And, especially upon making the offer, unnecessary talking makes you look anxious.
I used to be guilty of talking too much myself.
Talking too much got in the way of my own discovery sessionsâŠ
âŠboth when I shouldâve been making a direct offerâŠ
âŠas well as when the client shouldâve had space to reply to my offer.
My solution?
Iâd ask my client a pre-scripted, direct question (to offer the discovery session)…
âŠthen, I bit down on a towel, so I couldnât talk.
When you talk too much about what youâre offering (without asking an offer question)âŠ
âŠyou project a lack of confidence.
Why was I talking too much?
Fear.
Anxiety.
Fear or anxiety creates an obstacle that your client has to âget aroundâ before they schedule that discovery session with you.
Imagine someone making an offer, but they never shut up!
Wouldnât you start to doubt the offer?
Wouldnât you pass a little bit of judgment?
THEIR FEAR turned into YOUR BARRIER to taking the offer.
THATâS how it happens.
Unnecessary talking can cause a potential client to hold backâŠ
âŠeven if they were already going to agree to a discovery session!
Sometimes you WILL feel a lack of confidence when offering a discovery sessionâŠ
âŠbut NEVER force your client to look past your fearfulness in order to see the value that you offer.
Sometimes you WILL feel a lack of confidence when offering a discovery sessionâŠbut NEVER force your client to look past your fearfulness in order to see the value that you offer.“
So, when offering your next discovery session:
- Share the top 3 benefits of your discovery session.
- Ask DIRECTLY âWould you like to have a discovery session?â
- After asking, be silent for as long as it takes them to answer you.
If you adopt these tacticsâŠ
âŠyouâll increase your effectiveness at scheduling more discovery sessions.
Make a differenceâŠ
âŠoffer a discovery session to the person in front of you.
Kristoffer âNo Talkingâ Thompson
Designated Coach, Master Coach University
Head Coach, Synergy Private Client Program
kristofferthompson@coachestrainingblog.com
619-212-0202
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