Before you start reading this, open a blank note and write down the last three booked discovery calls or conversations you offered for free, then ask yourself whether any of them turned into a paid project. For a long time I gave discovery calls away for free. It felt generous, helpful, good for relationship building and it made me feel like I was doing the right thing (it was also what I had been taught to do by my business coach).
I wanted people to feel supported and welcomed, especially those who were nervous about hiring a designer for the first time. I believed that if I gave enough time away, the work would come back. What actually happened was that it created a cycle where people saw my time as something freely available and I saw my own expertise as something I had to prove over and over again before anyone would take me seriously.
As the years went on, the pattern became impossible to ignore. The clients who booked my paid services did so because they were ready. They valued design, respected the work and wanted a professional experience. The clients who booked free calls were usually the ones who needed the most handholding, the most convincing, the most energy and the least commitment. The dynamic was upside down.
Somewhere along the line I realised I was teaching people how to treat me. By giving free access to my brain, my expertise, my process and even my emotional energy, I was inadvertently communicating that my time was not valuable. And if I did not value it… why would anyone else?
Moving away from free discovery calls was uncomfortable at first. It felt like cutting off something friendly and warm. But what happened next was completely unexpected. My clarity came back. My boundaries made sense again. The quality of my clients increased. People arrived confident, committed and ready to work. And most importantly, I stopped attracting people who wanted something for nothing. That one change altered the entire tone of my business!
What surprised me most was how many clients signed up to my services without needing that discovery call (and it wasn’t a few it was the vast majority). I removed the discovery call completely and just opened up my business phone to allow my clients to call me if they needed to ask a question (rather than book a formal time slot with me for 30minutes!) It was not only freeing as I could easily answer their questions if they had any before signing up and most importantly – it filtered out time wasters instantly!
IntoDesign Membership
Everything you need to reach your goals as an interior designer in one place, with systems, tools, training, community and mentorship.
I also started offering a paid consultation service, which meant that instead of giving all of my ideas away for free during my discovery call l(yes I knew tha wasn’t what it was for, but I’m human I wanted them tot like me and I felt insecure so I gave information away hoping they would see the value in hiring me…)
Looking back, I think many designers hold onto discovery calls because they are afraid of losing potential clients. Afraid of appearing too expensive or of looking inaccessible. It takes confidence to say my time is worth something and it takes maturity to recognise that not every enquiry is meant for you.
If you are in that place where your discovery calls are draining you, confusing you or filling your week with people who never move forward, its time to drop the discovery call – stop listening to people in the industry telling you it’s the way to onboard clients and start doing things that feel right for you! If you want to learn how to run projects profitably and professionally, join our membership where you’ll learn my SML (Small, Medium Large) Project System.
Jo Chrobak
