Sales Discovery Call SOP

Purpose

Define the discovery call process for inbound sales inquiries - customers calling to ask about service. Most service businesses miss the opportunity to qualify + book efficiently because they treat every call the same. A structured discovery call increases close rate from 50% to 70-80%.

Scope

Applies to:

• Inbound calls from new customers
• Inbound calls from previous customers with new needs
• Web-form inquiries followed up by phone

Excludes existing service-contract customers calling for routine work (separate intake flow) + emergency calls (different scope).

Responsibilities

• CSR / Owner / Dispatcher runs the discovery call
• Service technician completes the in-home assessment + quote (separate visit if needed)

Procedure

Phase 1: Warm Welcome (30 seconds)

1. Answer within 3 rings.
2. Standard greeting: "Thanks for calling [BUSINESS], this is [NAME], how can I help you today?"
3. Smile while you talk (customer can hear it).

Phase 2: Understand the Problem (3-5 minutes)

1. Open-ended question first. "Tell me what's going on."
2. Listen without interrupting. Note the customer's exact language; mirror it back later.
3. Ask clarifying questions:

• When did this start?
• Have you had work done on this recently?
• Is anyone else in the home affected?
• Is this an emergency or can you wait a few days?

1. Empathize: "That sounds frustrating. Let me see what I can do."

Phase 3: Qualify the Opportunity (2-3 minutes)

1. Property details:

• Address (verify service area)
• Property type (single-family, condo, etc.)
• Approximate age

1. Decision-making:

• "Are you the homeowner / renter?"
• "Is anyone else involved in this decision?"

1. Budget context:

• "Do you have a sense of what you can budget for this?" (Some won't answer; that's fine)

1. Timeline:

• "When do you need this resolved?"

Phase 4: Position the Service (1-2 minutes)

1. Brief explanation of what to expect:

• "Sounds like [PROBLEM]. We typically [BRIEF EXPLANATION OF PROCESS]."

1. Service tier options (if applicable):

• "We have a couple of options for that. Let me have someone come out + give you a precise quote."

1. Mention warranty / guarantee:

• "All our work comes with a [TIME] warranty."

1. Establish credibility briefly:

• "We've been doing [BUSINESS TYPE] in [AREA] for [TIME]."

Phase 5: Schedule the Visit (1-2 minutes)

1. Offer specific times:

• "I have [DAY] at 10 AM, [DAY] at 2 PM, or [DAY] at 4 PM. Which works best?"

1. Confirm details:

• Customer name + address + phone
• Email (for confirmation + invoice + review request)
• Any pets, kids, or access constraints

1. Set expectations:

• "[TECH NAME] will arrive between [WINDOW]; he'll call when he's on the way."

1. Send confirmation:

• Email confirmation immediately (template ready)
• Calendar invite if customer prefers

Phase 6: Close + Follow-up (30 seconds)

1. Thank them: "Thanks for choosing us. I'll send a confirmation right now."
2. Set the next touchpoint: "We'll text you 24 hours before to remind you."
3. End warmly: "Have a great day."

Acceptance Criteria

• Call duration 6-12 minutes (longer for complex situations)
• Customer name + address + phone + email captured
• Visit scheduled in window customer can accept
• Confirmation sent within 5 minutes of hanging up
• 24-hour reminder configured

Common pitfalls

• Quoting price on the phone: never do this for service work. "Let me have a tech assess + give you a precise quote." Some customers push hard for a number; redirect.
• Treating every call as urgent: many "emergencies" can wait 24 hours. Slow down.
• Skipping qualification: some calls aren't real customers (price-shopping, DIYers, competitors). Qualifying saves your tech's time.
• Talking too much about yourself: customers care about THEIR problem, not your business history.

References

• Service Roundtable inbound-call benchmarks
• Manuall internal: Customer Communication Standards, New Customer Onboarding Checklist, Estimating + Quoting Process