What happens on a Discovery Call with moi?
From a business perspective,
you could consider a Discovery Call
to be a sales call.
It is, after all, often a prelude to a purchase—
the purchase of my life coaching services.
Now, I’m a businesswoman, so
I have no qualms about calling it sales.
But I think a lot of people associate “sales”
with coercive, unethical, untrustworthy behavior.
So here’s another way to think about
a Discovery Call with Emma:
it’s a kind of a sorting hat.
You’re sorting me, and
I’m sorting you.
I’m trying to figure out:
1. Can I help this person?
2. Do we have good chemistry?
(It’s way more fun if we can laugh together!)
You’re trying to figure out:
1. Can coaching help me?
2. Can this specific coach help me?
3. Do I like and trust her?
We’re both trying to figure out
whether we fit each other.
To that end, here’s how the call goes:
1. We make some small talk—I like knowing where you are in the world, how you heard about me, what your day’s been like so far.
2. I invite you to tell me your situation.
3. I tell you whether I think I’m a good fit for you*
4. If I think I’m a good fit, and you’re interested in hearing more, I share my approach to coaching.
5. If you’re still interested, I share the administrative details like my schedule, fees, policies.
6. If you want to press ahead, we schedule our first session. If you want some time to think about it, that’s fine too. If it’s not at all for you, we can still be pals!
It takes about 45 minutes, and you’ll need to be in a quiet, private area where you can reflect deeply and speak freely. (The call will not feel satisfying if you’re driving, actively parenting, walking down an NYC street, in the back of a cab, running errands, working, etc.)
*Who am I a good fit for? I’ve noticed that the clients I help the most have the following in common:
– They’re women—I have a better intuitive sense of women’s inner lives.
– They are old enough to have seen some shit and processed it (so, like, at least 35ish?)
– Their politics are lefty, and they are intolerant of sexism, white dominance, heteronormativity, transphobia, fatphobia, and all the other systems of oppression that seek to diminish marginalized people.
– Many things are already working for them in their lives…
– …But there is an arena or two where things ARE NOT WORKING, no matter how much they think about it or how hard they work at it or what solutions they throw at it.
– They like and trust me.
– They have a sense of humor.
Who am I a bad fit for?
– Men.
– I’m a bad fit for someone struggling with an active mental illness. I’m a coach rather than a therapist, so I’m not qualified to address mental illness.
– I’m a bad fit for someone who doesn’t intuitively trust me. You deserve a coach you trust, and that might not be me.
– I’m a bad fit for someone who is “kinda vaguely curious about coaching and wants to check it out”. This Capricorn goat likes having a hill to climb! I’m a better fit for someone who is more “actively seeking coaching to address a troublesome situation or quandary”
Discovery calls can be intense,
because you are laying out your troubles,
and taking a 30,000 foot view of your life.
So I can’t promise you
that after the call,
you will instantly feel amazing.
But I can promise this:
I will listen to you deeply.
I will share my impressions respectfully.
I will communicate clearly and openly.
And you will probably leave feeling seen, heard, and supported in a way that is different from any other relationship in your life.
Wanna give it a go?