Streamlining your processes as a business owner is an important part of building a sustainable business – a business that conserves your time, energy and resources. 

One way to streamline is by implementing an onboarding sequence that allows you to filter out potential clients who aren't a good fit before you start working with them; optimizing your customer journey and saving you time on discovery calls.

Here are a few ways to weed out clients who aren’t right for your business offerings. 

Share transparently about your offers, values, and pricing

After taking on several clients in my own business who weren’t the right fit, I decided to address some of these fit concerns up front on my website. 

In particular, I wanted to contextualize the results people can expect from working with me, and that I don’t negotiate my pricing. 

To clarify these concerns, I implemented an FAQ section on my website. This page allows me to openly discuss any areas of contention or confusion that I’ve experienced with clients (or prospective clients) in the past. 

On this page I’ve added multiple questions about results and expectations regarding sales or visibility “guarantees.” I’m clear in my answers that I do not and cannot promise any results from working with me, other than: 

• A sense of empowerment, clarity, and confidence about what to do to grow your business

• A better understanding of marketing, and

• That I’ll ensure the plan we create is realistic  

This not only speaks to my work as a marketing strategist focused on providing clarity and direction, it also gives potential clients insight into my authentic approach. I don’t trust or recommend any marketing expert who guarantees increased sales because it’s not something that anyone can guarantee without being actively involved in your sales processes. 

On this page I’ve also included an investment section, outlining the minimum investment for my one-on-one work, as well as a statement that my pricing is set. In this section I also speak to my values, clarifying that while I don’t reduce my package pricing I am happy to offer payment plans for greater accessibility.

Feel free to browse this page on my website to get a feel for the level of transparency and authenticity I’m referring to. 

While you don’t need to get too in-depth, a high-level overview is key to helping your ideal clients find you.

Consider what some of your greatest roadblocks are with potential clients when you hop on discovery calls. What’s holding them back from investing? 

Alternatively, what are some of the “red flags” you see in clients that let you know they aren’t aligned with your offer? 

What values are important to you and how you operate your business? 

Sharing transparently about your offers, values and pricing upfront via your website and other marketing materials can help set client expectations early on. 

Remember, you aren’t meant to support everyone. Getting clear about who you are, what you offer, and who you’re focused on working with can help you connect with your people more fully.  

Implement a pre-screening questionnaire 

Beyond your website content, it can also be beneficial to utilize a questionnaire to better understand potential clients. This would be presented to people who are hoping to book a discovery call with you, before their call is confirmed in the calendar. 

Not everyone will take the time to browse your website or read your FAQ page. Those who do, might overlook something that is of key importance to you, or might feel certain guidelines don’t apply to them and will reach out even when they’re not a right fit.

Pre-discovery call questions offer a way for you to audit potential clients yourself so you can understand who you’re talking to before you hop on a call. 

Within this preliminary questionnaire, don’t be afraid to be comprehensive. You want to have a good sense of who this person is, and why they’re coming to you so you can more appropriately steer the conversation if you decide to move forward with a call.

Here are a few examples of questions that would do well in a pre-screening process. 

Who are you? Tell me about yourself and your business. What is your website address?

This question helps to build rapport, giving you insight into who the client is and what their needs are. This can help ensure they’re a good fit for the offer they are reaching out about. It also gives you a way to audit their current efforts and prepare for your call if you decide to move forward with them. 

What is your top goal in working together? What would a successful working relationship look like? 

These questions can help determine if the person’s expectations are aligned with the results you promise your clients. It also allows you to tailor the resources or client transformations you showcase on your call, to ensure relevance and encourage action. 

What do you think ISN’T working in your business right now?

What are they struggling with? Where are they hoping to go from here? Based on this information, you’ll be able to decide if their pain points are areas that you’re able to support with.

What do you think IS working in your business?

This gives insight into their current efforts, and can help you develop a plan to support them beyond their ongoing strategies.

Why now? 

Has something happened recently that prompted them to look for support? Do they have a specific goal or metric in mind? These questions can help you to further manage expectations upfront about what is achievable within a realistic timeline. 

How much are you willing to invest right now?

Oftentimes we’ll experience clients who sign-up for discovery calls when they aren’t truly ready to dive in. If you’re looking for serious candidates only, understanding the client’s ideal timeline and level of preparedness can help you weed out those who are simply browsing or those hoping for some free advice or support. 

Consider adding a minimum investment amount question based on your services. I tend to recommend giving ranges for people to select from, rather than leaving a blank space. The bottom range should be the minimum it costs to work with you one-on-one. 

This allows you to,

1. Weed out potential clients who cannot afford your services, or are not ready to invest right now by referring them to someone else who might be able to support them at a lower investment, or 

2. Meet with potential clients who aren’t ready to invest at your current rates, but do so understanding where they’re at and that they may need more time, an alternate offer, and/or a payment plan before they move forward with you.

This question also allows clients to opt out on their own if they realize the pricing is beyond their current investment readiness.

Is there anything else you’d like to know about before we meet?

This is a final opportunity for potential clients to share what they’re looking for, express concerns, and ask questions. This allows both parties to go into the discovery call (if you decide to move forward) with a sense of clarity and direction. 

Note: The questions you use will likely differ based on your business and ideal clients. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend limiting the questionnaire to 10 questions or less, and making each question optional so that clients can share as much as they are willing without feeling pressured.

Your goal is to create a questionnaire that allows you to get a sense of who you’re talking to, ensures alignment between the potential client’s needs and your service offerings, and allows you to prepare for your call with them so you can streamline your sales efforts when you meet.  

Do your own research 

Another advantage to having a discovery questionnaire that asks for their business name and/or website is that it allows you to check the client and their business out on your own time. 

What’s happening on their website, social media, or anything else that’s publicly available? 

This will give you insight about how established they are in what they do and how serious they are about it. It will also allow you to begin to get an idea of some of their values, which can further help you gauge alignment.

If they have no online presence that you can find, it’s not a sign that they’re not serious or wrong for you. However, it gives you an important topic to discuss on your call! 

Optimize your sales funnels and utilize automations where possible

Once you have an idea of who is reaching out and inquiring about your work, it’s up to you to decide how your relationship progresses. 

If they’re aligned, prep for a call! Make it easy for them to book with you, and add automated reminders, calendar invites, and follow-ups to make the process seamless. 

After your discovery call, follow-up to ensure that next steps are clear. Whether it's sending a proposal, booking another call, or starting the onboarding process, this clarity will keep the momentum going. Keep these follow-ups personalized to increase engagement with clients. 

If you know the client isn’t aligned based on their initial questionnaire or inquiry, it’s still important that you nurture the relationship by providing potential next steps. 

Consider creating automated systems that point the client to other opportunities to work with you. For example, introducing them to your workshop series or group coaching offers which come with a lower investment and therefore have less of a barrier to entry. 

Alternative offers can provide a great starting place, allowing you to showcase your expertise and set the client up for success. 

Hopefully, as they build their portfolio and generate more revenue (thanks to your support), they’re able to invest in your one-on-one offers in the future. 

Building this sense of trust can help develop a consistent funnel of valuable repeat clients who will continue to learn and grow with you. 

If you have the time and energy, you can always choose to hop on a call to provide this direction. In fact, if you’re new to discovery calls, getting some experience with people who aren’t looking to buy right away might be a less stressful way to start to feel comfortable with the process.

This is your business and you get to decide what your sales and onboarding processes look like. 

Adding in automations or streamlining the process with standardized steps can help you save time, set expectations, and demonstrate professionalism with clients early on.

Consider also offering incentives for aligned clients. How can you encourage them to take action? Whether they’re signing up for a one-on-one offer right away, or you’re directing them to a lower investment workshop or package, it’s important to capitalize on this person’s interest in your expertise.  

Refining your onboarding process will support both you and your clients

How you implement each of these suggestions will vary greatly depending on your business and services, but the bottom line remains the same. 

You don't want to waste your time on calls with people who aren't a good fit for your offers.

Far too often I work with business owners who get burned because they bent their own rules or overlook their values to fit clients they had a gut feeling weren’t aligned from the beginning. 

(Disclaimer: this still happens to me sometimes, you’re not always going to get it right). 

Your time, energy, and resources as a business owner are valuable and as much as possible should be reserved for working with clients who are aligned with your goals, interests, and values.

So, make time to sit down and audit your current onboarding process. Where could things be optimized or refined? 

You’re doing your business and your clients a favour by communicating your expectations, investment minimums, and values upfront so there is no time wasted discussing a working relationship that doesn’t make sense or won’t happen.