Decide what you are offering before the calendar invitation goes out.
Give each conversation a purpose
A discovery conversation helps both sides decide whether there is a relevant assignment. It can cover the goal, the current situation, constraints and the next decision.
A paid diagnostic produces something the client can use: an assessment, a prioritised plan or a specific recommendation based on agreed evidence. Its value should stand on its own rather than depend on buying a larger project.
Do not charge merely because a conversation takes time. Equally, you do not need to deliver the solution free to establish that you understand the problem.
Draw the boundary in plain language
| Fit conversation | Paid diagnostic |
|---|---|
| Clarify what the client wants to change | Examine an agreed part of the business |
| Identify whether your service is relevant | Analyse supplied evidence and selected interviews |
| Explain how an assignment could work | Deliver a defined assessment or recommendation |
| Agree whether to proceed | Review the deliverable against the agreed scope |
Huthwaite’s SPIN methodology separates investigating needs from demonstrating capability. That distinction is useful here: ask enough to understand the assignment without pretending that a preliminary conversation is a completed diagnosis.
Make the diagnostic tangible
Here is a fictional scope for a small service company.
Question: Why do incoming website enquiries reach different team members without a clear owner?
Inputs: A sample of recent enquiry records, the current routing rules and interviews with the service manager and two colleagues.
Work: Trace the sample through the current process and identify where ownership becomes unclear.
Deliverable: A short findings note, a proposed assignment rule and a review meeting.
Outside scope: Rebuilding the CRM, rewriting website forms and managing the service team.
Next decision: Adopt the recommendation, commission an implementation or keep the current arrangement.
The diagnostic does not promise a percentage improvement. It gives the buyer a specific piece of work to accept or decline.
Explain the choice without pressure
You might say: “We can use a short call to check whether the enquiry-routing issue fits our work. If you want us to analyse the records and recommend a new process, I’ll scope that as a paid diagnostic.”
That makes the distinction understandable. Avoid disguising a sales call as a free audit with a promised report you have not defined.
Offer the smallest useful next step
If one answer would establish fit, ask it. If the buyer already understands the scope and wants a quote, do not insist on another call. If meaningful analysis is required, describe the deliverable and fee before doing it.
The consulting account-planning guide can help organise earlier conversations. Once an actual assignment appears, let its requirements determine whether the next step is discovery, a diagnostic or a direct proposal.