Discovery call going well. Client interested. Then said: “Sounds good, send me a proposal.”
Translation: “I’m not convinced yet but being polite.”
Changed my approach. Now 70% of calls close on the call itself.
THE OLD APPROACH:
Discovery call: Talk about their problem (30 min)
Me: “I can definitely help. Let me send proposal.”
Them: “Sounds good.”
Then: Radio silence.
Close rate: 30%
THE NEW APPROACH:
Discovery call: Talk about their problem (15 min)
Me: “Want to see exactly how this would work? I can build a quick demo right now.”
Them: “Uh, sure…”
Then: I build it live while they watch.
Close rate: 70%
THE LIVE DEMO PROCESS:
“Do you have a sample invoice you can share screen with me?”
They share their actual invoice.
“Great, let me show you what happens…”
Then I:
1. Upload their invoice to Make workflow (2 min)
2. Run extraction live (30 seconds)
3. Show extracted data (they gasp)
4. Map to their QuickBooks format (2 min)
5. Show complete entry (they’re sold)
Total demo time: 5 minutes
Impact: Massive
THE MAGIC MOMENT:
When their actual data appears correctly formatted. That’s when they get it.
Not theoretical. Not “imagine if.” Their invoice. Their data. Working now.
“When can you start?” – Exact words, 7 times.
THE SETUP:
Pre-call preparation:
– Have Make scenario open (generic template)
– PDF API ready
– Screen share tested
– Test invoice ready (backup if they don’t have one)
During call:
– Ask for their document
– Share screen
– Build live
– Use their actual data
THE BENEFITS:
BUILDS TRUST:
Not hiding behind proposals. Showing actual capability.
OVERCOMES SKEPTICISM:
“Can automation really handle MY documents?” Yes. Watch.
CREATES URGENCY:
They see it working NOW. Don’t want to wait.
DIFFERENTIATES YOU:
Most freelancers talk. You show.
THE OBJECTIONS THAT DISAPPEAR:
“What if my invoices are different format?”
Show: Handles their format perfectly.
“What about accuracy?”
Show: Extracts every field correctly.
“Seems complicated…”
Show: Actually quite simple.
THE CLOSE:
After demo: “This is exactly what you’d get. Setup fee is $1,200, monthly maintenance $200. Want me to send contract?”
Them (usually): “Yes. How soon can we start?”
THE NUMBERS:
Calls without demo: 30% close rate
Calls with demo: 70% close rate
Time investment: +10 minutes per call
Result: 2.3x more clients
THE CAVEAT:
Only works if you have working template. If starting from zero, build demo workflow first. Use it every call.
Investment: 3 hours building demo template
Return: 40% higher close rate forever
TEMPLATES THAT MAKE THIS EASY:
Have 3 demo-ready workflows:
1. Invoice processing
2. Form extraction
3. Receipt tracking
Clone, customize live, close deal.
THE MINDSET SHIFT:
Stop selling future results. Show present reality.
“I can build this for you” (promise)
vs
“Here it is working with your data” (proof)
Proof closes deals.
