Knock knock: Potential client call - from pleasing to qualifying

Yesterday, I got an email from a potential client. In preparing for the call with her, I researched her on Linkedin, to understand where she’s coming from.

Automatically, I asked myself: What might she need? Would I be the right sparring partner for her?
I thought about: how do I best structure this “sales” call. What does she need to know?

Then suddenly, I stopped.

What if I turned the question around, away from focusing on her and towards myself?

So I asked myself: Who do I actually want to really work with?

How would I describe my ideal client? Who am I excited to work with?
What are her values, aspirations, struggles, and the actions she takes?

How can I find out whether she’s an ideal client? How can I get a sense of how she ticks? What questions can I ask?

And just like that, my mindset shifted, away from potentially wanting to please her, to being truly curious, wanting to get to know her.

Turns out:
I really enjoyed the call. I really like her and got the feeling that she’s an ideal client.

Bonus: she decided she wanted to work with me.