How to Book More Discovery Calls

Discovery calls are the gateway to closed deals. No calls = no pipeline = no revenue.

But getting busy executives to agree to a call isn't easy. They're bombarded with meeting requests daily.

This guide covers proven strategies to book more discovery calls through better targeting, messaging, and persistence.

Why Prospects Don't Book Calls

Understanding the barriers helps you overcome them.

Common Reasons

1. Don't see relevance

• Your message doesn't apply to them
• Unclear what the call is about
• Don't understand potential value

2. Don't have time

• Genuinely busy
• Meeting fatigue
• Other priorities

3. Don't trust you

• Don't know who you are
• Seem pushy or sales-y
• No credibility established

4. Wrong timing

• Not actively looking for solutions
• Budget already allocated
• Other initiatives in progress

The Discovery Call Booking Framework

1. Target the Right People

Before reaching out:

• Confirm they have the problem you solve
• Verify they have authority or influence
• Check company fit (size, industry, etc.)
• Identify recent triggers (hiring, funding, news)

Red flags to avoid:

• Companies too small/large for your solution
• Industries you don't serve well
• Titles without decision authority
• Recently bought competitor solution

2. Craft Compelling Outreach

Three elements of effective outreach:

A. Personalization

• Reference specific context
• Show you researched them
• Demonstrate relevance

B. Clear value

• State specific outcome
• Quantify results when possible
• Make it about them, not you

C. Low friction CTA

• Request 15 minutes (not 30-60)
• Offer specific times
• Make it easy to say yes

3. Choose the Right Channel

Email works best when:

• You have verified email addresses
• Your value can be communicated briefly
• Targeting busy executives

Phone works best when:

• Deals are time-sensitive
• Need to qualify quickly
• Targeting industries that take calls

LinkedIn works best when:

• Prospects are active on platform
• You have mutual connections
• Warm introduction possible

Multi-channel works best when:

• High-value prospects
• Competitive situation
• Need multiple touchpoints

Channel-Specific Strategies

Email Outreach

Template:

Subject: [Specific problem] for [Company]

Hi [Name],

I noticed [specific observation about their company].

We help [type of company] [achieve outcome] in [timeframe]. [One-sentence social proof].

Worth a 15-minute call next week to explore if there's a fit?

Best,
[Your name]

Best practices:

• Keep under 100 words
• One clear CTA
• Specific subject line
• Personalized opening
• Follow up 4-5 times

Common mistakes:

• Too long
• Too much about you
• Multiple CTAs
• Generic messaging

Cold Calling

Opening:

"Hi [Name], this is [You] from [Company].

I know I'm calling out of the blue. I work with [type of companies] to [outcome]. I'm calling because [specific reason related to them].

Is this a bad time, or do you have 30 seconds for me to explain why I called?"

Booking the meeting:

"Based on what you've shared, this sounds relevant. Let's schedule 15 minutes next week to discuss in detail. I'm looking at my calendar—does Tuesday at 2pm or Wednesday at 10am work better?"

Best practices:

• Call at best times (10-11am, 4-5pm)
• Sound confident, not apologetic
• Ask questions early
• Create binary choice for scheduling

Common mistakes:

• Apologizing for calling
• Monologuing about your company
• Not asking for the meeting
• Being vague about purpose

LinkedIn Outreach

Connection request:

Hi [Name],

I work with [type of companies] on [specific problem]. Thought it'd be valuable to connect given your focus on [relevant area].

Best,
[You]

Follow-up message (after connection):

Thanks for connecting, [Name].

Quick question—is [specific problem] something [Company] is focused on right now?

We've helped companies like [social proof] achieve [outcome]. Happy to share a specific example if it's relevant.

Best practices:

• Engage with their content first
• Personalize connection request
• Don't pitch in first message
• Transition to email/phone quickly

Common mistakes:

• Pitching in connection request
• Generic messages
• No personalization
• Staying on LinkedIn too long

Advanced Booking Techniques

The Pattern Interrupt

Break the expected script to grab attention.

Examples:

• "This might not be relevant, but..."
• "Probably a long shot, but..."
• "Quick question—do you still handle [responsibility]?"

The Specific Value Proposition

Replace vague benefits with specific, quantified outcomes.

Vague: "We help companies improve their sales process."

Specific: "We help B2B SaaS companies book 15-20 qualified demos per month through targeted outbound."

The Mutual Connection Reference

Leverage warm introductions and name-drops.

Examples:

• "[Mutual connection] suggested I reach out..."
• "We recently helped [company they know] achieve [result]..."
• "Given you're in the same market as [reference]..."

The Trigger Event

Reach out based on recent company news or changes.

Examples:

• Funding round: "Congratulations on the Series A..."
• Hiring: "Noticed you're hiring 3 SDRs..."
• Expansion: "Saw you opened an office in [location]..."

The Breakup Email

Final email creating urgency and giving an easy out.

Template:

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Hi [Name],

Last note from me—I'll assume [problem] isn't a priority.

If anything changes, I'm an email away.

Best,
[Your name]

Why it works:

• Creates urgency (last chance)
• Reduces pressure
• Often highest response rate

The Follow-Up Sequence

Most meetings are booked in follow-ups, not initial outreach.

Standard Email Sequence

Day 1: Initial email Day 4: Follow-up #1 - Bump to top of inbox Day 7: Follow-up #2 - Different angle/value prop Day 11: Follow-up #3 - Case study or specific example Day 14: Breakup email

Multi-Channel Sequence

Day 1: Email Day 3: LinkedIn view + connection request Day 5: Phone call Day 7: Email follow-up Day 10: LinkedIn message Day 14: Final email (breakup)

Handling Common Objections

"Send me some information"

Response: "Happy to send materials. Before I do—to make sure I send the most relevant info—quick question: what's your current approach to [problem area]?"

[If they engage, book the call. If they insist on materials, send and schedule follow-up.]

"I'm too busy right now"

Response: "I completely understand. That's actually why this might be valuable—we typically save clients [X hours/week] on [task]. Worth 15 minutes next week to see if we can do the same for you?"

"We're not looking for this right now"

Response: "That's fair. Out of curiosity—if [problem] became more urgent, what would that look like? And when might you revisit this?"

[Plant the seed for future follow-up]

"What's this about?"

Response: "In 30 seconds: we help [type of company] [achieve outcome] through [approach]. Most clients see [result] within [timeframe]. Based on [research], thought it might be relevant for [Company]. Worth exploring?"

Booking Logistics

Reduce Friction

Make it easy:

• Offer specific times (not "when works for you?")
• Provide calendar link after initial agreement
• Send immediate confirmation
• Include calendar invite with Zoom/dial-in

Set Clear Expectations

In the booking message:

• Exact duration (15 minutes)
• Purpose of call
• What you'll cover
• What they should prepare (if anything)

Confirm Before Call

1 day before:

Looking forward to our call tomorrow at [time].

Just to confirm: we'll discuss [topic] and I'll share [specific value].

See you then!

Metrics to Track

Top of Funnel

• Outreach sent
• Response rate
• Positive response rate

Conversion Metrics

• Meeting request to booking rate
• Booking to show rate
• Show to qualified opportunity rate

Quality Metrics

• Source of best meetings
• Message variation performance
• Channel effectiveness
• Day/time effectiveness

Calculate Efficiency

Example:

• 100 emails sent
• 5 responses (5% response rate)
• 3 meetings booked (3% booking rate)
• 2 showed up (67% show rate)
• 1 qualified opportunity (50% qualification rate)

Improvement areas:

• Low response rate = improve targeting/messaging
• Low booking rate = improve value prop/CTA
• Low show rate = better confirmation process
• Low qualification rate = better pre-call qualification

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Asking for Too Much Time

Requesting 30-60 minutes upfront.

Fix: Start with 15 minutes. You can always go longer if valuable.

Mistake 2: Vague Meeting Purpose

"Let's hop on a call to discuss your business."

Fix: Be specific: "15-minute call to discuss how we can help you [specific outcome]."

Mistake 3: No Follow-Up

Sending one message and giving up.

Fix: Plan 4-5 touchpoints over 2 weeks.

Mistake 4: Poor Targeting

Reaching out to unqualified prospects.

Fix: Spend more time on research and qualification before outreach.

Mistake 5: Too Sales-y

Coming across as pushy or desperate.

Fix: Focus on value exchange, not hard selling.

Mistake 6: No Calendar Link

Making prospects work to schedule.

Fix: Use Calendly/Chili Piper but only after they've agreed to meet.

Tools to Improve Booking Rates

Outreach:

• Smartlead, Instantly (email)
• Reply.io, Close (multi-channel)
• Outreach, Salesloft (enterprise)

Scheduling:

• Calendly
• Chili Piper
• HubSpot Meetings

Tracking:

• HubSpot CRM
• Pipedrive
• Salesforce

Research:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• Apollo.io
• ZoomInfo

The Bottom Line

To book more discovery calls:

1. Target better - Right people, right companies, right time
2. Message better - Personalized, specific value, clear CTA
3. Follow up more - 4-5 touchpoints minimum
4. Make it easy - 15 minutes, specific times, clear purpose
5. Track and optimize - Test messaging, channels, timing

The best time to book a call is when you've demonstrated:

• You understand their problem
• You've solved it for others
• It will only take 15 minutes
• There's low risk in saying yes

Focus on those four elements and your booking rate will improve significantly.