Nail the Consult: 6 Ways to Leave Clients Excited to Work With You
The Founding Females® Business Hack Series
Welcome to the third edition of the Founding Females® Business Hack Series: a monthly collection of crowd-sourced wisdom from women entrepreneurs around the world.
Last month, we talked about Marketing and Strategic Visibility: 19 Ways to Attract Clients and Drive Revenue.
This month, we’ll talk about something that can low key make or break your business: Your consults.
Most women I talk to never learned how to lead a sales conversation.
So, if you’ve ever:
Gotten off a call and thought, “That went well!” only to get ghosted
Felt like you were over-explaining instead of guiding
Avoided selling because it felt awkward
…we’ve been there 🤍
At Founding Females®, we know women have vast collective intelligence to share.
Each time one of us discovers a smarter workflow, a mindset shift that elevates the outcome, or a strategy that frees up time and mental space, it becomes something worth sharing.
This series celebrates what women do so well: link arms and clear the path for the next woman to thrive.
Each month, we invite women founders, consultants, creatives, and CEOs from every corner of the globe to submit their best “business hack” aligned with intentional topics designed to help women lead, grow, and expand our businesses.
The result is a growing library of practical wisdom from real women doing good work in real businesses, all curated here in one place so you can learn, grow, and build a business that supports your life, not the other way around.
Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, these hacks offer quick wins, fresh perspectives, and tested insights that save time, fuel momentum, and help you step deeper into your role as a female entrepreneur.
Have a Hack of Your Own? We’d Love to Feature You.
If you’re an entrepreneur with a piece of hard-earned wisdom to share, we want to hear it. Your insight could be the exact shift another woman needs to move forward.
Submit your hack here: https://foundingfemalesco.com/hack
(We publish new themes all year long. Bookmark the page so you can contribute anytime.)
Let’s hear the smart, practical hacks that help these wise women run a business they love while targeting, reaching, and converting ideal clients.
Photo Credit: Always Flourishing Photography
Nail the Consult: Leave Clients Excited to Work with You
“Nine times out of ten, it’s an easy yes, because they just told me the problem, and I showed them the solution.”
“I never thought consult calls would become one of my favorite parts of running a business.
In fact, I vividly remember the days I would do anything to get out of a sales call.
But, after years of calls across multiple industries (therapy, photography, marketing, coaching, and sales), I’ve got my system DOWN.
My game-changing hack really boils down to keeping it simple and connecting human-to-human.
When a potential client hops on a call, I start by letting them talk about the problem that inspired them reaching out.
I want to hear their story, their frustrations, and what’s driving them to seek help.
Then, I empathize and align with them, because people want to feel understood before they’re sold to.
From there, I simply explain how my service can help solve their exact problem.
Then, when I ask "Does that sound like what you were looking for?” Nine times out of ten, it’s an easy yes, because they just told me the problem, and I showed them the solution.”
Taylor Svetlichny, founder of Aligned SEO | @alignedseoco | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States
“I always block off time immediately after a call to send proposals or next steps while the excitement is fresh (literally within the hour after).”
“One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen in my business came from what I call "The Balancing Point".
It’s all about positioning your offer as the sweet spot between where your client is now and where they want to be.
Most business owners market their services or products, but I focus on marketing the transformation.
When I sit down with a new client, I always start by asking why they started their business in the first place.
That opens the door to empathy, which means understanding their current challenge, visualizing where they’re headed, and showing how we can bridge that gap together.
On client calls (or product inquiries), "The Balancing Point" is everything, because you’re not simply selling. You’re connecting. And once that connection clicks, don’t let it fade.
Pro Tip: I always block off time immediately after a call to send proposals or next steps while the excitement is fresh (literally within the hour after). That simple timing shift keeps momentum alive and turns curiosity into action – whether that means booked projects, new clients, or product sales.”
Hannah Hernandez, founder of EQBM Design Company | @eqbmdesignco | Peoria Heights, IL, USA
“This focus on genuine connection has been the single most important driver of my business growth.”
“My game-changing hack is a client-centric approach I call the "Human-First Engagement Model."
It’s built on making it easy for clients to share their ideas by being approachable and respectful.
I prioritize flexibility, allowing rescheduling up to three times, and practice active listening in every meeting.
Before we even meet, I research their business to understand their world.
During our calls, I use AI tools (with permission) for note-taking to ensure I capture every detail and can respond to emails promptly.
The core of this model is to build a relationship, not just a transaction.
I use fun icebreakers, remember small personal details from our conversations, and use post-meeting surveys to gather feedback.
It’s about ensuring the client leaves every meeting feeling energized and excited for the next one. This focus on genuine connection has been the single most important driver of my business growth.”
Mahathi Choudhry, founder of Youth Entrepreneurship and Incubation Academy | @sapodillaconsulting | Fremont, CA, USA
“I’ve found that consistent follow-through—meeting deadlines, recapping next steps, and proactively communicating—builds authority faster than any marketing tactic.”
“One of the most impactful mindset shifts I brought from my corporate sales and post-sales career into entrepreneurship is surprisingly simple: do exactly what you say you’re going to do. It sounds obvious, yet it’s astonishing how often this is overlooked.
In my home staging business, trust is everything. Clients are making major financial decisions under time pressure, and uncertainty erodes confidence fast. I’ve found that consistent follow-through—meeting deadlines, recapping next steps, and proactively communicating—builds authority faster than any marketing tactic.
I operate with two guiding principles: over-communicate and under-promise. If something might change, I say so early. If a timeline is tight, I set realistic expectations. Then I work relentlessly to exceed them. That approach doesn’t just create smoother projects, it creates advocates.
I also anchor every recommendation in ROI. Rather than “trusting the process,” clients appreciate seeing data, market context, and clear reasoning behind decisions. It reassures them that their best interests—not just aesthetics—are driving the work.
Reliability compounds. When people know you’ll follow through, they stop questioning and start referring. In business, that trust is priceless.”
Lana Wear, founder of HomeWear Designs | @homewear_designs | New York, NY & Westhampton, NY
“Initial consultations are a time to learn more than sell.”
“Initial consultations are a time to learn more than sell.
Some of the best advice I've gotten is from my mentor Steve Yastrow about "Ditching the Pitch." He taught me to make 95% of the conversation about the customer and opt for less scripted conversations and more organic, engaging ones where I say less and notice more so I can suggest the best solution only after I've truly assessed the situation and needs.
There's a lot to learn from improv and getting comfortable in these conversations.
A related mindset shift is ensuring you are going into consultations with an abundance mindset and evaluating whether or not a client is right for you just as much as you evaluate if you are right for them.”
Chelsie Tamms, founder of Lettering Works | @letteringworks | Chicago, IL USA
“Clarity often comes through action, and not necessarily waiting on that perfect moment.”
“As a new business owner, one mindset shift that’s made all the difference for me is embracing the power of starting before I feel ‘ready.’
Launching Last Minute Events in July taught me that clarity often comes through action, and not necessarily waiting on that perfect moment.
Every event, every client conversation, every collaboration has been a chance to learn and grow.
Choosing progress over perfection has allowed me to build momentum, create impact, and trust that each step forward adds up to something bigger.”
Heidi Esther, founder of Heidi Esther Unlimited, LLC | Champaign, IL USA
Conclusion
Have a Hack of Your Own? We’d Love to Feature You.
If you’re a woman entrepreneur with a piece of hard-earned wisdom to share, we want to hear it. Your insight could be the exact shift another woman needs to move forward.
Submit your hack here:https://foundingfemalesco.com/hack
(We publish new themes all year long — bookmark the page so you can contribute anytime.)
Thank you for being part of this global movement of women helping women.
Related Articles
Marketing and Strategic Visibility: 19 Ways to Attract Clients and Drive Revenue
Own Your Authority: 13 Ways to Go from Entrepreneur to Thought Leader
About Founding Females®
At Founding Females®, our mission is simple but bold: to help women build businesses that thrive—and feel good doing it. We create empowering spaces where women can openly share challenges, celebrate wins, and receive the kind of peer support that sparks real momentum.
Led by small business educator and unapologetic dream-chaser Francie Hinrichsen, Founding Females® offers a powerhouse lineup of resources including our signature online mastermind for female entrepreneurs, in-person business events (like our annual women’s conference and local Meet Ups), and the must-have guidebook Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business.
Francie believes that any woman with a dream on her heart deserves a seat at the table—and she’s here to help you pull up your chair. [Click here to learn more about working with Francie.]
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