The Surprising Way Charging for Consultation Calls Gets You More Clients (Not Less)

This week's episode is all about making sure you don’t waste time talking with people who will never become clients—no matter how interested they claim to be.

You’ll discover:

• Why charging for consultation calls is a no-brainer move that every HR Consultant should do.
• How to ask for a paid consultation call without losing the lead.
• When you should ask to be paid for consultation calls (HINT - You shouldn’t ask every time you speak to a potential client).
• Why your corporate experience works against you as a self-employed HR Consultant.
• What to do if someone refuses to pay for your time and expertise.

So tune in now to get all this and more.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Why Should HR Consultants Charge for Consultation Calls
0:45 - Value of Your Time and Expertise
1:46 - What's the Difference Between a Sales Call and Consultation Call
3:14 - Importance of Bespoke Advice
3:35 - When to Charge for Consultation Calls
4:05 - Handling Outbound Outreach
5:01 - Qualifying Leads Before Consultation
6:08 - Importance of Charging for Consultation Calls
7:07 - How to Avoid Time Wasters with Consultation Fees
8:36 - How to Increase Client Base with Paid Consultations
9:39 - Overcoming Hesitations to Charge for Consultation Calls
10:35 - How to Confidently Explain Your Fees
11:33 - What to do if someone refuses to pay for a Consultation Call
12:41 - Benefits of Charging for Consultation Calls
13:42 - Final Thoughts on Paid Consultations

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Transcript

00:01 there and welcome back to another episode of Marketing Made Easy for HR Consultants with me, Nick Poninski. Today's episode is all about why, when and how.
00:10 to charge for consultation calls. Now, this episode follows a previous episode where I talk about filtering people, qualifying them, working out whether or not you want to help them, whether or not they are ready and willing to invest in you.
00:26 in a solution, i.e., are they ready to put their hand in their pocket and give it over to you as a HR consultant and say, I've got a problem. I need you to solve it.
00:34 Are they
00:39 first things first, many HR consultants offer out free consultation calls because they believe that's how to attract clients. Now, either this is their idea or they've looked at what everyone else is doing in the self-employed HR community.
00:53 Consul since the arena and they've copied them. And that makes sense, right? But here's the thing, your time, your expertise, they are valuable.
01:02 So you shouldn't give them, you shouldn't give it away for free, right? Why would you give away your time and your expertise for free?
01:10 Equally important, offering your expertise for free, that doesn't guarantee that you'll get any business from the prospect. Quite often, it simply attracts people who just want free advice with no intention of hiring you.
01:23 Or you get people who just want a bit of a chat, because they work in a job where they have to fill their time.
01:29 Their salary is guaranteed. They don't care. They're like, Oh yeah, let's just have a little chat and see what we can do.
01:35 And then that's burned off half an hour. And then it's half an hour closer to, uh, home time. Whereas you are self-employed.
01:41 It doesn't work that way for you. You've got to guard your time. So we'll talk about this more in the coming sections.
01:49 But for now, I want to drag your attention to the crucial difference between what a sales call is and what a consultation call is.
01:57 Because people say to me, Nick, I always oh, you say all this, but you don't charge for consultation calls. But there's a bit of a difference.
02:03 My business model is a bit different to yours, right? For me, I DM with people. I understand their situation a little bit better.
02:11 Then I get them on to a prospecting call. Then it's a sales call. You can't really charge for a sales call.
02:17 You can't charge somebody, say, give me 20 quid and I will sell you something. It doesn't work like that. And a sales call is a conversation to understand needs and then sell a solution.
02:29 A consultation call though, that's what you're offering. This is where somebody DMs you back and forth and says to you, uhm, yeah, I've got this problem.
02:38 I need it solving you. And we're going to get onto this, but you, you know, DM them back and forth, understand their world and say, okay, let's talk.
02:45 And that's what that's going to be a consultation call. It's an in-depth session where you provide insight, recommendations, and solutions.
02:54 As such, you're sharing expert bespoke guidance, and you should be charging for it. And that's the key bit here as well.
03:02 Right? Because there's nothing wrong with sharing information out there in the world with everyone and anyone. You know, have a lead magnet, share blogs, blah, blah, blah.
03:11 All the information already exists. But what doesn't exist is bespoke advice. And that's what you got to be charging for, right?
03:20 So when Bill DMs you and he says, I've got this problem, he wants your bespoke advice and expertise to solve his problem.
03:29 That information doesn't already exist in the world. That's what he's ringing up for. And that's what you need to be charging for.
03:36 that brings us on nicely to when should you charge for a consultation call. So, when deciding whether or not to charge for a consultation call, the main factor is how the prospect has found you.
03:47 How has that person found you? So, if they're con- contacting you through website, through email, through social media, DMs. They see you as an expert and they want some help.
03:59 These are the prospects you should be paying for your time and your advice. However, if the lead comes from outbound outreach, such as cold emails or LinkedIn messages, you can't really charge for the calls.
04:11 It'd be weird to contact them, hey, uhm, hey, I can help you out, have any discussion, and then turn around and say, okay, now give me £50. Now don't get me wrong, it can be done.
04:23 But only in specific situations. It's something you'll have to figure out for yourself, or just take the safe route of not charging for that call.
04:30 But if the prospect has come to you, and they're asking for your help, then you should be charging for a consultation call.
04:37 Reason being, they want to your help and they want your time. So going forward for the rest of this episode, let's assume that the lead has come to you and is asking about your business and how you might be able to help them.
04:50 Now, as I was saying that just a little bit earlier on, first things first, you should qualify the lead. You should filter them.
04:56 That means asking questions to understand their situation, their business needs, and the level of urgency. So if they seem serious and you get a good vibe from them, then it's time to introduce your consultation fee.
05:09 The kinds of questions you would be asking. Will be how long have you had this problem? What have you done to try and fix this problem?
05:14 What happened when you did that? Or why haven't you tried to fix it yet? Etc. Etc. You're basically asking them questions before you get on a call to make sure they're worth getting on a call with and they actually need your help.
05:27 You are trying to figure out, can you help them? You might also be getting a little bit of a vibe of, do I want to help them?
05:33 So that being said, if they demand to take over the situation and say they want to talk on the phone, then for me, that's a red flag and potentially someone who should be avoided.
05:43 You're the expert, they're asking for your help, this is your process. And for them to try and circumvent all that is not a good sign.
05:51 So, overall, that's when you should be charging for a consultation call. When somebody has contacted you and said, hey, I need some help.
06:03 so why is charging for a consultation call so essential? Why am I getting my knickers in a twist about this?
06:10 Well, simply put, and this is the main reason as far as I'm concerned, charging for consultation calls it positions you as an expert.
06:18 Richard Branson wouldn't give his expert bespoke advice away for free, nor would Stephen Bartlett, nor would any other expert in their industry, and you should be no different.
06:30 Do not give your expert the expert bespoke advice away for free. The next benefit is that it also helps you avoid time wasters.
06:38 Free consultation calls attract people who might only be curious about a solution. They might be shopping around. They might be looking for free guidance.
06:47 And that's necessarily ready to invest in your services. So by charging for a call, you automatically filter out those people who aren't serious about working with you.
06:59 And that saves you time. Equally as important, you get paid on for your time. As I've said earlier, you're an expert HR consultant, your knowledge is your most valuable asset.
07:10 And a paid consultation ensures that you're compensated whether or not the conversation moves forward onto a bigger project. Now obviously, this is a slight change from when you worked in corporate, right, in the nine-to-five world.
07:23 In the nine-to-five world, people would come and see you and ask for your help and you'd give it to them.
07:28 And that was the right thing to do because that was your job and you were being paid to do it.
07:33 But now, you're self-employed and you don't get paid unless a prospect turns into a client and gives you the money.
07:41 So make sure you're getting money for sharing your bespoke expert advice. The final benefit of charging for consultation calls is it increases the number of clients that you have.
07:52 Because a lead only becomes a client when they give you money. And that's one of the most difficult things to achieve when you go self-employed.
08:00 But once it happens, once, once somebody has put their hand in their pocket and given you their money, it's much more likely to happen again.
08:08 And that's the psychology of repeat purchases, right? Think about it this way. How often do you go back to the same restaurant or the same shop time and time again?
08:17 And how many shops and restaurants do you walk past without ever considering going in? Well, it's the same for your clients.
08:24 Once they've given you their money once, they're way more likely to do it again. So getting paid once, right at the start, means you've officially converted a lead into a client.
08:35 That increases the number of clients you have and that increases the likelihood of those clients then becoming your incoming repeat clients.
08:43 I want to quickly address this before we move on, but you might be hesitant to change. You might be hesitant to charge for your course.
08:50 Now, there's justifiable reasons for this, right? You might be thinking along to yourself that you're you, you know, you're worried about charging for consultations that will drive away potential clients.
09:00 They fear that if their competitors offer free calls, they'll lose out on business to them. And over HR consultants, they feel the need to prove themselves before asking for money.
09:11 Believing that a free call is the only way to build trust. And I understand all of this. But none of these fears help you build a proper business as a proper expert.
09:21 Equally, serious clients expect to pay for expert advice. So they won't need naturally be put off if they're really searching for a solution for their problems.
09:33 Think about it this way. If you've got back pain, and the back pain is real, and it needs solving, and you find a back pain specialist, and the only way of getting an appointment then.
09:43 is to pay for one, then all things being equal, you'll pay for an appointment. Your pain is so real, it needs a solution.
09:51 Well, it's the same for your audience. If they have HR problems, and they want them solving, then they need to pay for them.
09:58 But if their pain isn't real, then they might not really be looking for a solution, which means they're less, less likely to take you up on your proposal, once you've spent all that time and effort creating it for them.
10:09 Overall, by offering free calls, you attract the wrong type of prospect, end up wasting time on people who don't necessarily have any real interest in hiring you.
10:20 Whereas when you get paid for consultation calls, you separate people into prospects who want a solution, and prospects who are just shopping around.
10:28 hopefully that's persuaded you that you need to start charging for your consultation course. In which case you might be thinking to yourself, oh well and good Nick, how do I do this?
10:37 So this is how to confidently get paid for your consultation course. When explaining your consultation fee, after you've been through all their situation, DMing back and forth, if you've understood the world, just be direct and clear.
10:50 Say this, okay, thanks for sharing all that with me. At first blush, it seems like I can help you. The next step will be to get on a call together and talk this through.
10:57 The cost of the call is XXX, but it's risk-free. That means you get your money back if I can't help you or if we decide to work together, then we can treat the payment as a deposit on any projects we move forward with.
11:12 This eliminates the risk for the prospects and reassures them that they're not making a worthwhile and secure investment. Equally, since you already know that you can help them because you've asked questions about their situation, this guarantee doesn't really have any risk for you.
11:27 If a potential client pushes back, stand firm. Let them know that your time is valuable and those that are serious about solving their problems are happy to invest in expert guidance.
11:37 The more confidently you position your consultation fee, the more it'll be accepted as a normal part of your business.
11:46 it. That's everything you need to know about charging for consultation calls. Now, charging for consultation calls, it's one of the most effective ways to position yourself as an expert HR consultant.
11:57 It's one of the most effective ways to stand out from the crowd. It's one of the most effective ways of protecting your time and increasing the number of clients you have.
12:06 And there's minimal risk in doing it. Because if someone has reached out to you, they already see value in what you're doing.
12:12 And when you charge for these calls, you filter out the time you're And you only get on the phone with serious prospects who respect your knowledge and are ready and willing to invest in their business.
12:23 And if someone isn't willing to pay for a consultation, then you've just saved yourself some time with someone who doesn't value what you do and wasn't willing to invest in your business.
12:32 If you're feeling hesitant about asking for money up front, I get you. It's only natural, especially as potentially you're stepping outside of your comfort zone.
12:43 But the reality is that serious clients expect to pay for advice. And if the pain of their hedge price or problem is real enough for them, then paying for a call to talk about that problem won't be an issue for them.
12:54 Importantly, by confidently explaining your fee and positioning it as an investment, you reinforce your value and start working with high value clients.
13:04 who see your value and will listen to your expertise. So if you want to start building a successful HR consultancy that earns 70k or more, be recognized as the expert that you are, not waste time on prospects and proposals that don't go away, and not give your time away for free, then charge for your
13:21 consultation calls, treat them as an entry point into working with you, and make sure every conversation generates revenue. As a final note, notice how at no point have I said what you should do if somebody rings you up, and that's intentional.
13:36 You shouldn't be sharing your phone number willy-nilly for anyone on the internet to find and contact you whenever it takes their fancy.
13:42 Your time is precious, so you should only be talking to people who you want to talk to and who've paid for your time.
13:49 If you want to know anything more about this, then go and grab a copy of my book from my website.
13:55 We talk about this and more. But in the meantime, there's nothing else for me to say. So, let's end things here.
14:02 In the meantime, get marketing. Because without marketing, there's no sales. And without sales, there's no business. So get marketing.