A good sales call is decided before, during, and after the meeting itself. Qualify the prospect before you get on, run the call like a conversation that ends with pricing said out loud, and leave with the next meeting already on the calendar. This playbook is the exact sales call process Andy Milligan uses as a solo marketer in Columbus, Ohio.
Andy runs MMG Design, a web and SEO studio, along with the Marketing by Design podcast and the Columbus Marketing Organization. He recorded the video at the top of this page 31 minutes before a sales call for a new website project that came in through a referral. His solo marketing business has done $378,000 in revenue, and he calls this process the most valuable thing he could teach in 10 minutes. If you are still filling your calendar with calls, start with how to get clients on LinkedIn, then come back here to close them.
"Don't be afraid of saying numbers. They're just numbers. They don't have any control over you." Andy Milligan
Who this sales call playbook is for
This is for solo marketers, freelancers, and anyone who owns the sales or business development function. As Andy puts it, if you are solo, that is you.
The outcome: every qualified sales call ends with three things locked in. The prospect has heard your pricing, knows exactly what proposal is coming and when, and has a review meeting on their calendar.
Prerequisites:
- A booked call with a prospect
- A calendar tool that lets you send an invite while you are still on the call
- A way to record the call, plus the prospect's knowledge that you are recording
- Your starting price for the work, ready to say out loud
- A short list of trusted marketers you can refer people to when the fit is wrong
Why the sales call matters more than ever
Buyers are doing more of the work on their own, which makes the live conversation rarer and more important. In a Gartner survey of 632 B2B buyers published in June 2025, 61% said they prefer a rep-free buying experience overall. The same survey found that 73% actively avoid suppliers who send irrelevant outreach. Buyers still want a seller's help with judgment calls, such as whether a solution fits their situation.
Deals also stall easily. Forrester's State of Business Buying, 2024 found that 86% of B2B purchases stall during the buying process, and 81% of buyers say they are dissatisfied with the provider they chose. A sales call that ends with a clear scope, a stated price, and a booked next step is the opposite of a stalled deal.
Step 1: Pre-qualify before the sales call
Time: about 5 minutes per booked call (estimate).
Before you get on a call, qualify the prospect. Andy's standard is blunt: qualify rigorously, "to the point where it almost feels uncomfortable."
There is one exception. If the call came from a referral and the person who referred you already knows your pricing, you can be a little more relaxed. Everyone else should know your price range and the type of work you do before the meeting starts.
The point is not to scare people off. A prospect who cannot afford you is better served by an honest early answer and a referral than by an hour of your time and a proposal they will never sign. For the deeper version of this filter, see Andy's playbook on how to qualify leads.
Step 2: Send the pre-call email
Time: about 5 minutes, sent right after the call is booked (estimate).
As soon as someone books, Andy sends a short email. Read aloud from one he sent, it covers four things: thanks for scheduling, what he would love to cover on the call, outlining next steps "either with us or with a trusted partner we can refer you to," and a pointer to his website for pricing and services.
That one email does several jobs at once:
- It humanizes you. Andy keeps the tone laid-back, uses an emoji, and addresses everyone scheduled to join. They see his headshot and know exactly who will show up, which lowers their anxiety.
- It requalifies the prospect. If they do not know your pricing or scope yet, the email points them to it before the call.
- It reminds them of the time. You can include the meeting link to make it even easier.
- It takes pressure off. Offering to refer them to a trusted partner tells the prospect this is a conversation, not a trap. Andy can make that offer honestly because he has a wide network of marketers to send work to.
Do not expect a reply. Most people will not respond, and that is fine. If someone replies with a thumbs up or "Sounds good," you know you are set.
Step 3: Limit your research to 15 minutes
Time: 10 to 15 minutes, maximum.
Andy has seen marketers spend hours preparing for a single call, which amounts to doing unpaid work and solving the problem for free. Do a little homework on the people, the company, and their current marketing, then stop.
Focus on one to three small areas where you could add value. These are not a full audit. They exist to show the prospect that you know what you are talking about. If you already do video prospecting, you know this move: find a few of their highest-impact fixes and mention them briefly.
Step 4: Open the call like you are meeting an old friend
Time: join 2 minutes early, then 1 to 3 minutes of conversation.
Join a couple of minutes early and record the call. Andy uses recordings and AI note takers so he has a transcript to work from later. Tell the prospect you are recording. Ohio is a one-party consent state under Ohio Revised Code 2933.52, but prospects in other states may be covered by stricter rules, and asking is simply good manners.
When they join, greet them like an old friend. Smile big, even if it feels forced. "Hey, how are you?" or "There she is" sets a warmer tone than a stiff introduction.
Then spend one to three minutes on candor. When someone asks how you are, skip the weather. Share something real, a little sarcasm or a small, honest struggle.
Andy's example: telling a prospect he had been better, because 12 cubic yards of dirt had been delivered to his driveway and he had spent the week moving it by hand. A short, human answer earns trust faster than polished small talk.
Step 5: Transition fast and ask "Why now?"
Time: most of the call.
Do not linger in small talk. Andy sees many marketers hesitate to change the subject because they worry it will feel abrupt. Both sides know why they are there, so make the move: "Listen, I really value your time. So, how about we get right into it?"
Then ask Andy's favorite first question: "Why now?" It gets the prospect talking, and it tells you what they need fixed and what their priorities are. Your job from here is to keep them talking as much as possible.
Discovery call questions to keep in your pocket
The video covers "Why now?" as the opener. These follow-up discovery call questions come from the agenda in Andy's pre-call email, so every one of them ties back to his process:
- What current issues are you seeing with your website or marketing?
- What are the company's goals this year, and how is the website supposed to support them?
- Is there anything you need from me to make a case internally?
Step 6: Say your pricing out loud
Time: about 1 minute.
Andy's rule here is absolute: always say pricing on the call, face to face. "You cannot hide behind a proposal," he says.
If you do not know the exact scope yet, say "Our pricing starts at" and give the number. Say it even if your pre-call email already pointed to your pricing. Andy has had prospects reach this point and still not be qualified, so the spoken number is your last filter. It also builds the habit of saying numbers calmly.
Restate their problem to earn agreement
Before you move to next steps, play the problem back to them. Andy's script: "It sounds like," followed by their problem in your words, then "Does that sound about right?"
That last question gets the prospect nodding. If you prefer a lighter touch, flip it: "Does that sound totally crazy, or am I way off on that?" It makes it easy for them to opt in, and it often gets a laugh.
Step 7: Set the next steps and book the review meeting
Time: the last 5 minutes of the call (estimate).
This is where a good sales call becomes a closed deal. Andy calls it the part to "lock in on." Tell them exactly what is coming and when:
"By [day] next week, you will receive a proposal including pricing, scope of work, timelines, deliverables, testimonials, and case studies. Is there anything else I need to include or give you for us to move forward, or for you to make a case internally?"
Leave that last question open-ended and listen. If they ask for a case study from their industry, promise to include one and confirm the delivery date.
Then book the review meeting while you are still face to face. Andy's script: "What I would love to do now while we're face to face is schedule a time for next week, after you've had time to review this proposal, and meet again to address questions face to face. How does this specific time sound?"
Have that time already blocked on your calendar. Add their emails, hit send, and confirm while you are still on the call. They do not have to accept on the spot, but the meeting is now on their calendar, and they have a date to get back to you by.
Notice the wording. Do not ask whether you should meet again. Propose a specific time. If you need help building the document itself, use Andy's marketing proposal template.
Step 8: Send the follow-up email the same day
Time: about 10 minutes (estimate).
After the call, email everyone who attended. Andy's subject line is simple: "Follow-up: Thank you!"
In the body, thank them for coming prepared, recap what they can expect and when, list anything they said they need to move forward, and link the review meeting you already sent. Close by inviting questions before then. "That is how you keep a sales process scoped," Andy says, and how you keep things from falling through the cracks. For what to send when a prospect goes quiet after that, see his playbook on how to follow up with leads.
Sales call checklist and templates
Copy these into your notes before your next sales call.
Pre-call checklist:
- Prospect knows your price range and type of work, or was referred by someone who does
- Pre-call email sent, with agenda, pricing pointer, and the referral-partner line
- Research capped at 15 minutes, with one to three small areas of value noted
- A follow-up meeting slot blocked on your calendar for next week
Pre-call email template:
"Hi [name], thanks for scheduling time with me. Looking forward to chatting. Here's what I'd love to cover: any current issues you're seeing with [your website], [company]'s goals and how [your website] supports them, and outlining next steps, either with us or with a trusted partner we can refer you to. Feel free to send over any specifics in advance. For pricing and services, see [link]."
On-call script sheet:
- Greet them like an old friend, then 1 to 3 minutes of candor
- "Listen, I really value your time. So, how about we get right into it?"
- "Why now?"
- "Our pricing starts at [number]."
- "It sounds like [their problem]. Does that sound about right?"
- "By [day] next week, you will receive a proposal including pricing, scope of work, timelines, deliverables, testimonials, and case studies. Is there anything else I need to include?"
- "How does [specific time] sound?" Send the invite before you hang up.
Follow-up email template:
"Subject: Follow-up: Thank you! Hi [names], it was great meeting you this week. Thank you for coming prepared. To recap: by [day] you can expect [proposal and anything else they asked for]. Here's the link to our review call next week, and the invite should already be on your calendar. Feel free to reach out with questions beforehand."
Sales call tips: mistakes to avoid
- Skipping qualification. Unqualified calls waste your best hours. Qualify before the call and again with the spoken price.
- Doing unpaid work. More than 15 minutes of research is usually free consulting.
- Lingering in small talk. Candor builds trust in the first few minutes. After that, transition.
- Hiding behind the proposal. If the first time they see a number is in a PDF, you lose the chance to handle the reaction live.
- Asking "Can we meet again?" Propose a specific time instead, and send the invite while you are still on the call.
- Forgetting the follow-up email. The recap keeps everyone aligned and shows you do what you say.
How to close a sale through relationships
The call in Andy's video came through a referral, and that is not an accident. A referred prospect may already know your pricing, which is why Andy relaxes his qualification step for them. The other side of that is giving referrals: when a prospect is not a fit, Andy sends them to a trusted partner from his network of marketers instead of forcing a bad project.
That is the idea behind the Columbus Marketing Organization. Columbus Marketing Organization is a peer community for marketers, freelancers, and service providers in Columbus, Ohio, founded by Andy Milligan. Members share leads, introductions, and job opportunities, including the weekly Columbus Marketing Jobs newsletter. Being part of a Columbus marketing community means having people to refer work to and people who refer work to you.
Run your next sales call this way
A strong sales call is a system, not a talent. Qualify before you meet, open like a friend, say your pricing out loud, and never hang up without a proposal date and a review meeting on the calendar. Then send the follow-up the same day.
If you want to practice these scripts with people doing the same work, come to a Columbus marketing event or join the Columbus Marketing Organization community on Skool.
Don't be afraid of saying numbers. They're just numbers. They don't have any control over you.
Frequently asked questions
What should you do before a sales call?
Qualify the prospect so they know your price range before you meet, send a short pre-call email with an agenda and a pricing link, and cap research at 10 to 15 minutes. Andy Milligan focuses that research on one to three small areas where he could add value, not a full audit.
Should you discuss pricing on the first sales call?
Yes. Andy Milligan always says pricing out loud on the call, face to face. If the scope is not set, he says "our pricing starts at" and gives the number. Saying it live filters out unqualified buyers and lets you handle their reaction instead of hiding behind a proposal.
What is a good first question on a sales call?
Ask "Why now?" Andy Milligan uses it as his opening question after a few minutes of friendly conversation. It gets the prospect talking and reveals what they need fixed and what their priorities are. From there, your job is to keep them talking and listen closely.
How do you close a sale after a sales call?
Set the next steps before you hang up. Tell the prospect when the proposal will arrive and what it will include, ask what else they need to make a case internally, and send an invite for a specific review meeting while you are still on the call. Then send a recap email the same day.
Is it legal to record a sales call in Ohio?
Ohio is a one-party consent state under Ohio Revised Code 2933.52, so a participant can generally record a call they are part of. Other states have stricter rules, and this is not legal advice. Telling the prospect you are recording is the simplest and most respectful approach.
Read the video transcript
Kind: captions Language: en This is probably the most value that I could give you guys in 10 minutes out of anything else that I'll talk about on this entire channel. Hey, my name is Andy. I own a solo marketing business that has done 378K. And this is my daily marketing channel where I build and strategize in public and teach you guys everything that's working in live time. If this is your first time here, I have three different businesses. The first is the Columbus Marketing Organization, which is my job board, events, and community for ambitious marketers. Second is my design and SEO studio called MMU Design. Third is my podcast called Marketing by Design where we interview thought leaders in healthcare, B2B, and beyond. I have a sales call in 31 minutes for a new website that is coming through a referral and I want to just unload so much value on you guys that you will have no idea. Like this is going to be the most valuable 5 minutes if you walk in. I wish I had watched this exact video when I first started. If you are a solo marketer or you're a freelancer or you're someone in charge for the sales or bisdev function, hint, if you're solo, this is you. These three parts, pre-all, on call, and post call are going to be the most valuable couple minutes that you listen to. I have three things I want to focus on for each along with an exact script of what you should word for word say in order to make sure that this sales call or this client or this prospect becomes a paying client. So this is like the highest leverage activity things you can focus on in order to improve your sales process. So pre-all, this is where we start. Before you get on a call with a client, you must pre-qualify. There's a few exceptions to this, so I'll be as clear as possible here. If this call has been booked from a referral and the person who referred you already knows your pricing, you can be a little bit more lax on this. Otherwise, I want you to qualify rigorously to the point where it almost feels uncomfortable. So, an example of that qualification sending this email. This is I just took a screenshot of one of my past emails that I've sent and I'll X out these names here. But, hey, this is after they booked a call. Hey name, thanks for scheduling my time and I'm recording to chatting. Here's what I would love to cover in our meeting discussing any current current issues you have with the website, company names, goals, and how the website supports them. Outlining next steps either with us or with a trusted partner we can refer you to. Feel free to send over any specifics in advance if you have any questions about our pricing web services. Please reference our website. So in this we've done a few things. One, we've humanized ourselves. We've shown a little bit of our cander. I've got an emoji in there. You know, I'm being laidback and I've addressed everyone that's scheduled to appear on the call so that when there's no anxiety, know that it's going to be me. They see this head shot and photo of me. They know exactly what to expect. Two, it serves as a reququalification. If you don't know our pricing already and you don't know what the scope of work is, then check out our website. Number three, serves as a reminder of the time that you're meeting. I could have included the link to the call directly here, you know, just to be more helpful to them. It also takes a little bit of pressure off the sales process either with us or a trusted partner we can refer you to. So, even if they aren't a budget fit, sometime they will show up on a call. And then this is why I have a huge network of marketers that I can always refer work to. So, if you nail this, it means things are off to a great start. Odds are they probably won't respond to this. If not, not a big deal. Sometimes they'll respond with the thumbs up. Sounds good. Then you really know that you're set. In terms of the pre-all, just one more small thing to fix. Only spend 10 to 15 minutes max doing research. I've seen marketers that will spend hours trying to basically do unpaid work and fix the problem for them. This is view this as a conversation. Obviously, do a little bit of pre-work. Know a little bit about the people that you're meeting with, the company, and focus on one to three small areas of value that you can fix. If you've done like cold video outreach, if you watch some of my past videos on doing that, that's basically what I'll do is I'll find one to three small areas of their highest leverage fixes just to show that I know what I'm talking about. That's all you need to do there. On the call, just view as a conversation like you're talking to a friend. if it helps to minimize your browser and that way you don't have to look directly at the people. That helps you talk better. I've done that before in the past. Doesn't make a huge difference to me. You know, there's conflicting opinions on that. But when this person joins the call, always join a couple minutes early, first of all. And always record the call. I know this can sound controversial, but if you use Google Meet, it allows you to record calls for free. And even if you use a tool like Granola or Whisper Flows Noteaker, it allows you to have a transcript. Always record your sales calls when they join. Use Google Meet or Zoom. They'll allow you to be permission join so you're not like, you know, uh, surprised when they join. Have like a huge smile when they pop on. Greet them like an old friend. This is like you've met before. It's like, hey, how are you? Something like that. Obviously, not that cheesy, but or like there he is or there she is. Hey, what's going on? Something like that. It's just how you start is so important. So, I'll make sure that I have like a big toothy grunt. I'm going to do it right now for you guys. something to the tune of like that or like I'm about to laugh. Really good. Even if it feels like you're forcing it, highly recommend doing it anyway. 1 to 3 minutes of cander where you can share sarcasm or share a vulnerable struggle. For example, last week I had a call with this company and they'll say like, "Hey, how are you?" Don't talk about the weather. Don't say like, "Oh, the weather's good, so I'm good." Um, say like, "Oh, well, honestly, Eric, I've been better. I had 12 cubic yards of dirt delivered to my driveway the other day and I had no idea how much that was. So that's what I spent all day all all last week doing and I've got a lot of blisters and calluses. So honestly I've been better but I'm glad to be in front of a supreme again cuz it feels good. Something like that. So when you're on call um a couple scripts for you after you've done that. Don't linger on you know cander and conversation too long. I've seen people that are scared to transition the conversation or afraid to appear abrupt. Just do it. They know why they're there. you know why you're there. Exact scripts for you. Best transition to project based work to talk about the project. You say, "Listen, I really value your time. So, how about how do we how about we get right into it?" Something like that. First question, this is the best first question to ask them. Why now? You want them to be talking as much as possible. They should by now be comfortable talking to you. And this is just a really good thing to leave because it leaves like, "Okay, why are you reaching out to me about this? You booked a call with us and get a sense to like this question right now. will tell you what their priorities are and what they need fixed. This is a great place to start and I highly recommend starting with that. Always, always on the call, listen to me. Say pricing. Always say pricing on the call, face to face. I can't emphasize this enough. You can't be like, you cannot hide behind a proposal, which we'll get into presenting the proposal and outlining next steps here in a second. Always say pricing on the call. If you don't have the exact scope of it yet, say our pricing starts at and then reinforce that. Obviously, if you do this step right first, this won't be as big of an issue, but still say it again even then just to get better at saying it, saying it out loud and double reinforce. I've had people get to this phase and still not be qualified. So, rigorously, rigorously qualify, especially in person. Don't be afraid of saying numbers. They're just numbers. They don't have any control over you. This is a good script to lean on, a really good one, and it applies in many places. It sounds like, and then restate their problem to them, and then say, "Does that sound about right?" like that at the end gets them nodding and agreement or if you want to be sarcastic kind of the inverse of this is say does that sound totally crazy or am I way off on that and makes it easy for them to you know opt in and they'll maybe chuckle as well so kind of the same thing two different approaches to it after you've said all of this this I need you I need you to lock in on this part right here this is so important bam fam Alex from Ozie book a meeting from a meeting this is how you get from great sales call to close deal I need you to pay attention to this is what you're going to say right here. By XYZ next week, you will receive a proposal including pricing, scope of work, fill in this blank, pricing, scope of work, timelines, deliverables, testimonials, case studies, etc. Is there anything else I need to include or give you guys for us to move forward or for you to make a case internally? Ask that question. Leave it open-ended. Just say, "Okay, great. Sounds good. I'll be sure to include a relevant, you know, pharmacy case study or something in your guys' industry. you guys can expect that by early next week or by the end of this week, something like that. Give them exact outlines as the next step. After that, you say, "Okay, this has been great. What I would love to do now while we're face to face is schedule a time for next week after you've had time to review this proposal and meet again to address questions face to face. How does this specific time sound?" Have this time bookmarked on your calendar. You have to do is add their emails and hit send and confirm and send that while you're on the call. They don't have to opt in while they're on the call, but at least get it on their calendar. And this is just so important. So important. Don't ask if you guys should meet again or can we meet again? Say, how does a specific time sound? This just makes it so much easier on their end. And now they have a time on the calendar where they have to get back to you by. But this is so important, guys. Like this is so important. Highly recommend following this to a tea has never done me wrong. Additionally, last little bit of wisdom for you guys is after the call, send a follow-up email to everyone that was on the call. say followup bracket thank you exclamation point something like that in the subject line say hey guys it was great meeting you this week thank you for coming prepared you guys are both clearly great at what you do something to that extent just to recap by early next week you can expect this proposal this documentation etc including what you said you needed to move forward and here is the link to our call for next week I just sent you guys an invite should be on your calendar obviously feel free to reach out with any questions etc beforehand otherwise you'll hear from me early next week with that proposal boom That is how you keep a sales process scoped and don't let things fall off the wayside. This right here is the most value I can give you guys in 10 minutes. If you're doing the sales function, if you're solo, having some kind of structure where you know the things that you're going to cover on this initial call sets you up for success so much better than not knowing what you're doing or not having this playbook, especially steps two and three here. If you did find this valuable, please leave a like and subscribe. I'm uploading on this channel every single day. And if you are a marketer looking to increase your sales, grow, connect with other high performing marketers, and get more leads, uh, I run a community with a lot of marketers doing just that. That'll be in the description as well. Otherwise, I'll see you guys next time. Bye.