The 15-minute sales call structure
You spend 45 minutes on a Zoom call "building rapport."
You talk about the weather. You ask about their kids. You walk through your 20-slide deck about your company history.
At the end, they say: "This looks great. Send me a proposal."
You spend 2 hours writing the proposal. You send it.
And then... silence.
Here is the hard truth: If you need an hour to sell, your offer is weak.
Long sales calls are a crutch for lack of clarity. A true expert can diagnose a problem and prescribe a solution in 15 minutes.
Think about a heart surgeon. They don't spend an hour asking about your hobbies. They look at the X-ray and say, "You need surgery. Here is the date."
The "triage" framework
Stop pitching. Start sorting.
Use this 4-step structure to close faster and filter out tire-kickers.
1. The Frame (2 mins)
Take control immediately. Do not let them interview you.
"We have 15 minutes. My goal is to see if we can help you. If we can, I'll tell you how. If not, I'll point you to someone who can. Sound fair?"
2. The Diagnosis (5 mins)
Ask specific, painful questions to find the gap.
"Why are you looking for help now? Why not 6 months ago?"
"What happens if you don't fix this in the next 90 days?"
"What have you already tried that failed?"
If they don't have a painful problem, end the call. You can't sell aspirin to someone with no headache.
3. The Prescription (5 mins)
Do not show a deck. Do not list features. Just say:
"Based on what you said, your problem is [X]. We fix that by doing [Y]. It takes [Z] weeks and costs [$]. Do you want to do that?"
4. The Decision (3 mins)
If they say yes, take payment on the call.
If they say "I need to think about it," ask: "What specifically do you need to think about?"
Usually, "think about it" means "no" or "I don't trust you." Find out which one it is.
Be the doctor, not the beggar
When you shorten your calls, you signal status.
You are saying: "My time is valuable. I am here to solve a problem, not to make a friend."
Respect their time by being efficient. Respect your time by getting to the point.
If they want a friend, they can buy a dog. If they want a result, they can hire you.
