Hey everyone and welcome to Behind the Business.
Today I’m going to be talking about how I closed 89% of sales calls in the last month and I’m going to be sharing five proven strategies that helped me do just that. This is our average conversion rate now, but I’ve definitely gone through seasons where it was lower. Often it’s the tiniest tweaks that make the biggest difference. So I’m really excited to unpack this with you because a lot of people think sales calls need to be persuasive, pushy, or sleazy. That’s just not true, especially for women. Women buy based on energy, so if something feels out of integrity, they can sense it. That’s why it’s crucial to sell in a way that feels aligned.
When we follow rigid sales scripts that don’t feel natural, it becomes difficult. These strategies I’m sharing are simple, repeatable, often automated, and ethical. If you’re doing sales calls—which I recommend for high-ticket programs—you’ll get the highest close rate when you use these five. I’m able to close a high percentage of calls and make over $100K per month consistently with this process.
Strategy one: what you do before the call matters just as much as what you do on the call. Your close rate starts way before you say hi on Zoom. Trust-building begins before someone books. I make sure only qualified leads book a call. I don’t pitch them as free coaching calls—they are intake calls to work with me. That means someone already knows, likes, and trusts me. They’ve consumed my long-form content and want to see if I can help them. This applies across niches. I run free monthly events that build trust and drive call bookings. They choose to book and know exactly what the call is for.
If I was getting on calls with cold leads, my close rate would be lower. But even new followers who’ve been in my world for only 24-72 hours usually consume my content first. That’s the power of a solid attraction, nurture, and conversion strategy. After booking, they receive nurture emails before the call—more content, more trust. People buy from those they like, know, and trust to help solve their problem. We even redirect to a thank-you page with video trainings and an assessment to consume before the call.
Strategy two: use an assessment form. Keep it simple and easy to complete. Mine includes a short video explaining my signature method, the Scalable System, and a Google Form where they rate themselves on nine components using red, yellow, and green. This helps them identify gaps and helps me understand how I can support them. Before the call, I review their responses so I’m prepared. This gets them sold on the method and gives me clarity. It also allows me to ask intentional questions and dive deeper.
Strategy three: build rapport first. Don’t just dive into a rigid script. Take a few minutes to connect genuinely. Ask how their day has been, where they’re from, how they found you. Smile. Be relaxed. Make them feel comfortable. That connection makes them feel safe enough to open up. Rapport-building has always come naturally to me, but where I grew the most was in the next strategy.
Strategy four: link pain. This was the biggest needle mover that took our close rate from 25-50% to 89%. Linking pain doesn’t mean making someone feel terrible, but highlighting that if nothing changes, nothing changes. Help them see the path they’re on won’t get them the result they want. Ask honest, curious questions. Point out when their actions or excuses don’t align with their desires. It’s not about being mean, it’s about holding them to a higher standard and being honest. This honesty helps them recognize that staying stuck is more painful than moving forward. Most humans are more motivated to avoid pain than pursue pleasure. So show them what staying stuck really looks like.
Strategy five: create a no-brainer offer. This means your offer feels like the clear, obvious, safest next step. It’s structured in a way that directly solves their problem and removes the barriers they’re facing. A no-brainer offer doesn’t mean cheap or over-delivering to please people. You can charge premium prices and still create something deeply supportive and clear. One client recently chose my program over others that were cheaper or had more done-for-you elements because mine felt safest in her body. That safety and clarity is what converts.
So to recap, the five strategies are: (1) Nurture before the call to ensure only qualified, warm leads book. (2) Use a simple but powerful assessment form. (3) Build genuine rapport at the start of the call. (4) Link pain by helping them see what staying stuck will cost them. (5) Have a no-brainer offer that solves a clear problem and feels like the best next step.
Practice creates progress. A 25% close rate is considered healthy in our industry. Many businesses operate with far lower rates. I don’t take many calls, but I close most of them and generate $100K+ months because my offer and systems are set up right. Other businesses take 30 to 60 calls a month with teams and still don’t get those results. I’ve designed a business model that allows spaciousness and high conversions, and I’m so proud of that.
Track your data. Know your booked calls, your show-up rates, your yeses and nos. That will show you where to improve. If you want support with your sales process, offer, signature method, or anything else, I teach all of this inside my mastermind, Scale School. DM me the word “Scale” on Instagram @sofiarosebernardi to learn more. Thanks for listening and I’ll see you next week!
