DAP Creative Co. — Client Intake System

DAP Discovery Call Script

Before Every Call — Read This

Review their pre-call form before joining. Know their name, business, and main problem before you say hello.
You have 30 minutes. Move with intention — not rush.
You are the expert in this conversation. They came to you.
Your job is to listen 70% and talk 30%.
The goal of this call is not to close — it's to qualify and connect. The close comes naturally if you do that right.

Opening

Hey [Name] — appreciate you taking the time. I'm Denton, founder of DAP Creative Co.

Quick context before we dive in — DAP is a creative marketing agency. We work with small businesses on brand strategy, content, and social media. But before I tell you anything about what we do, I want to understand your world first. That's actually how we work with every client — we learn before we build.

We've got about 30 minutes so let's make it count. Sound good?

If they found you through the website — they already know the basics. Skip the context line and go straight to the question. Don't over-explain what they already read.

Business Basics — Who & What

Tell me about your business. What do you do and who do you do it for?

What products or services do you offer?

How long have you been doing this?

Is this full-time or something you're building on the side?

What You're Listening For

Do they understand their own business clearly?

Are they confident or uncertain about what they offer?

Are they serious or just testing an idea?

Do they know who their customer is?

Conversation Movers

"That's dope — how did you get into that?"

"What made you start that specifically?"

"So who's your typical customer — who are you really built for?"

Current Situation — Where They Are

Where are you at right now in terms of visibility and growth? How are people currently finding you?

What's been working so far?

What hasn't been working?

Are you doing any marketing or mostly relying on word of mouth right now?

Do you have a social presence? A website?

What You're Listening For

Do they have any system in place or are they winging it?

Are they intentional or just reactive?

What's the gap between where they are and where they want to be?

Conversation Movers

"Got you — so most of your business is coming from [their answer]?"

"Okay so nothing really consistent yet — that's actually really common."

"So you're getting some traction but nothing repeatable?"

Pain Points — The Real Problem

What's been the most frustrating part of trying to grow? Like if you're being real about it — what's the thing that keeps you up at night about the business?

Is it getting in front of the right people?

Standing out from everyone else doing similar things?

Staying consistent with content and marketing?

Just not knowing what to do or where to start?

What You're Listening For

Emotional frustration — this is a buying signal

Repeated problems they mention more than once

The gap between effort and results

Whether the problem is visibility, positioning, or consistency

Conversation Movers

"Yeah — I hear that a lot. That's actually exactly the type of problem DAP was built to solve."

"That's not a product problem. That's a visibility problem."

"You're working hard — the issue is just that the right people aren't seeing it yet."

Goals — Where They Want To Go

If things were working exactly how you wanted — what does your business look like in the next 3 to 6 months? Paint me the picture.

What are you really trying to build here — long term?

What does winning look like for you?

What You're Listening For

Do they have a real vision or are they vague?

Are their goals realistic for where they are?

Do they actually want growth or just validation?

Is there a specific milestone — revenue, customers, visibility?

Conversation Movers

"So more visibility, more of the right customers — that's the core goal?"

"You're trying to turn this into something real and sustainable."

"Got it — so this isn't just a side thing. You're serious about this."

Budget — Qualifying

I want to make sure I point you in the right direction — have you set aside any budget for marketing or are you still figuring that part out?

What You're Listening For

Are they serious about investing or just looking for free advice?

How comfortable are they talking about money?

Does their budget match the scope of what they need?

Conversation Movers

"No worries either way — I just want to recommend the right approach for where you are."

"That helps me know what direction makes the most sense for you right now."

"We work with different budgets — I just want to make sure whatever we build is realistic for you."

If they push back on sharing budget — don't pressure. Move on. You'll assess fit from the full conversation.

Timeline — When

Is this something you're looking to move on soon or are you still in the exploring stage?

What You're Listening For

Do they have urgency or are they just browsing?

Is there a specific event, launch, or deadline driving this?

Conversation Movers

"Got it — so this is more of a 'now' thing, not a 'someday' thing."

"Okay, still in the early stages — that's fine, this is actually the perfect time to get the foundation right."

You Take Control — Positioning

Got it. Based on everything you're telling me — the main issue is [repeat their problem clearly in their words]. And honestly that's not a [product / effort / talent] problem. That's a visibility and positioning problem. That's exactly where we come in.

Mirror their language back to them. If they said "nobody knows we exist" — say that back. If they said "I can't get consistent clients" — say that back. People feel understood when they hear their own words.

DAP's Value — How We Work

Here's how we approach it at DAP.

We don't just start posting and hope something works. We start by really learning your business — your audience, your goals, what's worked before, what hasn't. That's the discovery phase.

Then we build a plan that's specific to you. Right platforms, right content, right message. Not copy-pasted from someone else's playbook.

Then we execute it, measure it, and show you exactly what's working — and where the next opportunity is. You're never in the dark about what we're doing or why.

Every client goes through that same process. That's what makes it consistent — and what makes it actually work.

Website & Analytics Audit

Quick question before we talk strategy — do you have a website right now?

[If yes] — And do you have any tracking on it? Like Google Analytics or anything that tells you who's visiting?

Do you know how many people visited your site last month?

Do you know where your visitors are coming from — social, search, direct?

Do you know what they do when they get there?

What You're Listening For

Most owners will say no to all three. That's not a failure — it's the opening.

If they have GA but haven't looked at it — same thing. Flying blind.

If they have solid analytics data already — great. You have a baseline before work starts.

Conversation Movers

"Your website is one of your most valuable marketing assets — and right now you're flying blind on it. We fix that in Week 1."

"Knowing who's visiting and what they're doing tells us everything about what content to build. It's not a nice-to-have — it's the foundation."

"If you're on Squarespace, Wix, or Shopify — it takes about 5 minutes to connect. Custom site is the same. Either way it's Week 1, Day 1."

Whether they have analytics or not — this conversation shows you think strategically, not just tactically. Most marketers skip this. You don't.

The Close — Good Fit

Based on what you've shared — I think this is a really strong fit.

Here's what I'd suggest as a starting point. We have something called the 30-Day Kickstart. We build your content system, get it live, run it for 30 days, and then deliver a full results report showing exactly what happened and what's working.

No long commitment. No guessing. Just real results in 30 days — and by then we'll know each other well enough to figure out what makes sense going forward.

Does that sound like something worth exploring?

Let them respond. Don't fill the silence. The next person who talks after you ask that question should be them.

The Close — Not a Good Fit

I really appreciate you sharing all of that with me.

I want to be straight with you — I don't think DAP is the right fit right now, and I'd rather tell you that than take your money and underdeliver.

What I'd actually focus on first is [specific honest recommendation]. Once you've got that foundation, DAP is exactly where you'd want to come next. And I'd genuinely welcome that conversation when you're there.

Referring out builds more trust than forcing a bad fit. They'll remember you said no honestly — and they'll send people your way.

The 2/3 Rule — After Every Call

Ask yourself three questions after every call. Be honest.

Did they have a real, specific problem?

Do they have budget to invest in solving it?

Are they serious and ready to move?

2 or 3 out of 3 — Yes

Good lead. Move forward. Send the proposal or next steps within 24 hours while the conversation is fresh.

1 or fewer — Pause

Don't chase. Be honest with yourself. A bad client costs more than no client. Stay warm but don't push.

Pre-Call Form — Cal.com Setup

What this is: These questions get attached directly to your Discovery Call event on Cal.com. When someone books a call they fill this out automatically. You receive their answers before the call starts — so you walk in already knowing their basics, their problem, and their budget.

How to set it up: Follow the steps below exactly. Cal.com calls these "Booking Questions."

How to Add These to Cal.com

Go to your Discovery Call event

Log into cal.com → Click on your "DAP Discovery Call" event → Click "Edit"

Find "Booking Questions"

Scroll down in the event editor until you see "Booking Questions" or "Additional Questions." Click to expand it.

Add each question below

Click "Add a question" for each one. Set the field type as shown. Mark required fields as required.

Save and test

Save the event. Open your booking link in a new tab and go through the flow yourself to make sure it looks right.

The 7 Pre-Call Questions

Keep it short. They've already booked — don't make them write an essay. These 7 questions are all you need.

Question 1 — Business Name & What You Do

What's your business name and what do you do in one sentence?

Type: Short Text · Required: Yes

Question 2 — Main Challenge

What's the main marketing challenge you're facing right now? Be as specific as you can.

Type: Long Text · Required: Yes

Question 3 — What Success Looks Like

What does success look like for your business in the next 90 days?

Type: Short Text · Required: Yes

Question 4 — Previous Agency Experience

Have you worked with a marketing agency or consultant before?

Type: Dropdown — Options: "Yes, it went well" / "Yes, it didn't work out" / "No, this is my first time" · Required: No

Question 5 — Monthly Budget Range

What's your monthly budget range for marketing? This helps us make the right recommendation.

Type: Dropdown — Options: "Under $300" / "$300–$500" / "$500–$1,000" / "$1,000+" / "Still figuring it out" · Required: Yes

Question 6 — Website & Analytics

Do you have a website? If yes — do you have Google Analytics or any website tracking installed?

Type: Dropdown — Options: "Yes, analytics is set up and active" / "Yes, but no analytics installed" / "No website yet" / "Not sure" · Required: No

Question 7 — Anything Else

Anything else you want us to know before the call?

Type: Long Text · Required: No

How to Use the Answers Before the Call

Your Pre-Call Routine — Do This Every Time

Open their answers 10–15 minutes before the call starts
Note their business name and what they do — use it naturally in your opening
Read their main challenge carefully — this is the core of your conversation
Check their budget — know before you pitch
Write down 2–3 questions their answers raised for you — go deeper on the call
When you open the call — reference something specific they wrote. It shows you actually read it. That alone separates DAP from everyone else.

Example opening using their pre-call answers:

"Hey [Name] — I read through what you submitted and I appreciate you being specific about [their challenge]. That actually tells me a lot about where you are. Before I respond to that directly I want to hear more about [specific follow-up question]. Can you walk me through that?"

That opening tells them three things: you prepared, you listened, and you're different. The call is already going better than 90% of discovery calls before you've said anything else.