I ran an experiment to see if I could get people to pay me to pitch them. Here’s what happened.

Coaches are programmed to offer free discovery calls. I decided to do the opposite. I charged $25 for a sales conversation and ended up making more money, not less.

For most of my 16 years as a coach I followed the industry script: offer free discovery calls, serve generously, and trust that the right people will eventually hire me.

Sometimes, they did. Often, they didn’t.

The conversations themselves were meaningful and enjoyable, but months or even years could pass before someone became a client. Then, in the last year, I started offering free coaching calls to my email list and no one was biting. 

I realized the problem wasn’t my coaching; it was the context.

So I decided to run an audacious experiment:

What if I charged people for the sales conversation itself? 

The Experiment

In coaching, what’s called an “enrollment conversation” is an experience of real value. It’s when someone clarifies what they want, why it matters, and whether working together makes sense.

Ironically, because that incredibly valuable conversation involves selling, no one charges for it. I decided to make that conversation the product.

I knew my offer would have to be intriguing, provocative and believable. I was pretty sure I could pull it off, but there was only one way to know for sure.