How to Get Prospects to Show Up Ready to Buy (Instead of Just ‘Checking It Out’)

The Problem: Why Are Prospects Showing Up Unprepared?

"I’m not even sure what you guys do."

I sat there thinking, Why did they take an hour out of their day to get on a call with a total stranger… with no clue why they’re here?

And this wasn't the first time this happened either.

I could relate to Sisyphus on those calls.

A disengaged, unqualified, or clueless prospect doesn’t just waste your time—it kills your close rate.

Why Do So Many Prospects Show Up Unprepared?

Here’s the hard truth: It’s not always the prospect’s fault.

By not preparing the prospect, you run into a multitude of roadblocks:

1. Lack of Brand Awareness – They barely know who you are.

2. Lack of Awareness of Your Service – If they know you, they don’t know what you actually do (the "free consult" trap)

3. Lack of Awareness of Their Own Problems – They haven’t fully realized their pain points yet.

4. No Perceived Authority – They see you as just another vendor, not a trusted expert.

If they don’t see you as valuable before the call, they won’t see your offer as valuable during the call.

The Solution: How to Get Prospects to Show Up Engaged & Ready to Buy

The best sales teams don’t just set calls—they prime them.

There's so many variables at play for a great pre-call sequence, but here are some hard hitters:

Step 1: Use a “Best Interest” Frame

We are the number one trusted authority in XYZ, ABC certified... blah, blah, blah

As in life, no one likes a show off.

Most companies try to establish authority by bragging about themselves. But real authority isn’t claimed—it’s earned through relevance. The prospect doesn’t care about your accolades. They care if you understand them.

Before the call, prospects need to believe one thing:

"These people have my best interest at heart"

How do you create this belief? By positioning yourself as an expert who is there to help, not just sell.

• Use social proof:

Share case studies, testimonials, and results upfront. The key here is to make it client-centric. Keep the focus away from you but on the results of the each client. This allows you to shift their focus to a result-oriented lens.

• Reframe expectations:

Though the people you work with have similar challenges, each and every person is unique. Emphasize that. Highlight that this will be an opportunity for us to explore their unique situation to reverse engineer a roadmap for their success.

Step 2: Create a Resource-Rich Warm-Up Sequence

Sending one confirmation email isn’t enough. You need to pre-sell them before they show up.

The mistake many make here is they attempt to sell their product here. This is the wrong approach. That'll be the focus of your call. 

The sale that must be made here is that your general vehicle, your industries' "mechanism", is the best choice.

For example, if you're a personal trainer, the first sale you need to make is that personal training is the best way to get

The second is that you're the best personal trainer

Other Examples:

• Trading Course:

  • 1st Sale: To make sustainable income online, day trading is the best vehicle

  • 2nd Sale: The best way to learn day trading is through XYZ Trading Course

• Duolingo

  • 1st Sale: To learn a language, the best way to go about is through a gamified, fun experience

  • 2nd Sale: The most fun/most effective app for this is Duolingo

• Flying > Roadtrip

  • 1st Sale: For my next trip, I want to prioritize convenience and time. To do that, flying is the best way to do that

  • 2nd Sale: The most economic airline to fly with is Allegiant

You get the idea.

Therefore, a strong warm-up sequence can include:

• A short, high-impact video:  introducing who you are, what you do, and what they’ll gain from the call.

• A value-packed PDF: Highlight your brand or even the field at large

• A quick-win resource (like a framework or checklist) that educates them before they show up.

• A pre-call survey that gets them invested in the process and thinking about their goals before the call.

Don't overload them with all of these - experiment.

All of these should introduce your brand and what makes your approach or vehicle superior.

This sequence does two things: It filters out bad leads (who won’t take the time to engage) and warms up good leads (who show up primed to buy).

Step 3: Use a Text Check-In for Pre-Call Engagement

Most sales teams only follow up after the call. But high-performing teams follow up before the call.

And don't be afraid to do this manually. Everything seems automated these days, but you'd be surprised what the human touch can do.

In fact, I hopped on the calls for a company for a week or two to see their systems.

Their show rate was abysmal: between 25-45%.

But simply sending a manual text to every person that booked in...

All but one of my appointments showed up.

And it probably would've been even better if I'd called.

• Simple Pre-Call Text Check-In:“Hey [Name], saw you booked in to talk about getting help with XYZ. I just sent an email with a video I want you to go through before our call, did you get that?"

Simple as that.

Why does this work?

• It reminds them of the call (reducing no-shows).

• It gets them to engage with the pre-call material (warming them up).

• It creates commitment—once they reply, they’re mentally committed to showing up.

What NOT to Do: The Biggest Mistakes That Hurt Show Rates

Here are the most common mistakes that lead to disengaged prospects:

• No Pre-Call Resources – If you don’t educate them before the call, you’ll waste time doing it on the call. Ensure that your schedule is blocked off for high-intent lead by building the buyer

• Too Many or Too Few Touchpoints – Overloading them with emails feels spammy. One weak confirmation email isn’t enough. Every industry is different. Test, track, and optimize your pre-call sequence like you would a sales script. Find your conversion sweet spot.

• Skipping Pre-Call Check-Ins – A simple text can double your show-up rate. It takes less than 30 seconds - don’t skip it.

Are You Priming Your Calls?

If you’re tired of hearing “I’m not sure what you guys do” on sales calls, you don’t have a lead problem—you have a pre-call priming problem.

The message here: Be proactive. If you're a business owner, craft out a compelling pre-call video, built out some resources you wish you had when you were starting.

If you're a closer and don't have these set up, take initiative and build them out yourself.

What’s one tweak you made to your pre-call process that changed everything?