First Call Formula

Run the first client call without feeling sales-y.

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Run the first client call without feeling sales-y.

A recorded workshop and a workbook on the one call that decides whether a project happens: how to qualify it, scope it, and get the proposal signed.

Let's get something straight: we are not great sales folks. We don't want to be. We just want to bring in enough business to live the life we want, and have time left over to do the things we love. Craft is the priority.

So we never had the patience to drill negotiating techniques. What we needed was a shortcut... a way to run that first call well enough to make a good impression, understand what the client actually needs, and get the proposal signed and processed. That's the First Call Formula. It's the one we follow every time, and it works.

It's a softer approach than most sales training. Less about performance, more about making a connection.

What's inside

  • Why most creatives blow the first call without realizing it
  • How to uncover what the client really values (it's rarely what's in the brief)
  • How to scope smarter so you stop undercharging
  • The questions that make clients trust you right away
  • The exact flow we use to qualify, scope, and close creative projects
  • The workbook: the full call structure, roleplay personas, and prompts to practice diagnosing scope on the fly

How to use it

Watch the workshop straight through once. Don't multitask. The biggest shifts come from seeing the full flow in context. Then download the worksheet, rewatch the examples while you fill it in, and run the roleplay. Solo, or with a friend. The reps matter more than the theory.

Then use it on your next real lead. The goal isn't perfection. It's clarity. Each call gets cleaner, faster, and more confident.

This is the same material we teach inside Maker Division, pulled out so you can get a win right now. No pressure, no paywall.

Went from taking orders to being a more valuable designer.

I was a graphic designer taking orders without any room for creativity. Now I am focusing on being a more valuable designer, doing great work with stronger concepts.

Samer Fawal
Graphic Designer
A two-minute trade show pitch paid off a year later.

Exactly a year ago, I exhibited at a trade show in Cape Town … I had just two minutes to deliver an elevator pitch and exchange business cards. I applied everything I'd learned through the Division training on cold outreach and follow-up … Twelve months later, completely out of the blue, I got the call: they were ready to collaborate.

Michelle von Stein
Founder & Designer
An $18K nature book series from my first week pitching.

I completed the Capabilities Deck from module 3, and used it to pitch to publishers who focus on nature-related titles. From my first week of pitching, a publisher got back to me with a project illustrating a series of nature books … It is an $18k job, the biggest illustration project I've ever received.

Stacy Hsu
Designer & Illustrator
Make Shit—Show People—Share The Process—
Make Shit—Show People—Share The Process—
Make Shit—Show People—Share The Process—
Make Shit—Show People—Share The Process—
Make Shit—Show People—Share The Process—
Make Shit—Show People—Share The Process—

Maker Division shares case studies, strategies, and student results for educational purposes only. These outcomes are not typical and do not guarantee your success. Maker Division’s team includes experienced business owners, creatives, and educators, and your results will vary based on your background, effort, experience, and application of the material. We do not track or publish average results due to the sensitive nature of creative business performance and the wide range of student goals. We cannot guarantee that you will make money, book clients, or grow your business using our strategies whether applied specifically or generally. We do not offer business, financial, legal, investment, tax, or other professional advice. All content is provided for informational purposes only. Any use of our content, ideas, or materials without express written permission is prohibited.