First Call Formula

Run the first client call without feeling sales-y.

Unsubscribe anytime, no spam or hard feelings.

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.

Pitching publishers landed nearly $20K in book illustration.

I was in Module 4, and had built out a list of publishers focusing on nature titles to pitch to … their art director reached out a few weeks later with an illustrator's dream project, illustrating a series of adult coffee table books. We're launching with 3 books, and I will make just under $20k.

Stacy Hsu
Designer & Illustrator
The building blocks of a brand, in exquisite detail.

Ben's workshop covers soup to nuts of what it takes to build a brand and provides the building blocks in exquisite detail. His approach is systematic and builds beautifully on itself … Can't recommend it enough!

Stephen Vosloo
Art Director
Did my first outreach and booked a meeting hours later.

I just did my first client outreach today, and just a few hours later, I’ve already scheduled a meeting with a potential client!

Svetlana Copic
Creative Director
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.