Knowledge base

What is a strategy session?

In short

A strategy session is a conversation in which you go through a potential client's situation, goals and possible approach with them. Coaches and consultants often offer it for free as a first introduction, as a stepping stone to a paid programme.

Also known as: strategy call, free strategy session, discovery call, intro call, intake call, clarity call.

“Book a free strategy session.” You see it on a lot of coaching websites. Sometimes it really is a session full of strategy. Often it’s a sales call with a friendlier name. Both can work, as long as you know what you’re offering.

Why a strategy session matters

For a programme worth a few thousand euros, a buyer wants to talk first. A strategy session gives them that space without it feeling like a sales pitch. For you, it’s the place where you show that you understand their problem better than they do.

How a strategy session works

Beforehand: have them answer a few questions, so you arrive prepared and they’re already thinking.
Diagnosis: dig into the situation, the goal and what’s already been tried.
Route: sketch what needs to happen to get from here to there.
Next step: tell them honestly how you can help, and what it costs. Or say you’re not the right person.
Follow-up: a follow-up email the same day, with a summary and the agreed step.

Where it goes wrong

The session that turns into an hour of free coaching. Someone goes home happy with ten tips, and then has no reason left to buy. Or the opposite: a “strategy session” that becomes a pitch after five minutes. Then the buyer feels taken for a ride.

The OMB view

Call a spade a spade. We do a free conversation too, the baker’s chat: an hour in which we work out where your room is leaking. If it’s not for you, we’ll say so. And because our prices are simply online, nobody has to book a strategy session to find out what something costs. That makes the conversation more honest, and shorter. Curious how that works? Read how we work.

Explained by Rubin Koot, Online Marketing Bakery. Updated 6 November 2026.

In the Sold-Out Recipe

Strategy session belongs to Counter: selling and following up. This is how the recipe works. Together the four steps make up event marketing the way we do it: a full room that also buys.

Related terms

Questions about strategy session.

What is the difference between a strategy session and a sales call?

A strategy session promises advice: you look at someone's situation together. A sales call is about whether they'll go further with you. In practice, a free strategy session is often a sales call with a friendlier name. That's fine, as long as you're honest about what it is.

Is a free strategy session a good idea?

Yes, if it leads somewhere. A free session lowers the threshold to start a conversation. Without a clear next step, you're giving away an hour of free advice, and that's where it ends.

How long does a strategy session last?

Usually half an hour to an hour. Long enough to really understand what's going on, short enough not to turn it into a free programme.

How do you stop a strategy session turning into free advice?

Use the conversation to understand and diagnose, not to solve everything. Show that you understand the problem and what the route is. Carrying out that route is your paid offer.

Your next event deserves a room that buys.

Book a one-hour baker's chat. We figure out where your room leaks. If it's not for you, we'll tell you.

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