Live (video) call

Why A Live Call Button Works

Software can feel anonymous. A live call button breaks this pattern by offering a human connection right when the user needs it most. It signals that you're accessible, confident in your product, and genuinely invested in their success. This personal touch builds immediate trust and dramatically reduces the friction a user feels when they're stuck or evaluating a purchase, making them far more likely to commit.

From a business perspective, live calls are a multi-purpose weapon. For sales, they shorten the sales cycle by answering high-level questions on the spot. For onboarding, they skyrocket activation rates by guiding users to their 'aha!' moment in real-time. Most importantly, they are the single best source of qualitative product feedback you will ever get. Every call is an opportunity to understand user pains, spot usability issues, and hear feature requests directly from the source.

Three real examples

This playbook is inspired by the Superhuman team's famous high-touch onboarding process, which was critical to their early growth.

The step-by-step playbook

1. 1

   1. Define Your Goal

   Decide the primary purpose of the call. Is it to close sales, improve activation for new users, or gather deep feedback on a new feature? Your goal will define the call's structure and where you place the CTA.

2. 2

   2. Choose Your Tools

   Select a scheduling tool like Calendly or SavvyCal to handle booking, and a video tool (Zoom or Google Meet are fine). The goal is to make booking and joining a call as frictionless as possible.

3. 3

   3. Create The 'Event'

   In your scheduling tool, create the specific event for this call. Give it a clear name (e.g., '15-Min Onboarding Call'), set the duration, and define your availability. Be realistic--don't offer 24/7 access.

4. 4

   4. Craft Your CTA Copy

   The text on your button or link matters. Be specific. 'Talk to a Founder' is much more compelling than 'Contact Us'. Other options: 'Book a Live Demo', 'Free Onboarding Call', 'Get Help Setting Up'.

5. 5

   5. Place The Button Strategically

   Identify moments of high intent. Good locations include the first-login onboarding flow, the pricing page (especially for higher tiers), or after a user interacts with a complex feature for the first time.

6. 6

   6. Automate The Workflow

   Ensure your scheduling tool automatically sends a calendar invite and at least one reminder email. On your confirmation page, briefly state the call's purpose to set clear expectations.

7. 7

   7. Prepare A Loose Script

   Don't read from a script, but have a structured list of 3-5 questions you want to ask. This ensures you get the feedback you need while still allowing the conversation to flow naturally.

8. 8

   8. Log and Analyze Feedback

   This is the most critical step. Use a tool like Fireflies.ai to transcribe calls, and log key insights, pain points, and feature requests in a central place (like a spreadsheet or CRM). Look for patterns across calls.

The Copy-Paste Script

Here's a simple, effective email script you can adapt to offer a live call to a new, high-potential user who just signed up.

Subject: Quick question about {Your Product}?

Hi {UserName},

I'm {YourName}, one of the founders of {Your Product}.

I saw you just signed up and wanted to reach out personally. I'm helping a few new users get set up this week and would be happy to jump on a quick 15-minute call to help you get started and answer any questions.

No sales pitch, I promise--just a chance to make sure you get the most value out of the product.

If you're interested, you can grab a time that works for you here: {YourSchedulingLink}

Best,
{YourName}

Key Questions to Ask on the Call

• What was happening that made you look for a tool like ours today?
• What's the main problem you're hoping {Your Product} will solve for you?
• Have you tried other ways to solve this problem? What did/didn't you like?
• Was there anything that was confusing or unclear as you got started with our product?
• If you could wave a magic wand, what would the perfect solution look like for you?

The most important questions are the ones that uncover the 'why' behind the signup. Focus on understanding their problem and their desired outcome above all else.

Recommended tools

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Mistakes that kill this play

• ×Making it a hard sales pitch. The goal is to help, not to close. The sale happens naturally if you provide value.
• ×Hiding the button. Don't bury it three clicks deep. Place it where users with high intent will see it.
• ×Not limiting your availability. You'll burn out. Block off specific 'office hours' for these calls in your scheduling tool.
• ×Using a generic 'Contact Us' link. The magic is in the promise of a live, personal interaction. 'Book a call with a founder' is 10x better than 'Contact us'.
• ×Not having a system to track feedback. Every call is a goldmine of data. If you don't log it, you lose it.
• ×Thinking it won't scale. Don't worry about scaling on day one. Do things that don't scale to get your first 100 customers. You can evolve the process later.

Your First 7-Day Plan

• Day 1: Define your single most important goal for these calls. Sign up for free tiers of Calendly and Zoom.
• Day 2: Create your event type in Calendly. Set your availability (e.g., just 2 hours on one day to start). Add 2-3 pre-call questions.
• Day 3: Write the CTA copy and ask your developer to add the link/button to one strategic location in your app or on your site.
• Day 4: Test the entire flow yourself. Click the link, book a time, and check for confirmation emails. Make sure the calendar invite works.
• Day 5: Prepare your key questions and set up Fireflies.ai to automatically join and transcribe your upcoming meetings.
• Day 6: Conduct your first calls. Focus on listening more than talking. End the call by asking 'Is there anything else I can help you with?'
• Day 7: Review your call transcripts. Create a simple feedback log in a spreadsheet. Identify one actionable insight to share with your team.

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