IVF counsellor call script: the first enquiry call, word for word

A good IVF counsellor call script for the first enquiry does three things: it confirms you are speaking to the right person, gathers the facts a doctor will need (ages, time trying, past treatment), and ends with a booked consultation or a fixed callback. The counsellor gives no medical opinion, answers cost questions honestly and records every answer on the lead, so the second call never starts from zero.

What the first call has to achieve, and what it should not try to do

Someone who fills an IVF enquiry form has usually been thinking about it for months before they press submit. Many have already had tests, a round of IUI or a full cycle somewhere else. Some are enquiring without telling the rest of the family. So the first call is less a sales call and more a careful intake conversation with a clear end point.

Give the call three goals, and only three:

1. Confirm the person and their privacy. You are talking to the patient or their partner, and they are somewhere they can talk freely.
2. Collect the intake facts. Enough for the front desk to pick the right doctor, and for the doctor to walk into the consultation already knowing the basics.
3. Leave with a next step that has a date. A booked consultation, or a callback at a time the couple chose.

What the call is not for matters just as much. A counsellor is not the doctor, and the moment the call drifts into medicine, trust drops and risk goes up. On the first call, do not:

• Quote success rates or tell the couple what their chances are.
• Interpret reports, AMH values or semen analysis numbers, even if the caller reads them out.
• Say they "need IVF" or "only need IUI". That is the doctor's decision after the consultation.
• Comment on why a previous cycle at another clinic did not work.
• Promise a result, a timeline or a fixed final cost.
• Entertain questions about choosing the baby's sex. Sex selection is prohibited in India under the PCPNDT Act, and your script should say so plainly. Agree the exact wording with your medical director, and check the current rules and your clinic's obligations with your legal adviser.

Speed matters too. Couples commonly enquire at more than one clinic in the same week, so the first call should go out within minutes of the form, not the next morning. The reasoning is laid out in why first-response time matters most.

Before you dial: reading the ad form answers and the enquiry source

Spend 30 seconds on the lead before you press call. Check three things: where the enquiry came from, what the person picked or typed in the form, and whether they have enquired before.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say an enquiry comes in at 6:15 pm from a Meta lead ad for your Pune centre. The form answers read: trying for 4 years, one IVF cycle done, best time to call after 7 pm. You now know not to open with "are you planning a family?" as if they were just starting out. Your opener will acknowledge the earlier cycle, and you will call at 7:05 pm, not at 10 the next morning when they are at work.

The IVF counsellor call script for the opening 30 seconds

One rule governs the opening: do not say "IVF" or "fertility" until you know who is on the line. Phones in Indian households are often shared, and the person who answers may be a parent or an in-law who knows nothing about the enquiry.

Counsellor: Hello, am I speaking with Priya?

[If yes]
Counsellor: Hi Priya, this is Neha from [Clinic name]. You had filled a form
with us about a consultation, so I'm calling you back. Is this a good time to
talk for about ten minutes? And are you somewhere you can speak comfortably?

[If yes]
Counsellor: Thank you. I'll ask a few questions so we can book you with the
right doctor. If there's anything you'd rather not answer on the phone, just
say so and we'll skip it.

[If it isn't a good time]
Counsellor: No problem at all. What time works better, later today or
tomorrow? Would you like a call, or a WhatsApp message first?

The same opener in Hindi, for counsellors who switch languages:

Namaste, kya meri baat Priya ji se ho rahi hai?
Main Neha bol rahi hoon, [Clinic name] se. Aapne consultation ke liye form
bhara tha, usi ke liye call kiya hai. Kya abhi das minute baat karna theek
rahega? Aap aaram se baat kar sakti hain?

When someone other than the patient answers:

• The partner answers. Give your name and clinic, and say you are returning an enquiry. If the partner says they filled the form together, carry on with them and note who you spoke to.
• A parent or in-law answers. "This is Neha, I'm returning a call from Priya. When is a good time to reach her?" Do not name the clinic's specialty or the reason. Note the time they give and call back then.
• The person says they never enquired. Apologise, confirm the number and end the call. Do not explain what the enquiry was about.

Questions to ask, in order, with wording that keeps it comfortable

The order runs from easy to personal and back to practical. Each question is framed around what the doctor needs, so it never sounds like the counsellor is judging.

1. Who the consultation is for. "Is the consultation for you and your partner, or are you asking for someone else?"
2. What prompted the enquiry now. "What made you decide to look into this now?" Then let them talk. This answer often tells you more than the next five questions.
3. How long they have been trying. "How long have you been trying for a baby?" Never "why hasn't it happened?"
4. Ages of both partners. "The doctor will ask the ages of both of you. May I note them down?"
5. Doctors seen and tests done. "Have you already seen a doctor about this? Were any tests done?"
6. Previous treatment. "Have you had any treatment so far, like medicines, IUI or IVF?" If they have had IVF, move to the failed-cycle wording in the next section.
7. Reports. "Do you have those reports with you? Please bring all of them to the consultation, including anything from earlier cycles. The doctor will want to see them."
8. Branch and doctor preference. "Which centre is easier for you, [Branch A] or [Branch B]? Do you have a preference for a particular doctor, or a language you're more comfortable in?"
9. Who will attend. "Will both of you be able to come? Our doctors like to meet both partners at the first visit if possible."
10. Timing and contact. "Roughly when would you like to begin? And is it all right if I send appointment details on WhatsApp to this number?"

If the caller becomes emotional, stop asking. Say "Take your time", and wait. Pushing to the next question at that moment is how a counsellor loses a patient who was ready to book.

Handling cost, previous failed cycles and "we are just checking"

These three moments decide most first calls. Write the replies down, agree them with the medical director, and have every counsellor use the same words.

When they ask about cost

Counsellors usually get this wrong in one of two ways. They dodge, which sounds like hiding something, or they blurt out a number that the patient remembers and holds the clinic to later. Before anyone takes calls, agree four things in writing: the consultation fee, an approved range for a standard cycle, what that range includes, and any finance or EMI option the clinic actually offers.

Counsellor: That's a fair question. The honest answer is that the final cost
depends on the plan the doctor makes after seeing both your reports, so I
can't give you one exact figure today. What I can tell you is that the
consultation fee is [₹ amount], and for a standard cycle our clinic's range
is [approved range], which includes [what it covers]. After the consultation
you get a written estimate with every item listed. Shall I send the range
and what it covers on WhatsApp so you both can look at it?

Never quote a number you have not been given, and never compare your price with a named clinic. If the couple says yes to WhatsApp, send the approved range and what it covers exactly as written, so every couple gets the same figures and nobody can later say a counsellor promised less.

When they mention a previous failed cycle

This is the most delicate moment on the call. Acknowledge it first, ask permission, and keep your questions factual.

Counsellor: I'm sorry, that's a lot to go through. Would it be all right if I
ask a couple of questions about it, so the doctor has the full picture
before you meet?

How many cycles have you had, and roughly when was the last one?
Where was it done?
Do you still have the reports and discharge summaries from those cycles?

I can't tell you why it didn't work. Only the doctor can look at that with
your reports. What I can do is book you with Dr [Name], who sees couples
after earlier cycles, and make sure she has your history before you walk in.

Do not say "with us it will work" or suggest the other clinic made a mistake. Both are promises the counsellor has no basis for.

When they say "we are just checking"

Take it at face value. Many couples speak to several clinics before deciding, and pressure now closes the door.

Counsellor: That's completely fine, most couples speak to a few places first.
Is there something you'd like to know before you feel ready to meet a
doctor? ... Would it help if I send you Dr [Name]'s profile and the
consultation details on WhatsApp, and call you on Thursday evening after
you've both had a look?

A couple who is only exploring may take weeks or months. The calls after this one are planned in an IVF follow-up schedule for couples who take months to decide.

Closing the call with a booked consultation or a fixed callback

Offer two specific slots, not an open question. "When would you like to come?" invites "we'll let you know".

Counsellor: I can book you with Dr [Name] at our [Branch] centre on Saturday
at 11 am, or Monday at 5:30 pm. Which suits both of you better?

[After they choose]
Counsellor: Done. That's Saturday, 11 am, Dr [Name], [Branch]. Please bring
all your reports and any earlier prescriptions. I'll send the details on
WhatsApp now, and the clinic will tell you if anything needs to be done
before the visit.

[If they won't book yet]
Counsellor: No problem. When is a good time to call back once you've
discussed it at home? Would Thursday after 7 pm work?

Every call ends with a date. A lead that ends with "they'll call us" has, in practice, no next step. Send the confirmation straight away:

Hi Priya, this is Neha from [Clinic name]. Your consultation is booked for
Saturday, [date] at 11:00 am with Dr [Name] at our [Branch] centre.
Please bring all earlier reports and prescriptions. Reply here if you need
to change the time.

If the patient has not messaged your WhatsApp number in the last 24 hours, WhatsApp only lets a business send a pre-approved template, so get this message approved in advance.

What to note on the lead after the call: a field checklist

"Interested, will call" in a comment box is useless to whoever makes the second call, including the same counsellor a week later. Put the answers in fields that can be filtered, and keep the comment for what was agreed.

A useful comment reads like this: "Both to discuss at home. Call Thu 7:30 pm. Wants Dr [Name]'s Saturday slot. Cost range sent on WhatsApp."

Health details are about as private as data gets. Record only what booking and the consultation need, limit who can see it, and check your obligations under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 with a professional.

Running this script inside atomcrm.ai

A script only helps the second call if the answers from the first one end up where the next counsellor will look. Here is where each step above sits in atomcrm.ai.

Before you dial. If your Meta lead ads come into atomcrm.ai, the campaign, ad set, ad and form answers are stored on the lead, and the lead page also shows any repeat-enquiry history, so the check before dialling happens on the lead page instead of in a spreadsheet. Enquiries from website forms carry their UTM parameters, gclid and fbclid on the lead instead. Here is how that is set up for IVF clinics.

Closing the call. The counsellor records the whole outcome in one Quick Update panel: connected or not, stage, status, a one-line comment, the next callback date and time, and the appointment when the stage needs one. An admin can make a stage like "Consultation booked" require an appointment, and a stage like "Discussing at home" require a next-callback date, so no lead moves into those stages without one. A reminder arrives 15 minutes before each callback is due. More on how the telecalling CRM handles this.

Noting the answers. The field checklist above becomes custom lead fields (dropdown, number, checkbox, multi-select and so on) that can sit on the Quick Update panel, with conditional rules that show or require a field only when another answer calls for it, such as the cycle count appearing only when IVF is ticked. The separate status label records why a lead is stuck, like "Budget issue", without changing its stage. The setup is covered in lead fields and stages.

Frequently asked questions

What should an IVF counsellor never say on the first call?

Anything that sounds like a medical opinion or a promise. Avoid success rates, guesses about the couple's chances, reading meaning into report values, saying which treatment they need, criticising another clinic's cycle, or quoting a final cost. Decline any question about choosing the baby's sex, because sex selection is prohibited in India. When in doubt, say the doctor will go through it at the consultation, and offer to book one.

How long should the first call with an IVF enquiry take?

Plan for about ten minutes when the person can talk freely. The opening takes under a minute, the ten intake questions take five to seven, and the close takes two. If calls regularly run much longer, the counsellor is probably answering medical questions that belong with the doctor. If the person can spare only two minutes, fix a callback time rather than rushing the questions.

Should a fertility clinic telecaller quote IVF cost on the phone?

Yes, but only the consultation fee and a range your medical director has approved, never a figure made up on the spot. Explain that the final cost depends on the doctor's plan after seeing both partners' reports, and that a written estimate follows the consultation. Refusing to discuss cost at all makes callers assume the worst, and some will simply stop taking your calls.

What if a family member answers the counsellor's call?

Ask for the patient by name, give your first name, and say you are returning their call. Do not mention IVF, fertility or the reason for the enquiry. Ask when is a good time to reach them, note that time and who answered on the lead, and call back then. Plenty of couples have not told their families, and one careless sentence can end their trust in the clinic.

Can a telecaller without medical training handle IVF enquiries?

Yes, if the role is defined as intake and booking rather than advice on treatment. A trained telecaller can follow this script, collect the facts, handle cost with approved wording and book the consultation. What they need is a fixed question list, practice on the sensitive moments, and a team lead who listens to their recorded calls. Every medical question goes to the doctor.

Practising the script with your counselling team

A script read off a screen sounds like one. Run a 30-minute role-play once a week: one counsellor plays a caller with a specific situation (two failed cycles in Delhi, a mother-in-law who picks up, a husband who only wants the price), another runs the script, and the team lead notes where the wording slipped. Then pick three recorded calls a week and score each one on the three goals from the start of this article: right person and privacy, intake facts collected, next step with a date. Counsellors who call through the Call Pro Android app have each call and its recording logged on the lead, and the telecalling guide covers call logging and recordings.

Your next step: add the fields from the checklist above to your lead form this week, so every role-play ends with a filled-in lead. See how the callback queue sorts every agreed callback into Overdue, Due today and Upcoming, or book a demo with your own stages and form fields.