What We Can (and Can't) Tell You On A Discovery Call with RMA

What to Expect (and Not Expect) from Your Discovery Call with RMA

When you get on a call with us, we’re not there to "sell you". There is no fancy pitch script. No sleazy salesman. It’s just a real conversation between people trying to figure out if we can help each other.

This is your chance to tell us what’s going on, what you’re dealing with, and what kind of help you’re looking for. And it’s our chance to learn more about you, figure out if we’re the right team to support you, and walk you through what it’s like to work with RMA.

We think it is important to set the right expectations upfront, so you know what kind of call you are walking into, and so that our call will be as productive as possible. Psst - if you haven't yet, schedule a discovery call with us by reaching out here!

And with that, here's what we can - and can't - tell you on our discovery call:

What We Can Tell You (and What to Expect)

First, we are going to listen.

We want to understand what you are trying to accomplish. What problem you are dealing with. What kind of help you think you might need. If it is in our wheelhouse, we will tell you. If it is not, we will tell you that too. Don't worry, we'll drive the conversation and ask the right questions. And if you're totally confused and don't know where to begin, we'll take the lead. Deep breath.

You will get a feel for how we work.

We will walk you through the basics. What we think you need, and how we approach those kinds of projects. The kinds of industries we serve. The way we work with our clients. If you have questions, ask them. We want you to know if we are the type of company you want to work with (and we want to know if you're the type of client we want to work with). And if not? That's okay too.

We're happy to talk about pricing.

We are happy to give you a ballpark range for what you might expect to spend. We know budgets matter, and we are not going to try and dodge that question (which is why we've always tried to be transparent about our pricing!). But keep in mind: every project is different. So, we will give you the best estimate we can, then we will figure out together if it makes sense to keep moving forward. If we're completely out of your budget, you can walk away and we won't charge you a dime. If we're aligned, we'll get you a firm, final number as soon as we can.

Timelines? Same deal.

Some projects move fast. Some... do not. We will be honest with you about what to expect. If you are hoping to get a stormwater permit approved by next month in New Jersey, we are going to tell you that the NJDEP will probably laugh in your face (just kidding, you won't even get a response in a month!). If it is a quick compliance audit, we might be able to wrap it up in a few weeks. We will not sugarcoat it. You deserve real expectations, not fairy tales.

We are also happy to talk about confidentiality.

In short, your business is nobody else's business. We keep everything you share with us private. If you want us to sign an NDA before we even open our mouths, we are good with that too. You should never have to wonder whether your information is safe with us. It is. We don't share your info with anyone - not regulators, not agencies, not other consultants - no one.

And before we wrap the call, we will lay out the next steps.

Whether that is sending over a proposal, gathering a little more info, or deciding to part ways with zero hard feelings, you will know exactly where we stand.

What We Can't Tell You (and What You Shouldn't Expect)

We will not hand you an exact quote out of thin air.

Chances are, we’ll have a pretty good idea of what your project might cost by the end of our call. But before we give you a firm number, we like to run it through our process, check a few details, and make sure we’re not missing anything. We want your quote to be right, not rushed.

We will not guarantee regulatory outcomes.

We will fight hard for your success, but we cannot promise a government agency will move quickly. We cannot promise there will be no hiccups. Nobody can. If someone promises you that... well, you might want to think twice.

We will not give you legal advice.

We are environmental consultants. We help you stay ahead of regulations, avoid violations, and build strong compliance programs. But if you’ve had a major environmental incident and you’re being sued, or you’re looking to limit liability in a legal dispute, that’s where an attorney needs to step in. If we think you’re heading into legal territory, we’ll tell you straight up.

We will not promise exact dates.

We’ll give you a ballpark and walk you through what’s typical and what’s possible. But we won’t promise a project will be finished by a certain date unless we’re absolutely sure.
Some things are out of our hands, like how fast a state agency reviews your application. What we can control is how quickly we get things done once we have what we need. We’ll always be upfront about both, so you know the best case, the worst case, and everything in between.

Why We Draw These Lines

Simple. We do it because that’s how real partnerships work: with honesty, clear expectations, and no false starts.

We’ve been doing this long enough to know that fast answers aren't always the best ones. Sometimes, giving you a price too quickly, promising a lightning-fast turnaround, or glossing over the details just creates more confusion and frustration down the road. So we slow down just enough to make sure we’re giving you information you can trust.

We’d rather take a little extra time to get things right than rush to win your signature and risk letting you down later. That’s not how we work, and it’s not the kind of relationship we want to build.

After the Call: What Comes Next

Once we’ve had a chance to talk, we’ll both have a better sense of whether it makes sense to move forward together. Most of the time, a call ends in one of these 4 ways:

• We’re a good match and ready to get rolling. In that case, we’ll put together a formal proposal (we call them service agreements) that outlines everything you need to know. Once you sign it, we're off to the races.
• We need a little more from you first. Maybe you have a permit we need to review or a site map we want to look over. We’ll follow up with questions by email or schedule another quick call to fill in the blanks.
• We need to do a bit of homework on our end. We know the regulations inside and out, but some situations are complex or state-specific. We might need to double-check something, brush up on a rule, or confirm a few details before we proceed.
• We’re not the right fit. And that’s okay. If we’re not the best team for your situation, we’ll let you know, and if we can, we’ll point you in a better direction.

Whatever it looks like, we’ll make the decision together, based on what you need, what makes sense for your timeline, and whether now is the right time to move forward.

Ready to Talk?

We don’t see a discovery call as “getting you into our pipeline.” That’s not how we work.
We see it as the beginning of a conversation - one that could lead to a long-term partnership built on real transparency, real communication, and real results.

This first step is about helping you get clarity. On your project. On your options. On whether we’re the right team for the job. No pressure, no pushy sales tactics. Just a chance to talk things through and figure out what’s best for your business and your compliance needs.

If that sounds like the kind of relationship you’re looking for, we’re looking forward to meeting you.

And if you haven’t already, go ahead and reach out to schedule your discovery call here to see if we’d be a good fit in lending a hand with your environmental program.