Part 2 of my 5-Part Series on Creating a Client Experience that WOWs
Welcome to the second part of our 5-part series on creating an amazing client onboarding experience using Dubsado. If you missed part one, you can read it here. We’ll focus on the crucial onboarding phase of working with clients – “Collecting Information.” The onboarding process sets the foundation for a successful business relationship, and streamlining this phase with Dubsado can leave a lasting impression on your clients while saving you hours each week.
A big part of what I do when I meet with clients for the first time is to write out their client onboarding process. It’s probably the biggest part of automating the client journey, and it’s probably the most important since it sets the tone for your relationship. As we all know, FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE SUPER IMPORTANT…although not the only part of crafting an awesome client experience.
Be sure to check out the rest of my blog posts on the Client Journey to get the full picture of how to Create a Client Journey that WOWS.
Let Me Start by Saying That This Process Isn’t JUST for Dubsado
I should also start by saying that although the title of this post is about Dubsado, you can put this information to use in other CRMs (like HoneyBook) or just use it to map out your client onboarding process for your own SOPs. Even if you just write it out and follow it by hand for now. Just by doing that, you’ll see huge improvements in your client experience.
Who am I?
In case this is your first time here, I’m Amy Gould, Dubsado Certified Specialist, and Systems Strategist. I love helping creative entrepreneurs to work less, make more, and WOW clients through Dubsado, systems, and automation.
I’ve been at it for a little over three years and I’ve gotten to help lots of clients to systematize and automate their businesses. There is nothing more rewarding for me than hearing how my work has helped my clients to create more balance in their lives, work less, and dream bigger. It makes my day!
Here’s what I’m going to go over in this post
- The 5C’s of a client experience that WOWs.
- Why it’s important to think through and systemize your client onboarding process.
- An example of a client onboarding experience that was bit bumpy for me and how it impacted my thoughts on my purchase.
- How to create a client experience that wows.
- Steps to think of when crafting your client experience.
- How Dubsado can help you to automate all of that so you can focus on what really matters.
The 5’s of a Client Experience that WOWS and Where this Falls in the Client Journey
The 5 C’s of a Client Experience that WOWs are Connect, Collect, Continue the Conversation, Care, and Conclude. The onboarding process is a part of the Collect process. During the onboarding process, you want to collect everything that you need to get going on your client’s project in an efficient way and you want to set the expectations for your relationship and work together.
Why is it Important to Have an Intentional Client Process?
I’m going to cut right to the chase here, if you don’t have a well-thought-out and intentional client onboarding process, you are leaving a lot of things up to chance. Because of this, you might be missing the boat when it comes to creating an amazing first impression and opening the door for potential repeat business/ referrals.
Think about it. Clients don’t know you that well. You made a great first impression on the discovery call and they decided that they wanted to work with you. They hit the pay now button and are wondering… did I make the right decision? I just spent A LOT of money. Is it going to be worth it?
At this point in the process, you want to show them that you’re easy to work with, you do what you say and you are quick to respond to their requests. All of this can be done with your lead/onboarding process.
So if you want to
1. create an amazing first impression.
2. Get repeat business.
3. Get more referrals.
Get ready to take lots of notes!
Example of a Poorly Thought-Out Client Onboarding Process
Here’s an example of a client experience that I had recently, that left me wondering if I made the right decision when I purchased this product. I had an amazing discovery call with a coach. They had exactly the knowledge and expertise that I needed to move my business forward and they proved it on the call. I really liked them too and I was confident that this was a good move for me and my business, so I purchased a coaching package.
I was excited to move forward and get going with them. Then I waited…
and waited…
and waited…
There was no response. I wondered…
… did my payment go through?
… did I just give thousands of $$$ to a scam artist who took off with it?…
… was this a MISTAKE?…
So I messaged the coach and asked if they received my payment and what my next steps where. They replied and I received an email and got onboarded with them, but it took a while to get the onboarding email.
Long story short, they were great after that, and I got amazing results, but that first impression was nearly ruined because of their onboarding experience. You can see from the story above where my head went when I didn’t get proof that I’d made a good decision right away. Don’t give your new clients the opportunity to feel like I did.
How to Create a Client Onboarding Experience that WOWs
Here are the things to think of when creating your client onboarding experience. 1. Follow up immediately thanking them for working with you and giving them the next steps to work with you. Dubsado workflows makes it super simple to follow up once the payment has been made and the contract is signed. 2. Set Expectations 3. Collect everything you need for their project. Let’s go Into these in more detail.
Follow up Immediately with the Next Steps in Your Process
Make sure to follow up immediately thanking your client for choosing to work with you. I like to include confirmation that I’ve received their payment (since Dubsado doesn’t automatically do that) and let them know the next steps in the process. This helps eliminate the buyer’s remorse that I talked about in previous paragraphs. Thankfully, with set-up workflows, Dubsado can respond at any point day or night on your behalf. You don’t have to do a thing.
Use Dubsado Forms to Gather Essential Information
Dubsado’s customizable forms are a game-changer when it comes to collecting information from your clients. These forms can be tailored to your specific needs, making it easy for clients to provide essential details about their projects. I LOVE this because it keeps All of the information that I need to collect to start working with my clients in once place.
User-Friendly Interface: The user-friendly interface of Dubsado forms ensures that clients find it simple and convenient to fill out the necessary information. This minimizes any potential confusion and saves time for both parties. They can also save the form, so they don’t have to fill it all out at once.
Use Dubsado’s Workflows to Streamline Your Client Onboarding Process
Dubsado’s workflows can do more than just send forms. You can use them to keep track of project statuses using the project status change action. This way you always know exactly where a client is at in their journey with you.
Assign To-do’s to help you remember your process and take the thinking out of your client experience. For instance, you can have Dubsado tell you when the client has completed their client onboarding form and that you should review it and approve the follow-up email to send that sends a link to schedule their onboarding appointment.
Timely Reminders: With Dubsado, you can set up automated reminders if a form is not completed within a specific timeframe. This ensures that the onboarding process stays on track and moves forward smoothly.
Make Sure to Set Expectations During Client Onboarding
It’s a good idea to set expectations right from the get-go. I love to create an onboarding guide for my clients. This usually includes the following information…
- office hours/days of the week that you work.
- communication channels (Email, text, DM, Slack, Voxer, etc.)
- how soon clients can expect a response to emails, Slack messages, etc?
- FAQs that clients might have at this point.
- If you’re using the Dubsado Client Portal, include a Client Portal Guide with instructions on where to find everything in their client portal.
- Educational resources to help your client get the most out of their work with you.
- Outline the process that you go through to deliver your product.
Conclusion: Client Onboarding is a Pivotal Stage in the Client Experience
The second C – “Collecting Information” – is a pivotal stage in the client onboarding experience. By leveraging Dubsado’s forms and automation capabilities, you can streamline the process, minimize friction, and make it an enjoyable experience for both you and your clients.
In the next part of our series, we will explore the third C – “Continue the Conversation” – where we’ll delve deeper into the phase of the client journey that most people forget about and leaves a HUGE opportunity for improving your client experience.
Want Help Creating a Client Experience that WOWs? Schedule a 90-minute Systems Strategy Session learn more about Process Mapping Sessions by clicking the button below.