Episode 118 – My 5-step process to streamline client onboarding

Let’s talk about all things client onboarding. How many times have you landed a new client only to find yourself overwhelmed with the whole onboarding process? Maybe this client just booked you at your highest price point and you want to impress from the start. Or maybe they’re simply a total ideal client you can’t wait to get started working with.  Whatever the case might be, what happens next after you land the sale? As an entrepreneur, I know there can be confusion when it comes to onboarding a new client. I hear this time and time again inside my 6-month group coaching program—the Heartfelt Brand Society. But imagine this, what could it look or feel like to actually go into a new project feeling totally stress free while you guide your client through the process like an expert? I promise you can walk every client through a very seamless and intentional process without putting in a ton of time and effort in order to make that happen. And today, I’m going to share my 5-step process to make that happen. MY 5-STEP PROCESS TO STREAMLINE CLIENT ONBOARDING Now I get it. You spend so much time and energy working diligently making sure you’re positioning yourself like a total pro so of course when a new client signs on you want to walk them through a stress-free journey and provide value that makes them believe they hired you because you bring value. To do this, we need to map out a plan so the second we book a new client we know exactly what our next steps are and so do they which will eliminate stress and build confidence. For both of you! This streamlined workflow can be utilized time and time again as you guide each new client from newly-booked client to fully-onboarded and five-star review client. #1 – SET EXPECTATIONS UPFRONT Always make your expectations clear of what it would look and feel like to work with you.  When you answer your clients questions upfront you are eliminating frustrations and setting yourself up as the expert. For example, when I’m working with a brand new branding client, we identify the deliverables they can expect to receive at the end of our time together. I make it very clear the strategy pieces they are going to receive so they have a better understanding of what to expect when it’s all said and done. On top of that, we take time to set goals about what we want to achieve while working together and a lot of times that type of goal setting realigns their expectations and they know what’s to come. Inside this episode, I share more detail about the different ways you can outline those expectations for new clients (5:20). #2 – OVER COMMUNICATE WHENEVER POSSIBLE This goes hand-in-hand with setting expectations up front, but I always stress the importance of over communicating. Your clients will appreciate you being vocal about the details that go into the work that you do because most often, your clients have never done what they’ve hired you to do! Think about it this way, if you’re a wedding planner or photographer, this is most likely your bride and groom’s first wedding, right? And they need you to help walk them through this process stress free and with confidence. If your a designer, your client doesn’t know what goes into your workflow. So it’s your responsibility to educate them in order to make it a seamless and enjoyable process....