Procedures for Peace: Client Workflows
They won’t remember what you did, they’ll remember how you made them feel…
After Time & Task management, the second system that makes the biggest impact in my clients' lives is Client Management & Onboarding. When you're manually handling every step of this journey, the prospect of onboarding a new client can feel so intimidating and overwhelming that you secretly hope they don't sign. We don't want to ruin opportunities because of our lack of preparation and excitement, so let's talk about the important steps of onboarding a client and how to make it easier!
First, I want you to take a moment to write out your own client onboarding flow. I've included a list of the steps I see most often in a client workflow to serve as a jumping-off point.
Consultation/Onboarding call
Send proposal
The client decides to purchase
Send Contract & Invoice
Client signs & pays
Send a welcome email, collect some additional info, and schedule a kick-off call
Begin work together
Mid-point check-in
Wrap up email + Final feedback form and/or the client signs for another package
The manner in which these steps are carried out, and the technology involved, will depend on your specific business, the offer, and (sometimes) the client. Once you've written out your specific steps for each of your offers, I want you to answer the following questions so we can dig a little deeper.
How do you want clients to feel at each step of the journey?
How do you want to feel on each step of the journey, and what information and structures do you need to spark this feeling?
Where are the most common areas of confusion along the journey? When do you receive the most questions?
When are clients happiest with you and most engaged in the process?
Now that you've looked at the steps and identified how you want it to flow, I want you to re-outline your workflow with more details and specifics.
Look for areas where you can combine steps
Any way you can simplify the process is an upgrade. Quality communication is always more important than the quantity of touch points you and your clients have. Everyone is busy and overrun with correspondence to review and respond to. If you can combine as many steps as possible, you make your life and your client's life easier. Can you send the contract and invoice in the same email, or even better, the same link? Can you collect any additional information here as well (birthday, shipping address, etc.)? These are just examples of ways you can make the process more streamlined
Look for areas that are super repetitive, and see if they can be templated and/or automated
I know that templates and automations can feel scary because you can lose control and your personal touch. The problem is, if you are writing every email from scratch, it's easy for information to get missed or forgotten. By creating templates for common communications with clients, you provide a structure clients can count on and reference easily. It also ensures that all your clients receive the same information, so no one feels less-than or in the dark. I love adding a space for a personal message from you in the template, so you can provide some differentiation, while making sure everything is communicated clearly every time. When it comes to automation, some of my favorite places to use it are by sending automated reminders for meetings and/or information you've requested, so nothing gets forgotten. Another great area for automation is delivering the information collected to the appropriate people/platforms. Does your accountant need a client's banking information? Can you send them that information once the client submits their form automatically? If yes, do it!
Look for ways to create greater clarity around your boundaries and process
A client doesn't know what you don't tell them. I encourage you to communicate your boundaries and way of working to clients as early as possible, so there's no time for resentment or confusion to build. If you only respond to emails on Mondays, tell them that during your onboarding call. If you always follow the same process in your web design process, communicate this early. The earlier you set expectations, the better. This means you won't have clients hounding you for something that's not due till next week on your day off. We're all human; your clients can't read your mind, so tell them!
Look for ways to make it easier for your client
As I mentioned before, we are all busy humans with a lot going on. If there are any ways we can make it easy for our clients to show up and provide the information we need, let's do it. If clients have a hard time accessing your learning portal when reading instructions via email, just plan to go through it live on your first call, or provide a custom video walkthrough. If your clients aren't super tech-savvy, let's have one platform where all communication and information live, rather than onboarding them to 5 different places with different organizational structures. Simplicity is key.
Look for areas where there's a disconnect, where you can add an additional touchpoint
Wherever you end up getting the most questions, or run into the most confusion, is an area that could be improved. Some clients will need more support than others to build trust and understanding. It's important to notice what these clients need, and if there's anything you can do to provide it. If you find people are asking you a lot of questions after receiving your proposal, is there a way for you to provide more clarity inside the proposal or consultation? If you find clients are struggling to stay engaged with your group program at week 8, is there something you can add to week 7 to re-engage everyone? This process will be ever evolving as your business and offerings continue to grow and change, but the more you can correct these issues before they happen, the better.
Look for areas to surprise and delight your clients!
It's often the smallest gestures that elevate your client experience from good to great. Once you've covered everything else, it's time to think through a few bonus things you can add to level up your client experience. Can you send them a birthday card or a small gift? Every year, one of my clients sends out an end-of-year gift to all her clients as a little thank you. Think about a few ways you can be generous with your clients that feel fun and aligned, and make a note to add them to your process!
Now that you've done a full audit of your client workflows, it's time to make those changes! Update the form, save that email template, whatever you need to do to make the process smoother will be well worth it! Your future self and clients will thank you.
Unsure how to make it happen? I'm happy to offer my expertise! You can book a pick-my-brain session here!
