You’ve bought your contract- so what next?
But when do you send it to your client?
Before or after the invoice?
What’s the best process to follow to ensure a smooth client onboarding experience?
Where do you go from here? Let’s look at the process in more detail.
What is onboarding?
Onboarding is the process of taking your client from a lead or prospect, through to actually working with you- signed up, paid and ready to start. It includes sending the contract, taking payment and anything else that you need within your business to be able to begin the work that you’ve agreed to complete.
How do I onboard a new client?
My most frequently asked question is ‘What’s the correct way to onboard a new client?’
Every business is different and your process is personal to your business needs, but there will be certain parts that everybody will need to cover.
For example, you may request that a questionnaire is filled in or a certain form is completed before you start work, whereas a similar business may skip that completely.
Ultimately, the best way to create a smooth onboarding experience is to sit down with a pen and paper and write down how your clients move through your current process, starting with how they find you.
Note down all those client entry points.
Look at how easy you’re making it for your clients to work with you.
Remove all those roadblocks where leads may be dropping off.
A great example of this and an easy swap is to remove contact forms from your website, or a contact me button that pops open a new email.
This is a dated way to have clients request to book a call and you’re making the client do all the work. They have to explain themselves in an email and wait to find out your availability for a call.
An easy swap is to use an integrated booking calendar (Calendly or Acuity are good examples) where you have already input your Discovery Call slots and those new leads can simply and instantly book a time that suits them.
Not more email ping-pong and a lovely, smooth start to working with you.
When you’re ready to uplevel even further, then upgrade to a Client Management tool. My favourite is Dubsado.
It has the booking function built in, and then manages your clients all the way through their time spent working with you. Plus you can automate a lot of the work (sending invoices and contracts being one of them) to free up your precious time.
It’s the software of choice for me and one I set up for my clients.
However, when you’re starting out and getting your ducks in a row, then the most important thing is that you have a clear process to follow each time. This has two benefits:
- Your clients receive a standardised process that’s easy to navigate and understand. They feel taken care of and are more likely to recommend you. Learn more about client retention and your customer lifetime value here
- You know what you need to do and have a clear procedure for dealing with new enquiries. You save time and effort by having the process mapped out- all you need to do is follow it. Remove that busy work and brain fog. You now have time to focus elsewhere.
So what is the process?
Let’s look at the best process to follow for a smooth onboarding experience:
You need to send them a proposal, or quote, so that they can make a decision on working with you. The new lead needs to know exactly what you’re offering as a service, what that service entails and how much it’s going to cost them.
Next comes the contract. If you look at the wording in your contract -those payment terms- that new lead is agreeing to become your client and pay you, therefore the contract needs to come before the invoice.
A robust contract will help you stay protected and ideally this is sent with the proposal or soon after.
Finally, you need to think about any other forms or information that you need to send your new client, and ensure this is sent quickly and without delay.
What’s the next step?
Research shows that 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. This isn’t just for show, this tells me that investing in your client experience can seriously improve your top-line revenue.
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of being ‘too busy’ to organise your behind the scenes bit, but it is crucial for your success to get on top of this and get it right.
Having the right processes in place, especially your onboarding procedure, sets you up to grow sustainably.
I have an easy solution for you that does what it says on the tin!
Welcome to- The Onboarding Mini Course for Online Service Providers
If you’re looking for a done-for-you onboarding process- then this is what you need
What’s included in the Onboarding Mini-Course?
- Module 1: Onboarding process Strategy
- Module 2: Lead Management
- Module 3: Discovery calls
- Module 4: Proposals
- Module 5: Contracts & Payments
- Module 6: Kick off calls
Bonuses
- Business Development Checklist
- Offboarding workflow
All for just £197
Hit the ground running”
For this course it doesn’t matter which software you use to manage your clients.
This course is about theory, strategy, process and steps you need for a successful onboarding experience for your clients.
Click here to learn more