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When a new client enrolls in your program, they’re excited, you’re excited…yet it’s also a crucial moment in your relationship because you’re just getting to know each other, at the same time that emotions are running high.
Having a simple ‘on boarding’ process will make it easy for you to show up as a classy professional, plus sends a clear signal to your client they made a great decision in hiring you.
Skip this step and you risk the client becoming dissatisfied early in your relationship, or worse, dropping out of your program.
I recently experienced this first-hand, having signed up for a coaching service that promised to help me add key financial skills to my business.
The relationship started out just okay at best — no welcome packet, thank you card, personal phone call or checklist of what to expect. Just an email asking to see my financial statements for review. Okay, while not feeling the love, I responded promptly.
What happened next?
I heard nothing but crickets for two months, until I received a scathing email, rudely chastising me for not having signed an agreement. I was shocked at their tone and pissed off I was being reprimanded like a child, about an agreement they had failed to ever send.
I kept my cool, remembering to breathe…and that this was more about them than me. Then I let the company know in clear terms where their new-client process was more off-putting than on-boarding.
I believe it’s a privilege and an honor to gain the trust of a new client. Given how competitive most industries are, you can easily stand out simply by excelling at service and showing your clients how much you love and respect them.
Happily, treating each of your clients as a V.I.P. doesn’t need to cost anything, other than a bit of preparation and attention.
Tip #1: Set Up All New Client Materials At Your Fingertips
Scrambling to find your start-up materials makes you feel frazzled and not at your professional best. What I do is have a folder in Word where I tuck the original versions of my new-client documents. When signing on a new client just open the document, immediately ‘save as’ and change the name of the file (I like adding the client’s name to the end of the document title. Makes it really easy to search and scan lists of files). Then personalize the document, making any changes or additions needed, based on the program they signed up for.
Tip #2: Create A “Next Steps” Checklist For Your New Client
Creating a checklist is a great way to set clear expectations, create a professional image, and to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
While this is a checklist, that doesn’t mean it can’t help brand your business as awesome. So be sure to add a few touches like your company name and logo at the top and cute check-off circles next to each item.
Bonus Tip: Your checklist is a great place to include items such as “sign agreement” on Day 1 of your working together, as a gentle reminder to your client to take care of the paperwork you need completed.
Tip #3: Create A Professional Image In 15 Minutes Or Less
One of my pet peeves is seeing coaches and other solo-preneurs handing out client materials that look home-made. To avoid that, make sure your formatting is consistent, meaning, all margins line up and fonts are the same throughout. You can jazz it up with an image picked up from ShutterStock or IStockPhoto if you want. Just be sure to save the document as a PDF file (rather than sending a Word document) so that all your formatting stays pretty and in alignment.
Tip #4: Schedule Your Kick-Start Sessions Right Away
Engagement is key to client happiness so if you have a virtual assistant, have her reach out within 24 hours (max!) to schedule your new client’s kick-start and ongoing coaching/consulting sessions.
Tip #5: Use An Online Document Signing Service
We love EchoSign for all our document signing. You’ll thank yourself for getting it set up the first time you use it. It’s fast, easy, professional and tracks delivery and status of your document.
This Is What Being Ready For New Clients Looks Like…
When I first started my business, I learned the trick of preparing for new people to step in. It gave me confidence and saved tons of time when I heard someone say, “Let’s get started!”
Now it’s your turn, and you’re going to love how much more confident and ready you feel to take your business income a quantum leap forward!
