You have a new client! Brilliant.
Now, how do you welcome new clients into your business world in a way that makes them feel confident in your abilities and excited about working with you?
Having a system set up that outlines the various steps that you want to action is a great way to ensure a fantastic working relationship.
Before I go any further I want to be clear that I’m not recommending a system that systemises you right out of the experience. Having a system can have many benefits AND you can still provide a personalised experience.
Firstly we’ll look at the practical elements of your system to welcome new clients.
I find it helpful to draw the flow of how my client moves through my business when creating a new system. Drawing your work flow can help you see what is needed and what is missing.
To outline your system ask yourself:
- How will you record the terms of the services that you’re providing?
- How will your client pay for your services?
- Is there information that you need to provide to them before you get started?
- Is there information that your client needs to provide to you before you get started?
1. Terms Of Services
The kind of terms of service that you need will depend on what you’re offering.
If you have a membership site you may have the terms on your website and refer potential customers there.
If you provide one to one services you may have a contract that you both sign.
Whatever the format is do ensure that you record the terms of the services that you’re providing BEFORE you begin to provide those services (that my ex-corporate lawyer-self getting all shoutie there).
Don’t leave it until you receive your first refund request to realise that you don’t have a refund policy in place. Because that is going to involve an awkward conversation.
There are many templates that you can buy for your terms of services but please, do your homework first. These terms form part of the foundation of your business so cheap shouldn’t be your first thought.
Once you know the form and format of your terms of service think about how you’ll be communicating those to your client.
I use a contract for my long term 1:1 clients. I upload each contract into HelloSign, which then emails a copy of the contract to my client and I. We can both sign that contract electronically. Nice and simple.
2. What Platform Will You Use To Receive Payment
Once you know your terms of service (which will include the timing of payment – in advance or in instalments) you can look at how you’ll receive payment.
I use Paypal. Stripe is another alternative that comes recommended by my business peers.
You can now set up your payment platform to suit your business e.g. a one off payment or a recurring subscription payment.
Now look at how you’ll let your client know how to pay. Make it really simple for them and tell them exactly what they’ll need to do. You may have a payment button on your website or you may send them an invoice.
Did you know that Paypal allows you to create an invoice and send that directly to your client? That can be a handy tool to use when you’re starting out or if you have a small number of clients.
3. Information You Need To Provide To Welcome New Clients
Your contract is signed and the first payment is made. Now what?
This is going to depend on your business and the service that you’re offering.
I provide 1:1 support to business owners to help them set up simple system within their business. I need to provide my new clients with a link to my online calendar, a request & instructions to set up a shared Google Drive folder, have them add me as a team member to Asana (if we’re using that tool) and explain that I use Toggl to track my time (and that they’ll get an update on hours after each call that we have).
This information could be provided by email or by video. I decided to create an Introductions Kit so that my client has all of the information in one place and can refer back to it if they need to. The kit is emailed to my client as soon as they sign the contract and pay their first invoice so they are immediately taken care of and have all of their questions answered.
Take the time to list out the information you need to provide to your client before you get started on working together. It may be as simple as a link to your online calendar or it may be more extensive if you’re working on a long term web design project.
4. Information Your Client Needs To Provide
It’s time to flip the question around. What information do you need from your client before you can get started or during the provision of the services?
A new client for a web designer may need to provide branded colours and font, photos and copy before a designer will start the project.
List out the information that you need from your client. You list might be quite short – an email address, a website address.
Once you know what information you need, think over how they will provide that information to you. An email could work for a small amount of information but when you getting photos and copy and brand details, you want to have a well organised system in place so that you, and your clients, can easily find that information.
Tools like Google Drive or Dropbox could be useful or you might like to use a project management tool like Asasa or Basecamp.
Now we’ve gotten to the end of the practical side of setting up a system to welcome new clients.
Extra Ways To Enhance Your Client’s Experience
Once you’ve got your basics covered to welcome new clients, and everything is running smoothly, you can start to think about extras that could add to a wonderful experience for your clients.
A beautifully designed welcome kit that has your client swooning over the gorgeous photos.
Surprise your clients by engaging on their social media. Who doesn’t like an extra comment or share on the content they’ve worked so hard to create.
Could you include a physical gift? A postcard in the mail when you’ve started the project? A book that you know could give an added boost at your half way point? A mocked up magazine cover with your client on the front, surrounded by all of her accomplishments?
There are so many wonderfully playful ideas that we can add to our smoothly working systems to give that personal touch to our clients. What could you do?
I love systems! And I’d love to talk with you about your business systems (or the fact you don’t have what you need) in a free mini-consult. If you’d like to talk then book in using THIS LINK to my online calendar.
