The Power Of A Refined Client Onboarding Experience
Why is client onboarding so important for your small business?
Picture this: The brand photographer you’ve been eyeing for months announces on Instagram that she’s hosting a pop-up mini-branding day. For a steal of a deal, you get 45 minutes at a beautiful studio and 10 photos.
You click on the link in her Instagram story and arrive at a simple Google form where you fill in basic information about yourself. And then you wait a few days.
And wait some more.
Eventually, you send the photographer a DM asking if the pop-up is still happening and what the next steps are. She replies with a request for you to transfer her a deposit for the day.
A queasy feeling comes over you, but she seems legit, so you send the money. She lets you know she’ll email you a few days before the pop-up confirming your photoshoot time.
But 24 hours before the pop-up, you haven’t heard a peep from her. Again, you send her a DM and she responds with a time for the next day.
When you arrive, everything goes great! The photographer is easy to chat with and professional. She even sends a sneak peek of your photos later that evening.
After you receive the final photos, she mentions that she’d love it if you keep her in mind when you’re ready for a full-brand photoshoot. But to be honest, the stress of the booking process makes you hesitant to go back to her.
Imagine instead that when you clicked on the Instagram Story link, you were taken to a branded inquiry form asking for details about you, your business, and your photoshoot goals.
Within 20 minutes of tapping submit, you receive an email from the photographer that provides all the details of the pop-up day, information about your photos, and even a suggested outfit guide!
In that email, you’re able to send your deposit and book your photoshoot time.
48 hours before your big day, you get a reminder email confirming your photoshoot and sharing the photographer’s phone number in case of any last-minute emergencies.
The photoshoot was a blast, and you’re blown away by the proofs she sends you.
This time when the email comes in asking for you to leave a review and consider her in the future, you instantly head to her Google Business Profile and leave a 5-star review. You cannot wait to return to her for a full brand photoshoot soon!
These scenarios highlight the differences a refined, automated, and streamlined onboarding experience makes in your client satisfaction and retention.
What is client onboarding, and why does it matter for your business?
The saying ‘first impressions matter’ is true.
The first interaction your clients have with your business sets the tone for the rest of your project.
Your client onboarding experience starts when your new lead reaches out to you (usually on your website contact page). It then continues into your initial Discovery Call, delivering your proposal and invoice, and booking your Kickoff Call.
These early stages allow you to convey your professionalism, create a relationship with your clients, and establish expectations for your work together.
In the long run, your initial interactions and onboarding make a difference in how happy your clients are with your work and how likely they are to continue partnering with you.
A refined client onboarding experience = happy, loyal clients who return to your business, sign up for new services, buy your products, and refer you to all their business friends.
What are the elements of a refined client onboarding experience?
Clear communication
If you’re rewriting your emails every time a new client onboards, chances are you’ll eventually forget to share a critical piece of information. A refined onboarding experience prioritizes clear communication to avoid questions, hesitations, or misunderstandings.
Easy-to-follow next steps
Not only will emails in a refined onboarding experience communicate the next steps a client needs to take, but the entire process will naturally move clients along the process with scheduled forms, reminder emails, and meeting invites.
Timely responses
Your client shouldn’t have to wait hours to take the next step in working with you. An elevated onboarding process makes the most of automation by delivering quick responses and the next steps.
Professional appearance
When a CRM like Dubsado manages your onboarding process, you can trust every email, form, and questionnaire will be professionally branded to fit your business and show the high quality of your work.
How Dubsado can elevate your client onboarding experience
Canned emails
Dubsado’s canned emails mean you only have to write out important information once instead of every single time a new lead comes in. Don’t worry though, automation doesn’t mean you lose any sense of fun personality!
Branded templates
With Dubsado you can customize your proposals, forms, and client portal as much or as little as you want. Even professional designers end up happy with how beautiful their system is.
Simple automations
No more interrupting your concentration to respond to an email or send a proposal. Dubsado’s simple automations take care of onboarding a client while you’re designing a website, writing web copy, or just spending time with your children.
Efficient workflows
I know, I know. Workflows sound overwhelming.
But workflows are just the series of tasks you want Dubsado to complete – from sending specific emails to generating invoices. Once your workflow is set up, you’ll feel confident every step of your project flows seamlessly.
Learn to elevate your Dubsado onboarding experience in one weekend
When we break your onboarding experience down into four critical elements – clear communication, easy next steps, timely responses, and a professional appearance – it doesn’t seem too overwhelming.
However, I know that stepping into Dubsado and trying to set up your forms, emails, and calendars is stressful. So, instead of wasting hours (and hours!) watching Youtube tutorials or stitching together freebies, I have an alternative solution for you!
Enter: Onboard Like A Pro!
This new course teaches you how to set up your client onboarding experience in Dubsado in just one weekend. From the first inquiry on your website to your project proposal to scheduling a kickoff call, we cover it all in this self-paced online course.
So if you’re ready for a refined onboarding experience, and you’re ready for it now, then Onboard Like A Pro is for you.
