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So You Think You Have An ‘Optimized’ Client Experience Strategy?

So You Think You Have An ‘Optimized’ Client Experience Strategy?

Time to Put Your Client Experience to the Test

Remember that inquiry form you quickly embedded into your website? Or that mental checklist you run through for every new client? Even those proposals you spent hours carefully designing? The truth is, that’s not an optimized client experience strategy.  A real client experience goes beyond fancy forms and a linked Google calendar. It’s a well-oiled machine that runs seamlessly from the moment a potential client lands on your website to long after you’ve delivered your final product. It’s personalized and efficient and leaves your clients singing your praises from the rooftops. But most of us are missing the mark.  We’re so caught up in the day-to-day grind that we forget to step back and look at the bigger picture. We’re focusing on creating Instagram-worthy proposals without giving a second thought to how we’re delivering them, prepping our clients, or encouraging those all-important signatures. In this post, I’m challenging some common assumptions about client journeys. We’ll explore what you might be overlooking, where there’s room for improvement, and what is needed to transform your client experience from good to exceptional.

The client experience ‘strategy’ illusion

Let’s be honest – you probably think your client experience strategy is all figured out.  After all, you’ve got an inquiry form on your website, a checklist for onboarding,  and maybe you’ve even crafted a few canned emails. 

Sounds comprehensive, right?

Not so fast. 

While these elements are a start, they fall short of a true client experience strategy. Here’s why:

  1. Efficiency Gap: Without a structured and repeatable process, you’re constantly reinventing the wheel and not moving your business forward. 
  2. Personal Touch Deficit: Today’s clients aren’t impressed by generic forms and a ‘thanks for your business’ email. They crave a personalized and elevated experience.
  3. Consistency Challenges: Relying on mental checklists or winging it with each client means you’re bound to drop the ball occasionally.
  4. Growth Roadblocks: Basic or informal methods crumble as your team grows and your client base expands. 

At this point, you’re likely questioning why you haven’t tackled this client experience thing head-on already. After all, you’re a smart business owner who cares about their clients, right?

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one wrestling with this. Let’s dive into the common reasons why business owners put off upgrading their client experience. 

The invisible barriers to reworking your client experience

First up is the ‘it’s all in my head’ syndrome.

Your mental checklist might feel like enough, but here’s it’s not:

  • Our memories aren’t perfect. What happens when you forget a crucial step in a project? 
  • Team coordination becomes challenging. How can your team consistently follow a process that only exists in your head?
  • Mental fatigue sets in as you repeat tasks for each client. Is this really the best use of your creative energy?
  • Improvement becomes guesswork. Without documented processes, how can you evaluate or elevate your client experience?

Then there’s the ‘we’ve always done it this way’ trap. 

But sticking to the same old routine can lead to:

  • Miscommunication with clients. You might assume they understand your process as well as you do (spoiler alert: they usually don’t!).
  • Missed opportunities. When was the last time you examined your process for growth and innovation?
  • False confidence in your approach. Are you mistaking familiarity for effectiveness without proof?

Remember, a truly strategic client experience requires more than memory and habit. But when you’re knee-deep in client work, it’s tough to spot the cracks in your process. That’s why it’s important to step back and assess your approach with fresh eyes. 

The signs your client experience process needs help

Now that we’re taking that step back, let’s talk red flags. Your client experience likely needs work if you are:

  • Constantly clarifying project details with confused clients
  • Overwhelmed with all your tasks or behind schedule
  • Regularly receiving lukewarm feedback and testimonials
  • Struggling to onboard and delegate to new team members 
  • Hitting unexpected delays or missteps in projects
  • Rewriting the same emails over and over and over

But recognizing these signs is the first step toward improving your processes! The next step? Learning what an optimized client experience strategy actually looks like.  

The components of an optimized client experience strategy

Since we’ve identified the red flags in your client experience, let’s talk solutions. Here’s what a truly optimized client experience contains:

  1. Documented processes to maintain consistency and easily train new team members
  2. Smooth onboarding process to set a positive tone and start projects efficiently
  3. Personal touches throughout to make clients feel valued and understood
  4. Clear communication systems to keep everyone on the same page
  5. Regular project check-ins to prevent issues and improve final results
  6. Automated repetitive tasks to free up your time and energy for high-impact work
  7. Thoughtful offboarding process to maintain relationships and secure referrals

Let’s take Christie of Curated Home Designs as an example of what an optimized client experience strategy looks like. 

Before working together, Christie felt scattered jumping between disconnected tools, manually updating clients, and crossing her fingers she’d remember all her project steps. She also knew her experience wasn’t keeping up with her industry competitors! 

So here’s what we did:

  • Wrote a detailed, repeatable roadmap of every step of her services
  • Designed custom forms that matched her branding and personality
  • Automated admin tasks, schedulers, and check-ins with her clients
  • Created comprehensive canned emails for all important scenarios
  • Connected her CRM (Dubsado) to her Project Management Tool (Asana)

In just one week – that’s how long my Dubsado VIP Experience takes – we saved Christie 4 hours each week that she was wasting on busy work. Plus, she planned to scale her business by hiring a junior interior designer because she had the processes in place to grow.  

Let’s optimize your client experience strategy today

So, you’ve seen the difference between a basic and an outstanding client experience. You know the red flags to watch for and the essential elements of an effective strategy. Now what? 

It’s time to turn these insights into real change for your business.

Start by examining your current processes with fresh eyes and new knowledge. Then, reach out to me to book your VIP Dubsado Experience to create an optimized, personalized, and streamlined client experience.