How you handle the initial onboarding process sets the tone for the client’s overall journey, so you have to make sure that everything is as smooth and as efficient as possible. Remember, you want to make a great first impression on your clients and assure them that they’re in good hands.

Wanna know exactly how you can onboard your clients like a pro? Let me outline four key steps that you can follow.

 

 

STEP 1: Send the proposal, contract, and invoice

 

Every professional relationship should start with these three basic documents: your proposal, your contract, and your invoice.

 

Proposal

Some entrepreneurs fail to secure deals simply because they forget the main goal of a proposal, which is to suggest a solution that you can offer the client.

If you want to wow your clients (and of course you do) you need to remember that a proposal is more than just a list of your packages. It needs to outline the reasons why the client should work with you and not with someone else. Plus, your proposal needs to convince your clients that you can address their points and that you have a clear goal in mind that would ultimately benefit them.

Not sure what to include in your proposal? Here are some of the most crucial points it must cover:

☐ A brief overview about you, your brand, and the market you serve

☐ Your service/packages and their corresponding prices

☐ Your portfolio

☐ An overview of the goals you want to accomplish for the client

☐ Testimonials from satisfied clients

Testimonials are very important, as somebody else’s experience could be the final push somebody else needs to sign that contract with you. More and more people these days don’t just avail of services at random; they check other people’s reviews as well before making decisions. So, if you want to give your proposal that extra punch, go ahead and add some great client feedback for your services!

 

Contract

Let’s say your client has already decided which package to avail of. What’s next? It’s now time for you to send out a contract. Some entrepreneurs skip this part and go straight to issuing an invoice. . .please DON’T do that. The contract is there to protect you and your client legally and it will help ensure that you get paid for the service you deliver.

When drafting your contract, make sure that you include the following important details:

☐ Your contact details and that of the client

☐ Project scope

☐ Deliverables

☐ Pricing and rates

☐ Payment schedule and options

☐ Deadlines and timeline

☐ Ownership / copyright

☐ Other legal terms

If you’re not sure how the contract should be worded, you can always look up templates online. Here is the template I use for most of my client contracts.

 

Invoice

Once the contract has been signed, it’s time for the client to seal the deal by completing your invoice. By sending out an invoice upfront, you ensure that you get paid for your services. Of course, you can also offer payment plans to assure the client that you will deliver your services as promised.

>> Wanna automate this step? You can in Dubsado!

You can easily automate this first step if you have an account in Dubsado. Just set up your account so that Dubsado can tweak your invoice accordingly after your clients select a package, and so your clients can go through all three (proposal + contract + invoice) in one go without having to wait for the next steps.

 

 

STEP 2: Compile resources in a central storage

 

Now that you’re done with drafting your proposal, contract, and invoice, it’s time for you to create the necessary forms, docs, Canva templates, lists, calendars, PDFs, welcome packets, or whatever you need for your project.

Don’t hand them over to the client just yet though! You first have to make sure that you have all these resources stored in one place, then have the access link embedded in the welcome email. This will keep you from having to go back and forth with the client just so they could have access to all the necessary files throughout the project. Not only does it save you and the client from the hassle, but it also helps you save time.

>> Yes, you can automate this in Dubsado too!

Dubsado allows you to create a client portal so you won’t have to think about the next steps or worry you’ll miss anything. Most of your workflow steps can be automated in Dubsado, so it only takes a few clicks from you to automate most of your tasks.

 

 

STEP 3: Welcome your client and hand over the resources

 

Now that you’re all set with your resources, it’s time for you to welcome your client and hand over all of the deets!

Here’s a checklist so you don’t accidentally leave out anything in your welcome email:

☐ Access to the tools you’ll be using

☐ Relevant forms for the project

☐ Onboarding call scheduling link

☐ Access link for all the resources

>> Simplify this step in Dubsado!

Rather than sending a lengthy welcome email with so many links embedded, you can create a welcome email that will only include a link to their client portal login in Dubsado. This is where you could store everything related to the project—forms, proposals, invoices, emails, files, links, you name it!

And because everything your clients need is all in one place, they won’t have to scramble through their inbox or inquire multiple times just to get what they need.

 

 

STEP 4: Schedule an Onboarding Call

 

Finally, you’re down to the last step in your client onboarding process. After the client picks a time and date from your scheduler link, make sure to block it in your calendar. Don’t forget to send them a reminder email on the day of your scheduled call, though! That would help make sure that things go as planned.

>> Yup, you can also schedule appointments in Dubsado!

If your clients need anything from you, 99% of the time they’ll just have to go to the portal rather than wait for your response. And this applies to scheduling appointments too! Once a date is set, Dubsado will send an automated response to confirm and remind them on the day of the call. Super convenient, right?

 

 

There’s really so much you can do to ensure a stellar client experience. And the good thing about this is that you can automate almost all of the processes involved! You can follow the steps I’ve outlined here no matter what online platform you use, but just in case you want to save time and automate things with Dubsado, let me know!