Steps to Take When Getting Started With a New Client
Getting your business up and running has a lot of moving parts, especially if you provide a service. Landing your first client is just step one–what follows affects your reputation, reviews, and future business. That’s why your onboarding process should be seamless. Here are five steps to get off on the right foot.
A few things here. We should add in a step before a client hires you which is to conduct the discovery call which is a 20-minute “get to know you call”. This is also the time that you would decide whether you are the right fit based on the client’s needs, and suggest what package or option is best for them
The information you need to gather includes:
Communication- Get emails and phone numbers and determine how they would prefer to communicate.
Your Value- This is a chance to reassure them that you’re going to provide a solution for their problems.
Payment- Provide your process for payment.
Questions- Give them the opportunity to ask any questions about your services.
Next Steps- Explain to them what you’ll be working on and the deliverables they can expect from you in the coming days.
Send over the intake form- All one-on-one clients should receive an intake form to fill out first so you can review the child’s full history. Your intake form should also contain your policies and expectations for your client to sign off on.
Schedule a kick-off call
Once a client decides to work with you and they have filled out the intake form, you will want to schedule your official kick-off call if they are purchasing a package, or if they booked an hourly call that is the time that you will go through the intake form and provide suggestions. This is generally a 60-minute call that dives deeper into the client’s pain points and how you plan to help.Here you want to make sure you gather as much information about the child’s history as possible, and think about what suggestions you can provide.
Create a Plan of Action
The next step is to build out how you plan to provide your services. If a client booked a package with you this should include:
A regular meeting schedule- Setting this up ahead of time ensures everyone has a clear understanding of when you will “meet” or speak during your time together. If a client booked a longer packagecould be a quick weekly or bi-weekly check-in. If the services you offer are more one-on-one, you might be checking in every day via text.
Status/Updates- You should be receiving an update from your clients regularly with updates on how the child is doing so you can provide guidance based on what the child is showing you. Generally this should include how the night went, an update on naps and feedings, and other pertinent information you will need to know.
Deliverables- Generally when you are providing one-on-one services you will want to follow up with some type of sleep plan either during your time together or afterwards. At My Sweet Sleeper, we provide a written sleep plan for our two-week and monthly clients. This gives them something to reference and is sort of a “parting gift” once we have completed our time together. But, some sleep consultants decide to send a sleep plan up front.
Follow up
Once you have completed your time with a client you want to have some sort of follow up in place. This could be a check in a week or so later to see how parents are doing on their own, or, as mentioned, a sleep plan for them to reference as they implement things on their own. This is also where you can suggest additional resources like your guides or classes if they are needing additional support.
Additional things to consider when working with clients one-on-one
Put It On Paper
It’s crucial that everything that is agreed upon is put into a contract. Make sure they include:
The services you provide
The schedule you’ll provide them
Payment
Expectations
In some cases you may want to include things that you cannot guarantee or provide. This is especially true when it comes to areas like your sick policy or emergency situations. Every family and baby is different, meaning it could be trial and error or the type of help might change depending on effectiveness. It’s important to break this down in the contract to protect yourself and ensure payment.
Set Goals and Expectations
Whatever service you provide there is an ultimate goal in mind. If you’re a sleep consultant then parents are looking for better sleep for everyone. With that said, these things take time and it’s important to be realistic with your clients from the beginning.
This is where transparency and honesty are truly important. Tell them how much time you think it will take to reach their ultimate goal. And if you don’t know, tell them that too. Tell them what you need from them. If it’s using specific techniques to improve sleep for their little one, let them know the difference their participation makes.
Small Milestones
Reaching an overarching goal can sometimes feel intimidating and out of reach. Clients may start to feel antsy wanting to move forward at a faster pace. That’s why you should set small, more attainable milestones along the way. Reaching these small goals is one step closer to the bigger goal.
In your onboarding process, work with your new client to determine what these milestones could be and how to get there.
Post-Onboarding
Onboarding a new client is often the easy part. It’s where you learn what their needs are (on a deeper level), and put a plan in motion to fulfill those needs. It’s when the work really starts that can be challenging.
It’s important that you have frequent check-ins and even ask for feedback along the way. You don’t want a small issue to expand into something much bigger. Remember, communication is key. Make yourself approachable and available to your clients so they know they can use you as a resource.
This is a lot. We get it. Luckily, we’re a team of many entrepreneurs who have been there ourselves. For help getting started or expanding your business, reach out!
