Covering all bases! Managing the life cycle of your clients

The blueprint to success! How do you mange the life cycle of your clients and ensure that you don't start every email with "I'm sorry about the delay..." or "When you have a moment please could you..."

Breaking it down into stages

When you are thinking about an onboarding process, think about the customer journey and different stages that you go through with a new client.

I've helped you out here...so these could include, but are not limited to some of my suggestions below:

1. Enquiry made through email / phone / social media / mailshot / referral / networking.

What do you do at this stage? Could include:

• Add their contact details to contacts/CRM
• Follow them on different social channels
• Research their business

2. Initial contact made via return email/phone and a phone call set up.

What do you do at this stage? Could include:

• Ask to prepare for the initial call
• Ask them to send over information before the call
• Ask them to fill in an eligibility questionnaire
• Ask for a pre-payment for something

3. Follow up from the call.

What do you do at this stage? Could include:

• Follow up with formal quote
• Send information about working with you
• Refer to a colleague/another business
• Agree a follow up call in X weeks

4. (Presuming you are going to work together) Onboard client.

What do you do at this stage? Could include:

• Send welcome letter
• Send contract
• Send T&Cs
• Send payment terms
• Request deposit
• Send ‘working with me’ doc
• Send timeline and schedule information

5. Ongoing support.

What do you do at this stage? This could include:

• Regular scheduled check-ins
• Regular payment requests
• Regular deadlines for the client to stick to
• Regular deadlines for you to stick to

6. Relationship comes to an end.

What do you do at this stage? This could include:

• Send all files relevant to their project
• Let them know about your file retention policy
• Ask for a review
• Send feedback form

7. Re-engagement activity.

What do you do at this stage? This could include:

• Email to find out how getting on
• Get in touch via social media
• Offer a revamp of project
• Upsell relevant products
• Ask to complete further feedback

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I am more than happy to have a chat with you about your thoughts regarding implementing an onboarding and offboarding process into your business. And I do love to find out about how different businesses do things and work.

I always offer a free 15-minute consultation to new contacts and clients (although there is no alarm clock on that timer but this is usually all I find I need to clear a few things up!)

Do get in touch and let me know if you’d like to chat. I can let you know about my onboarding package whilst we are at it.