Have you ever worried that your upcoming session or event just wasn’t going to go well? Boy, have I ever…
I was participating in a styled shoot and the closer we got to the date, the more panicked I became that one of my vendors wasn’t going to show up.
It was just a few weeks before the event, and I hadn’t heard from them in months. They weren’t responding to emails or texts and hadn’t even asked for any of our event details since they committed to being a part of it.
Come to think of it, did they even know where to go??
Eventually, they did respond and we got the day-of details squared away. Then, after the event, another 6 months or so passed before we heard from them with the items they had promised. Expectations had never been set, so it was up to me, to ask “what comes next?” And when no response was given, it was obvious that the next step was utter embarrassment and disappointment.
I failed to set the expectations for my vendor.
.
Regardless of how close to reality your client’s assumptions are, if you fail to meet them, you’ll leave the client feeling like you came up short or empty-handed. You know the saying, “to assume makes an ass out of you and me”….
>> The easiest way to set the tone for an exceptional experience is with a onboarding sequence<<
Onboarding helps to make sure your client is prepared with your product and meets them where they are to understand what happens next. It answers their questions before they even have them and helps YOU to look more professional and prepared.
Must Have’s In Your Onboarding Sequence:
Simplicity: Don’t overwhelm your client with 20 HIGH IMPORTANCE emails that they have to study before they can begin working with you. Make the next step you want them to take CLEAR, one step at a time.
Frictionless: Eliminate the pain points- if there is a particular task that your clients always struggle to complete, the issue might be on your end, not theirs. Getting overwhelmed and lost in the onboarding process means the client isn’t taking full advantage of your offer and means you can’t get past that step until they complete the task at hand.
Guided: Providing your client with what comes next is an invaluable service to your client, so they never have to sit and wonder what is next in the process. This is where having a Client Welcome Guide helps you to stand out from your competitors and uniquely addresses all of your clients needs, without having to be prompted for them.
Within a Client Welcome Guide, we lay out the general workflow for their project- when to expect their onboarding call, due dates for payments, questionnaires, what to expect in your session, what to wear, your styling team information, when they’ll order their prints, etc. This is an active way to deliver information they will need from the moment they sign on with you until you part ways after their order is delivered. A Client Welcome Guide takes the place of needing to send an email for every step of the way and puts all of the information at their fingertips.
Your clients are busy. You are busy. Make onboarding a simple task that sets your sessions up for success and uplevels the value of your services, because it requires LESS from your clients. Less emails, less prompting you for answers, less stress…
Don’t know where to start with a Client Welcome Guide? Hit reply and let’s create something beautiful and unique for your client experience today.