229 | Effectively Onboarding and Offboarding Clients
Release Date: 09/07/2020
The 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
After 243 episodes, The 6-Figure Freelancer podcast is coming to an end. Manifesting your future is something that I talk about regularly, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t follow that advice myself, as I move from being a six-figure freelancer to a seven-figure CEO. In this final episode, I want to say thank you to all of you who have listened and supported this podcast, as well as talk a little bit about why I’m ending the show and what’s next for me and my team. “I'm sure one day I might go back and listen to all my podcast episodes, see how I've changed as a public...
info_outline 242 | Selling an Agency (and Why You Might Want to Consider it) with Josh HallThe 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
Selling a business is something many entrepreneurs dream about. While some are content to own and operate their own business for the long-term, others set out with the goal to eventually sell or exit the business to pursue other interests. But just because you’re ready to sell your business doesn’t mean it’s the right move or that the process will be easy. Josh Hall, the founder of Josh Hall Design, joins me today to talk about how he built and sold a design business, and the journey he took to get to this point in his career. As with many web designers, Josh’s path was a...
info_outline 241 | The Version of You Moving Into 2021 and BeyondThe 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
Even though this year has been full of challenges, there’s still much to be learned that we can apply to how we move into next year. There’s a lot to be thankful for, especially the growth and resilience that have emerged from the obstacles we’ve all faced in the past year, and I want to spend some time talking about how you can take that growth and build on it moving into the next year. "I challenge you to ask yourself what version of you emerged from the ashes in 2020? What version of you are you moving into this new year with? There's a lot of stuff that we all need to...
info_outline 240 | Embodying Overflow in Your LifeThe 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
The concept of overflow is similar in some ways to the concept of abundance. It’s the idea that the natural state of your life can be an overflow in all areas. To truly embody the concept of overflow, you have to decide to sit in that space and expect that overflow. Overflow of money, of health, of relationships, of love, of support, or whatever it is that you’re desiring. In this episode, I talk through how to experience overflow. This is a good place to start as you begin planning your goals and growth areas for next year. "That means tapping into and embodying [overflow]. When I say...
info_outline 239 | Secrets to a Successful Side Hustle with Chris MisterekThe 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
Getting started as a freelancer or with self-employment of any kind can feel like a big risk. There are many unknowns that often become roadblocks. Fear of taking a risk and failing can be debilitating without the right mindset. Chris Misterek, the founder of Self-Made Web Designer, joins me today to talk about how you can give yourself permission to take risks, and how you can reframe your mindset to help you feel empowered rather than fearful. When Chris got started in web design, it was out of necessity — he wanted to bring in more income for his family. But within his first...
info_outline 238 | The Missing Ingredient in Your ProposalsThe 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
Proposals drive freelance and contract businesses. But how do you know if your proposals are any good? By the time you present a proposal to a potential client, you should know enough about their pain points and goals that you can create something your prospect can’t say no to. I’ll share my proposal builder with you, but we’ll also discuss how you should organize your proposal and what you should include that will help your prospective clients see the vision of where you want to take them, and trust that you can get them there. “The moment they can see [your proposal] laid out,...
info_outline 237 | Mini Episode: You’re Exactly Where You Need To BeThe 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
Going through tough times, whether in your business or personal life, can be stressful and feel like a setback, especially if things were rolling along. But these times of being tested are what we need to grow and improve. Today’s episode is intended to help you move through challenging times in order to grow and level up to the next version of yourself. I am also here to say that it’s ok and necessary to prioritize yourself and take a break sometimes. “You are doing a great job, you are exactly where you need to be right now. There is a reason you are in this moment, there is a...
info_outline 236 | Mini Episode: Done is Better Than PerfectThe 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
If you’ve ever launched a business or started a project, you know that the litany of things you need to accomplish can be overwhelming. Sometimes, it’s overwhelming to the point of causing you not to start at all or to stop prematurely. Today’s episode is about getting you to start even if the list seems like it’s never-ending. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you just need to get what you want to say or create out into the world for people to enjoy. Done is better than perfect. "I firmly believe done is better than perfect. Start before you're ready. Start before you're...
info_outline 235 | Mini Episode: Why Affirmations WorkThe 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
Affirmations can change your life. I truly believe that. Throughout this episode, I talk about why they work and why you should use them as well as the changes they make to your brain chemistry. While affirmations can be a powerful tool in your toolbox, it’s important to be consistent and intentional with them in order to leverage their full power. The strategies and discussion in this episode will help you get started with using affirmations in your own life. “As I'm saying [affirmations], my brain is listening. My brain is strengthening that neural pathway every single time and my...
info_outline 234 | Mini Episode: How to Feel Worthy of Any DesireThe 6-Figure Freelancer Podcast | Freelancing | Entrepreneurship | Clients | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Mindset
Today I’m launching the first of my new mini-episodes series. These short episodes are a way to bring you consistent episodes that touch on whatever was on my mind at the time. Let’s kick it off by talking about something I’ve been struggling with lately: feeling worthy of my desires. For context, I’ve been shopping for a house with my husband and when the price tag of a few of these houses landed in front of us, I was really reluctant to pull the trigger on buying it. After some introspection, I realized it was because I didn’t feel worthy of my desires. These quick tips will help...
info_outlineSometimes getting new clients or getting rid of existing ones can be a hassle. Over the years, I’ve worked on perfecting the best way to onboard and offboard clients. I'm excited to share a few of my tips and tricks on how I do this in a way that feels easy and effortless and gives the client a feeling like they're being taken care of.
Here are some tips for both onboarding and offboarding, and why it's important to do these in a specific way in order to maximize your ability to use referrals for new business.
"Referrals are how I get clients. It’s the number one way I get the dream clients that I want. They're always high quality. They're always high paying because they're happy customers that told other people so that they could be happy customers, too. It's just an amazing ripple effect. And that's why offboarding and tying everything up nicely is so crucial.” ~ @avanimiriyala
Five Steps for Effective Onboarding
1. Everyone needs to sign the contract
As soon as the contract is signed, it’s go time for you and your team. This is your chance to roll out the red carpet and get everything in place to make sure your client knows working with you will be smooth.
2. Create your client profile in Clickup
Once the contract is signed, you can get to work on creating the client profile. Their needs, wants, how much attention they require, the scope of the project, all of it. This will help you move through their project quickly and efficiently while nailing the deliverables.
3. Create the necessary components to get the project moving
Whatever systems you're using to track and organize the project, now is the time to get them all set up. Slack channels, task management, time tracking, etc.. These are the nuts and bolts that you will need to make things run smoothly after the kickoff meeting.
4. Have a kickoff meeting
Make sure you have an agenda to help show your client what they can expect and on what timeframes. Set up your recurring meetings, get your processes and assets in line, set a timeline, get on the same page, and then dive into the first milestone of the project. After the meeting, make sure you follow up on your action items.
5. Complete action items from the kickoff meeting
Once you’ve actually held the kickoff meeting, you need to make sure you follow up with your action items right away. Whether they are internal or for the client, following up on these items is critical in making the onboarding process smooth and ensuring that all resources are accounted for.
Five Steps for Effective Offboarding
1. Prepare assets for delivery
This can be anything from image files to vectors to video tutorials. Just make sure that you have everything ready to go in a way that the client can understand and take control of.
2. Turn over the main files
For me, this is usually a Figma file, but for you it might be turning over the working files of the design or website that you’re working on.
3. Turn over additional files
This is when you gather up any other resources that might be floating around for your project, organize them, and hand those off to the client. This can include internal docs, links, or anything you think might be of value to the client as they move forward.
4. Handoff communication and send an invoice
You can do your handoff communication however you want (Slack, Email, etc…), but just make sure that you are clear and give them a list of what you handed off to them and what they will need to do with it. This way they can refer back if they have any questions or are looking for anything.
5. Schedule additional emails
About a week later, you should send a follow-up email looking for feedback and a testimonial if they are willing. Then about two weeks later, ask for a referral if they had a positive experience. Make sure to follow up on these because social proof means more clients.
6. Send a handwritten thank you
Sending them something personal shows that you enjoyed working with them.