5-Step Client Onboarding Process to Land Dream Clients

[00:00] Having a crystal clear onboarding process
[00:03] can be the big difference
between landing your dream client
[00:06] versus ending up with one
of those nightmare clients.
[00:09] You know the ones that
literally take weeks to respond
[00:11] to an email, ask for like
a gazillion revisions,
[00:13] or worse, completely ghost you
[00:15] when it comes time to make payment?
[00:17] Yeah.
[00:18] Keep watching for my five-step
tried and true process
[00:21] for onboarding new clients like a pro.
[00:24] (upbeat music)
[00:33] Hey posse, what's up?
[00:34] It's Alex.
[00:35] If you're new to the crew, welcome.
[00:36] This channel is here to bring
you the latest in marketing,
[00:39] copywriting, and freelancing tips.
[00:41] So for more videos like this one,
[00:43] go ahead and subscribe below,
[00:44] and don't forget to ring
that bell to be notified
[00:46] when my next video goes live.
[00:48] Now, I'm really excited for this video
[00:50] because it seems to be something
on everyone's mind lately.
[00:53] In the last couple of weeks alone,
[00:54] I've gotten so many requests
[00:55] asking for me to shed some light
[00:57] on this whole client onboarding process,
[00:59] like this one from Chris
[01:01] where he asks me to share an overview
[01:03] of my entire client process.
[01:05] I hear you, Chris.
[01:06] That is what today is all about.
[01:07] And this one from Clara
who asked me for a video
[01:10] on how I negotiate with clients.
[01:12] So we will talk a little bit about that
[01:13] in this video as well.
[01:15] And listen, I get it.
[01:16] When you're a
fresh-on-the-scene freelancer,
[01:18] it can feel a little bit intimidating
[01:20] when you approach a potential client.
[01:22] I mean, they are paying you, right?
[01:24] So you must need them, right?
[01:27] Hold the phone are right there
[01:29] and let me just remind you of something
[01:30] that's really important to keep in mind
[01:32] in the whole power dynamics
of onboarding new clients.
[01:35] Yeah, you might need them,
but they need you too.
[01:37] That's right, you have
something they need,
[01:40] and that is the beautiful thing
[01:41] about freelancer-client relationships
[01:43] is they are mutually beneficial, right?
[01:45] Both parties bring something to the table
[01:48] that the other one needs.
[01:49] So make sure that you're going in
[01:51] to your client onboarding
process with confidence
[01:53] and trusting that you can add value,
[01:55] and that will take you a long way.
[01:57] All right, now there are a few steps
[01:59] that you as a freelancer can take
[02:01] that will help you land those
dream clients with ease,
[02:03] while of course looking professional,
[02:05] confident, and organized,
[02:07] and that is what I'm here
to help you with today.
[02:09] And rest assured because I
am here to make that process
[02:11] super straightforward for you,
[02:12] and I'm gonna share the five steps
[02:14] that I've been using in
my own onboarding process
[02:16] for the last decade, right?
[02:18] So let's get started with step number one,
[02:21] and that is, the discovery call.
[02:26] Having a discovery call, right?
[02:28] Now, the goal of a discovery call
[02:30] is to get to know more about your client
[02:33] and their unique business needs.
[02:35] That is it.
[02:36] You are getting on a phone call
[02:37] to make sure you are a fit for each other.
[02:39] So think of it as your
opportunity to vet them
[02:41] and see what type of
client and brand they are,
[02:44] and if you even wanna
be associated with them.
[02:46] If they're a hot mess and
completely disorganized,
[02:49] they might not be that fun
and enjoyable to work with.
[02:51] So just remember that a discovery call
[02:54] is just as much them vetting
you as you are vetting them.
[02:57] It's important to make sure
there's a brand alignment there,
[03:00] or else you are in for a world of misery.
[03:04] Trust me on this one.
[03:05] Work with brands that are
aligned with your values.
[03:09] Now here's a tip.
[03:10] Take charge of this call,
[03:11] take charge of this process, right?
[03:13] You wanna show up as
an equal professional,
[03:16] not someone who's desperate for the work.
[03:18] So take charge of the call
[03:19] and be the one to lead the call, right?
[03:21] You're trying to get to
know more about them.
[03:23] Now, of course, you don't
wanna be rude or arrogant.
[03:25] Let them talk, let them tell
you all about their business,
[03:28] all about themselves,
[03:29] but you need to get a really
good idea of who they are,
[03:32] what they stand for, what they need,
[03:34] and if you can help them,
[03:35] and most importantly, if you
wanna work with them at all.
[03:38] So this is also a great time
to offer value up front.
[03:42] If you can give them
some advice or insight
[03:45] on an obstacle they're facing,
[03:46] this is a really great opportunity
[03:47] to showcase your knowledge and expertise.
[03:49] This is also a good time
to ask about their budget.
[03:52] If it's way off base from what you charge,
[03:54] then you might not be the
right choice for them,
[03:56] and it'll save you a ton of time,
[03:58] and it'll also really help
you gauge where they're at
[04:01] so you don't sticker shock
them with an unrealistic quote.
[04:04] It just helps you kinda gauge, right,
[04:05] what level they are at
and if you can help.
[04:07] Now, always record this call,
with permission of course.
[04:10] Just say, "Hey, do you
mind if I record this?
[04:12] "I just wanna make sure
I don't miss anything,"
[04:13] and then you'll wanna rewatch
that for the next step,
[04:16] which is step number two:
[04:20] Follow up with a highly
personalized email.
[04:24] Now, if after step one, the
discovery call you decide,
[04:26] "Yes, they're great,
I wanna move forward,"
[04:29] email them to express your
interest in moving forward
[04:32] and let them know that you can help them.
[04:35] Now, here's a tip.
[04:36] Make sure to rewatch the discovery call
[04:37] before you write this email
[04:38] to make sure that you
include the specific details
[04:40] about their business
[04:41] and the things that they mentioned, right,
[04:43] the goals they want to achieve.
[04:45] This makes you look very action-oriented
[04:47] and detailed and organized,
[04:48] and will just really,
really bode well for you.
[04:51] Recap what you heard them
say in the discovery call
[04:53] as their top priorities,
[04:55] and of course, let them know
that you are absolutely 100%
[04:57] the person that can help them get there.
[04:59] Now, if they are someone
you wanna work with,
[05:01] your email should thank
them for their time
[05:03] and outline some specific details
[05:05] that you enjoyed learning
about their business, right?
[05:07] This is where the recording
really comes in handy.
[05:09] You can say, "Hey, I absolutely
love the story you told
[05:11] "about how you started X, Y, Z," right?
[05:13] Get personal.
[05:14] Recap some of the key business
needs that were mentioned
[05:17] and include some samples of your work,
[05:18] any work that directly
reflects how you can help them
[05:21] achieve those business needs.
[05:23] So for example,
[05:24] if they say that they needed
an indoctrination sequence
[05:26] and you've written one,
[05:27] then make sure to send that over
[05:28] to really help them envision
how you could help them.
[05:31] And then of course, you'll state
[05:32] that you would absolutely
love to work with them
[05:34] and help them achieve
their goals moving forward,
[05:36] and with that, you can
move on to the third step,
[05:42] which is the proposal, right?
[05:44] So your goal here is to outline
your pricing and timeline
[05:48] for the deliverables requested.
[05:50] And if possible,
[05:50] I would review this proposal
with them on a call.
[05:53] As my friend, Brad Hart says,
[05:55] "The inbox is where deals to die."
[05:58] So map out the proposal,
[05:59] map out the specific
roadmap and project scope
[06:02] that includes the list
of all the deliverables.
[06:04] Now, major brownie points
if you can put this
[06:06] in a really clean and styled PDF document.
[06:09] It doesn't have to be super fancy.
[06:10] I would use Canva or something like that,
[06:12] just to make it look
really clean and pretty.
[06:14] It's a great way to impress your clients.
[06:16] Now, of course, you wanna be very specific
[06:18] in terms of both your deliverables
and the timeline, right?
[06:21] You don't wanna leave any
room for question or confusion
[06:24] or misunderstandings.
[06:25] So once you go through everything
[06:27] and what you can do to help
them achieve their goals,
[06:29] you can then go through
your project pricing
[06:31] as well as the payment schedule.
[06:33] So for example, 50% upfront,
[06:35] and then the rest upon completion
[06:37] or whatever works best for you.
[06:39] If it is a brand new client,
[06:40] I would highly recommend
getting money up front
[06:42] until you have that longstanding
trusting relationship,
[06:45] working with them,
[06:46] and then you can invoice
them after the fact.
[06:48] Now, if you're asking for a retainer,
[06:49] you could outline the day your
invoice will be sent to them
[06:51] and how many days they have to
complete payment, et cetera.
[06:54] Always specify the currency as well.
[06:57] I have done this before.
[06:58] I forgot to specify the currency
[07:00] and I completely shot myself in the foot.
[07:01] So currency is really
important when you're working
[07:03] with clients in different countries, okay?
[07:05] Now I know you're thinking,
[07:06] "Oh my God, I'm just supposed
to like, say my pricing.
[07:08] What if they say no?"
[07:09] Here's the thing.
[07:10] Expect negotiations to happen.
[07:12] Hopefully the budget they
gave you on the discovery call
[07:14] gave you a good starting point,
[07:16] but remember, negotiations are normal.
[07:18] Don't be discouraged if a
client says no to your rates
[07:21] and feel like you have
to just accept any amount
[07:23] that a client is willing to pay.
[07:25] This is an opportunity to educate them
[07:27] about your expertise and your experience,
[07:29] and the amount of work that
goes into writing good copy.
[07:32] So if you really wanna work with them
[07:33] and you are out of their budget,
[07:35] figure out a reasonable way
[07:37] where you can meet in the middle.
[07:38] Change the scope, change the timeline.
[07:41] There are ways to lower your prices
[07:43] without devaluing your work or time.
[07:45] I'm not suggesting that you just go,
[07:46] "Okay, I'll do it at a discount."
[07:47] I'm suggesting you,
[07:48] okay, if they can't afford this project,
[07:51] then take things out of
the project deliverables
[07:53] or the project scope to make
it a smaller project to start,
[07:57] and that can be a really easy
way to change a no into a yes,
[08:00] that then actually builds into
a bigger project over time.
[08:03] Remember, a no is just a stepping stone
[08:06] to a new opportunity,
[08:07] and I promise you, they
need you and your services.
[08:10] And if they've already gotten this far
[08:12] in the onboarding process,
they really don't wanna say no.
[08:15] They know you are the
one that can help them.
[08:17] They just need help working with you
[08:19] to come up with a good
starting point for a project,
[08:21] which might just mean starting
with something smaller
[08:23] in the beginning.
[08:24] Okay, so assuming they
do wanna move forward
[08:27] and you're good to go,
[08:28] you move on to step number four, right?
[08:33] Contracting.
[08:34] You wanna send a contract
or a Statement of Work.
[08:37] Now of course, the goal here
[08:38] is to clearly outline the
terms of your agreement.
[08:40] So you can find free examples
of freelancer contracts
[08:43] on sites like AND.CO, HoneyBook,
and Freelancers Union.
[08:47] And at a bare minimum,
[08:48] you should include the agreed
upon deliverables, timelines,
[08:51] payment method, and
signatures from both parties.
[08:54] Now, for a really big
or long-term project,
[08:56] I would highly recommend hiring a lawyer
[08:58] to draft up a more thorough contract
[09:00] that includes details
about ownership, copyright,
[09:02] cancellation terms, legal rights,
[09:04] all of that kinda stuff, right?
[09:05] But if you're looking to
just keep it basic to start,
[09:07] I do have a free
Statement of Work template
[09:09] that you can download at
the end of this video,
[09:11] and definitely make sure to
check out my video last week
[09:14] on "How to run your freelancing biz,"
[09:15] where I go a little bit
deeper into this subject.
[09:17] All right.
[09:18] So once the contract is
signed, sealed, delivered,
[09:20] and your first payment is received,
[09:22] that is, if you're asking
for a 50% deposit upfront,
[09:25] you could move forward with
step number five, my favorite,
[09:31] the branding call.
[09:32] So if the discovery call was all about
[09:34] understanding what the
business is all about
[09:36] and what they need,
[09:37] the branding call is to
help you better understand
[09:40] their brand voice, their
mission, and their messaging.
[09:43] You do not wanna start writing
[09:44] until you've had the
branding call, trust me.
[09:46] You wanna ask about their brand
vision, mission, and goals.
[09:49] How do they see themselves, how
do they like to communicate?
[09:52] Are they friendly and quirky,
[09:54] matter of fact and practical, more formal?
[09:57] What is their phraseology,
[09:58] who is their ideal customer avatar?
[10:01] This is a really huge step
[10:02] in making sure your copy hits the mark
[10:04] and will help you avoid or minimize
[10:05] a lot of those revisions that
are really annoying, right?
[10:09] So this is a good time
to get more specific
[10:11] on the product you're writing for as well.
[10:13] Ask as many questions as
you can to get relevant data
[10:16] that your client might have
about customer avatar pains,
[10:18] desires, interests, et cetera.
[10:20] And now, congratulations are in order
[10:22] because you can finally
start your writing process.
[10:25] Who would've thought that
like all of this had to happen
[10:27] before you start writing as a copywriter?
[10:29] As I promised, in just a few seconds,
[10:31] you can grab your copy of my
Statement of Work template.
[10:34] If you have more suggestions
for me, leave them below
[10:36] and I will see you next
week with a brand new video.
[10:38] Until then, I'm Alex, ciao for now.
[10:42] All right guys, if you enjoyed that video,
[10:44] make sure to check out the
next one from me right here,
[10:46] and you can click right
here to get a free gift.
[10:50] So let's talk about this
little thing called pricing,
[10:53] shall we?