My process for automating the lead to client process
Last month, I booked a design project with a dream client totaling $10,000. From the initial inquiry and phone call scheduling to the client onboarding, everything was completed on autopilot. This is thanks to my CRM - Dubsado. I was introduced to Dubsado early on in my business at a Savvy Business Owner meetup, where my new friend was telling me all about some new CRM called Dubsado. My questions were โwhat the heck is a CRMโ and โDUB-what?!โ. ย As soon as I landed on Dubsadoโs website I understood it all and how this could help me in my business. Early on, I only used Dubsado to send contracts and proposals, and now Iโve slowly transitioned into using Dubsado and all of its glory.
Here are the things I use this AH-MAZING CRM for:
- Collecting leads on my website with contact forms
- Sending all email communication with leads/clients in their Dubsado profile so everything is right in one spot. No hunting down old emails anymore!
- Sending contracts (and collecting signatures - all virtually!)
- Sending proposals
- Sending invoices
- Collecting payments
- Sending automated payment reminders
- Onboarding new clients
- Offboarding clients
- Sending project questionnaires (such as my brand strategy questionnaire)
- Creating all kinds of automated workflows
- Managing my project calendar
- AND SO MUCH MORE!
Dubsado has changed my business and given me back hours of my life. Systemizing your business like this takes time, but once you have it done, itโs DONE. You do it once, and CHECK!
Iโm sharing with you my exact system process in Dubsado that takes a potential lead all the way to a new client in my design business. This is something you can implement too! If you want to try Dubsado, totally risk-free, you can click here to get a free trial. Use my coupon code โELIZABETH30โ at check out to save 30% off your first month or year!
If youโre thinking, โbut wait, Elizabeth, I donโt want to automate my client process! It takes the personal touch out of itโ, Iโve got an answer for you, friend! Automation does not detract from the experience you are offering your clients, it ENHANCES it. Do you want to give every client that same high-end experience? Automating it (or semi-automating it) is the way to go. I canโt tell you how many times my clients have complimented how organized, streamlined, and personalized the experience of working with me is. I am able to go above and beyond on service because of things like automating! And sure, you canโt (and shouldnโt) automate everything, but I believe that your lead to client process IS something worth automating!
Let's dive in! Hereโs my exact system for lead to clients for my branding and website design projects.
My Dubsado Automated Lead to Client Process:
1. Potential client contacts me.
The interested potential client fills out the contact form on my website. Depending on what they select as the service they are interested in, they will get an automated email from me regarding that service with some fun things to get them excited about possibly working together! In this email, there will also be a link to a Dubsado questionnaire that they can fill out to tell me more about their business and needs.
2. Potential client fills out questionnaire.
They fill out the short questionnaire that they received in the email. This allows them to tell me a little more about their business. This also shows me that they are serious about working together! The form prompts the client to schedule a complimentary call with me to discuss their project needs.
3. Potential client schedules call.
The potential client schedules a call with me through Calendly (which I have embedded as a page on my website). Unfortunately, Dubsado doesnโt have call scheduling capabilities yet, but these are coming soon! Calendly rocks though, and I update my availability weekly, so that anytime a potential client or current client goes to schedule a call with me, everything is ready to go!
Remember, steps 1-3 here happen ALL without me lifting a finger! Itโs all automated. In fact, when this $10k client booked her discovery call with me, I was actually on vacation chilling on the beach.
4. We have a free discovery call.
After the potential client schedules the call with me, they get an email prompting them to add it to their calendar. I get an email too, and the event is automatically added to my iCalendar with a 10 minute reminder in place! 24 hours before the call, the potential client will get an automated email from me reminding them of our meeting. Awesome, right?! ย I call them at the scheduled date/time, and we chat all about their business and project needs! Woot, woot! I love a good discovery call!
5. I send the client a proposal, contract, and invoice.
In Dubsado, I have templates for proposals and contracts for my main project types and payment packages sent up and ready to go for my packages. Since my business offerings are very streamlined, my pricing and packages stay pretty much the same. I simply select the needed proposal and contract, which will then autofill with the clientโs information such as their name, business name, project dates, current date, etc. I create a new invoice and apply the package and payment schedule. I send all 3 using a template email I created in Dubsado (customizing it some, of course!) and things are now in the clientโs hands!
6. Automated follow up is sent.
If the proposal is about to expire and the client hasnโt booked yet, they get an automated email from me following up on if they want to work together or not. Usually, my clients book before expiration, but if not, this is a great follow up!
7. Client signs contract and pays deposit.
Again, all without touching anything on my end, the client is able to pay their invoice securely online and sign their contract digitally! With Dubsado, you can accept payments via Stripe or PayPal. I use Stripe, and love it! And, with my payment schedule template in place, Dubsado automatically divides the total payment amount into 4 equal payments and applies the due dates based on the schedule I had already created. (No need for complicated math here!) The money will go straight into my bank account in a couple of days. And for the remainder of the project, when the next 3 payments are due, the client will receive automated emails reminding them.
Before Dubsado, I literally kept a running list of โpayment due datesโ and would have to remember each time one needed to go out and manually create and send it. When you have a lot of clients that all have to make 4 total payments per project, that time back is PRECIOUS!
8. Client receives welcome packet and checklist. They are on-boarded - woot, woot!
Once they pay their invoice deposit, a new workflow is applied in Dubsado and they receive their client welcome packet and brand questionnaire straight to their inbox! The new client is now onboarded and has all that they need to get ready before our project starts! They will also, of course, hear from me plenty before our project gets there, but the process of becoming a client is simple and fast.
There you have it, my 8 step automated onboarding process for new clients!
June 5, 2018
Love your article! Your setup sounds too good to be true… definitely need to get mine up and running (I’ve been using Dubsado for about 2 months now, but haven’t set up the automation yet).
Hey Bobbi! It took me a while to get it all set up too! Just take things a little bit at a time. I think the best place to start is with the automated email after the contact form. ๐ Glad you’re liking Dubsado! I’ve been a loyal user since they first started, and I adore it!
Yup, working with you is why I switched to dubsado too and have loved it. It helps so much!
Congrats on the new clients! I’m giving Dubs another try (I’m currently using Honeybook) thanks to you, used your code! ๐
Simply amazing and wonderful Elizabeth. Sounds like you were in high tech heaven! The skies the limit for you!