Building trust and a genuine connection are so important when working with a client or a customer. It’s why creating a first impression that is an honest and true depiction of who you are is so important because it creates a lasting emotional memory for your dream client or customer.
There are things that I do in my client onboarding process to build trust, connection and wow my dream clients in my brand design and coaching business.
They are honestly so simple and are the reason why I’ve been able to build strong working relationships and conscious interactions to create a better final result and experience.
Here are three things that will be helpful for any creative business offering a service that will wow your dream client or customer:
1 ~ Send a personalised video or audio welcome message
When your dream client sends you an email or DM wanting to work together, don’t send an automated response back. Instead, put some thought behind this and send them a warm greeting to say Hi. By doing so, you are creating another point of connection. Sometimes, it can be intimidating for people to reach out, so help people feel comfortable about reaching out.
Here are resources to help you send a personalized video or audio welcome message:
2 ~ Make the most out of your calendar booking system
I use Calendly, which allows me to add a few questions and upload a file (such as an Intro packet) onto my meeting invite. Calendly also automatically creates a Zoom room so my client knows where to go for our chat.
I ask a few more questions at this stage to help set the scene for our first meeting so my clients will know roughly what we will chat about. Make sure to edit all the text, where possible, replacing it with your own copy so it sounds like ‘you’ and not an automated response.
Questions to ask during your first meeting
- What are your goals and intentions for this project/business?
- What are your biggest challenges, pain points or obstacles for this project/business?
- What is your budget? I like to give a few options here: less than $5k, $5k-10k, $10-$20K. This helps me build the proposal and the quote.
- What are your timelines for this project?
Here are resources to make the most of your calendar booking system:
3 ~ Seek clarity and build connection in your first meeting
Instead of jumping into solution mode, spend more time trying to understand exactly what it is that your client needs help with. Seek to understand your client’s biggest challenges, intentions and goals. And instead of prescribing a solution from your offerings or services, think about what would be best for this client - this is so incredibly valuable. Use your intuition here and practice the quiet art of listening.
Ask questions to delve further when you feel there is more the client wants to say. Sometimes, people need a gentle nudge and a little encouragement for them to feel comfortable speaking up and saying more. In some cases, I have even recommended other designers to potential clients if I feel like they would get a better outcome. Reserve the urge to take jus job, just because it is available. Trust that the right client and the right job will always have a way of finding you.
Here is your actions checklist
- Send an audio/video welcome message to a new client
- Add 3-5 easy questions to your meeting scheduler.
- Add a downloadable Intro Packet.
- Write any copy in your own brand voice.
- Practise active listening.
- Gather information to understand.
- Provide value.
