Do you sometimes feel stuck and overwhelmed in your business? This is often common with entrepreneurs. The problem isn’t a lack of drive or ability, but a lack of foundational systems that support the day-to-day operations of a scaling business. On-boarding and off-boarding processes are key foundational systems every entrepreneur should have in place.

Kristen Westcott is a genius when it comes to foundational systems and operational management. Kristen helps her clients create on-boarding and off-boarding processes for their clients.

About Kristen Westcott

Kristen is a business growth strategist and founder of Kristen Westcott & Co. For the past ten years, she has supported leaders and students in areas of goal setting, productivity, and project management. Kristen’s true passion lies in serving entrepreneurs as a Director of Operations. She spends her time helping online coaches, copywriters, and course creators scale their businesses without the frustration that massive growth often brings.

 

Systems and Processes

Having on-boarding and off-boarding processes in place can help make the most of your time and decrease stress. Having systems in place should be part of the foundation for your business and will help prevent you from feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Foundational systems include the financial systems and client services aspects of your business. If you lack the foundational systems, you may feel frantic and as though you can’t keep up with the work.

On-Boarding

The onboarding process begins long before someone signs the contract with you. It begins the first time they interact with you and they feel loved and nurtured by you. This can start on social media, email, etc.

You want to have a system in place to be able to respond to someone right away whether it’s by email or on social media. Make sure that the person gets to speak to you and that the response happens as quickly as possible.

Calls

Have a conversation with all potential clients to be sure that you are a good fit for each other. It could be called a discovery call but it is an opportunity to ensure that you can help the person with their problem.

The key is to try to avoid going back and forth several times to schedule the call. If you go back and forth to schedule a call, you don’t create positive energy and have the potential to lose the client from frustration. The easiest solution is to have a calendar system such as Calendly or Accuity. Both have free options and integrate with Google Calendar and iCalendar.

These systems make booking a call and sending reminders easy. They also allow you to automatically send thank you notes or follow-up emails for onboarding and off-boarding clients. And you can also ask questions so that you can be well prepared for discovery calls.

Follow-Up

When onboarding, follow-up includes helping the potential client navigate objections and concerns. It’s important to be available to answer any questions they might have and let them know that you are there for them right away.

Next is the contract. Create a shared folder or place where all of your communications will take place. Personalize an email template to welcome the new client and explain the next steps once the contract is signed.

Automating systems doesn’t mean you have to be robotic. You can always personalize communications but it’s important to automate for time management and avoid stress.

Boundaries

Clarify your boundaries and expectations up front in the welcome letter, welcome call, or welcome packet. Include how you prefer your clients to contact you and the hours you are available to answer their questions. Also establish expectations about deadlines, turnaround time, etc. so that they can get the most from their investment with you.

The onboarding and off-boarding processes checklist

Access Kristen’s checklist to create onboarding and off-boarding processes.

The Off-Boarding Process

We often remember the very first interaction and the last interaction with someone.  People remember how wonderful things were and how things are wrapped up.

This is an opportunity to ask for testimonials, asking the client to share their experience, establish the next steps, share the next way to work with you or explain how the client can continue with the progress they made. Explain how they can continue working with you.

Kristen suggests that you don’t ask for feedback at the same time as you ask for a testimonial. Feedback is more about how someone can improve. Ask for the testimonial a few weeks before you are about to wrap up the program or project. A week or two later ask for feedback.

Another thing you can do at the end of your time working together is share information on your referral program or affiliate program as an opportunity for them.

Depending on the type of clients you work with, you can offer an incentive for them to come back and hire you again.

Finally, send an email that summarizes the great things the client has accomplished, all the wonderful things that they have done while working with you. You can also create a folder for them to have everything you worked on together in one place.

ClickUp is a project management program that Kristen recommends.

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Learn more about on-boarding and off-boarding processes and connect with Kristen

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Website: www.kristenwestcott.com

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