CLIENT

ONBOARDING
For Consultants and
Freelancers

FREE CHECKLIST & GUIDE

WWW.ALMABRADFORD.COM
W elcome! I'm Alma Bradford, a business
growth consultant and online educator.

I’m known for helping people build a lifestyle business that gives
them profit and space to live life on their own terms. I’m also a
firm believer in creating a system and structure around the way
you do work so that you can be more productive.

As someone who has offered many different services like

consulting, freelancing and coaching, I saw the importance of
having a really good client onboarding experience early on in
my business.

In this guide, you’ll learn the most important elements of a good

onboarding system as well as tools to help you automate it.

Alma Bradford
.

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 OVERVIEW

Why Client Onboarding is Important

Client onboarding really starts after the sale is made. And it’s an important step in ensuring that
your new client feels seen and heard, feels like they made the right decision investing in you and
allows them to build trust with you and your brand.

This is why you should really think of your process as an “experience”.

Questions to think about when creating your onboarding process:

How do you want clients to feel about you and your overall brand?
How would you like to be treated after you invest in someone else’s service?

Some of the benefits of creating a great onboarding experience include:

Helps set expectations on how you will work together.

During the onboarding process, you want to explain to the client what to expect going forward.
This will avoid any confusion as to what was agreed upon when they signed the contract.

Creates client confidence in their recent purchase with you.

After a client pays the invoice, they may have buyer’s remorse. When you have a clear onboarding
experience, share the next steps, and maintain communication, you can lessen the probability of
the client changing their mind about their recent investment with you.

Provides a path for you to follow.

A good onboarding process not only helps the client feel cared for, but it also helps YOU stay
organized. Once you create a system, you won’t have to be stressed out or overwhelmed with all
the work you have to do because you have a step-by-step plan.

Allows you to create repeat clients and referrals.

Clients who are happy will keep working with you long term and give you referrals. That’s why it’s
important to have a system in place. It will allow you to look professional and organized. This is
important to the longevity of your brand.

© 360 CONTENT PRO LLC • WWW.ALMABRADFORD.COM

5-STEP CLIENT
ONBOARDING
PROCESS
STEP 2: WELCOME EMAIL
A welcome email is sent to the
client. You can include things like:
a questionnaire form, a welcome
packet explaining your process,
timeline and next steps.
STEP 4: BEGIN THE WORK
Now it's time to begin working with the
client. During this phase you should
schedule any additional meetings
with the client. You can also decide
how often you’ll be in contact with
your client, weekly, monthly? If you are
doing advisory services or coaching
then your communication may just be
the client phone calls or meetings you
have.
© 360 CONTENT PRO LLC • WWW.ALMABRADFORD.COM
STEP 1: CLIENT PAYS FIRST
INVOICE
Before you begin work, the client
should sign the contract and pay
the invoice.
STEP 3: KICKOFF CALL
Step 3 is optional depending on
the type of service you offer. You
can schedule a kickoff call to
discuss the work, get clarity on
the client’s needs, communicate
the schedule, and answer any
questions they have.
STEP 5: OFFBOARDING
Once you've completed your
engagement, you can schedule
an offboarding call. Use this time
to pitch them another service
where they can continue working
with you. Ask for testimonials or
referrals as well.
 TOOLS TO AUTOMATE ONBOARDING

Here are some tools I use to automate client onboarding:

DISCLAIMER: Some links included in this guide might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with
the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you!

Dubsado. This is a great CRM tool for sending automated welcome

emails, questionnaires, proposals, contracts and invoices. You can
even created an automated follow up email sequence to remind
clients to sign the contract or provide onboarding material.
Try Dubsado for FREE Here.

Convertkit - This is my favorite tool for email newsletters for current

clients, past clients and leads that haven’t bought from me yet. You
can created an automated email sales funnel with Convertkit to
convert prospects into paid customers.
Try Convertkit for FREE Here.

© 360 CONTENT PRO LLC • WWW.ALMABRADFORD.COM

 need additional help?
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business. Subscribe to my Youtube channel here.

@almabradford

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that I use to automate and run steady stream of clients? Learn
my entire business. about my programs here.

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