6 key elements to include in your new client welcome package
Your welcome package sets your clients up for working with you in a number of important ways. If done correctly, it does the following:
- Establishes boundaries
- Sets up expectations
- Provides rules
- Explains the best way to work with you
- Answers frequently asked questions
Providing this welcome package to clients will help them understand what is expected of them and eliminate miscommunication. In addition, it will hopefully help you avoid problems that can crop up without this kind of documentation.
Know that the welcome package may start out small and grow over time and what needs to be included becomes clearer with experience.
Elements to include are:
1. A welcome letter that congratulates a new client and provides an overview and instructions. Basically, you are saying, “Here’s what you need to read, fill out, sign, prepare and be responsible for, etc. Be specific with actions that your clients need to take at the start of your working relationship.
2. Spell out your policies and procedures. Describe step-by-step what you expect of them and what they can expect from you. This may include session and meeting times and dates, what happens if they miss a session and how you will work together. This section often expands as you gain more experience. Keep track of what frustrations you have with your clients or what frustrates them such as not having enough of a system to rely on.
3. Develop an agreement or contract which includes what you have agreed to provide such as elements, timing, and duration of process -all the rules of working together. Build this from the basics and know you’ll be adding to this section as you go. You can find information about contracts at www.lawdepot.com.
Be sure to detail your disclaimers in this section. For coaching saying something like, “The service provided is coaching and not therapy of any kind.”
Let them know at some point you’ll be asking for a testimonial and request that they keep you in mind if referral opportunities present themselves. This is a great to attract more clients. I call this “planting a seed” that grows from the time I start working a client.
4. Next, I include a large section for the client to fill out so I can collect important information about working together that matters now and in the future. For my packet, its 8-9 pages of questions. Not all businesses needs this type of information, but it’s essential for business coaching. Questions include a description of their business, how they are marketing themselves, their life story, etc. Write questions that elicit the answers you need to provide your service.
5. I also ask clients “What do you want me to do if you get behind in your assignments?” This is about personal responsibility. You’ll know how they want you to handle this and are in essence, getting their permission to take the actions they recommend. It’s a perfect way to discover what works best for clients. Some people might get upset with you, but it is ultimately their responsibility to do their part if the business arrangement is going to work.
Should a client they get behind in what he or she owes you, which keeps you from completing your deliverable, you can now remind him or her of that question in the welcome packet and the desired reaction on your part that was requested.
6. The last question is about referrals. I often get referrals from my client and I believe in rewarding them greatly. So I ask them directly, “What would you be happy to receive as a personal thank you from me for a referral?” Then it’s important to provide some examples such as a bottle of wine, magazine subscription, a book, Starbucks card, etc. Give them examples so you don’t get answers like “a spa weekend” which is probably not in your budget. Set parameters and expectations about value so everybody is happy.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
Have you created your welcome package yet? If not, get one started right away. Make sure to add the sections about personal responsibility, testimonials and referrals to create a two-way street that works for you as well as your clients.
Now, if you’re just starting out and trying to fill your practice in the FIRST place, then follow a step-by-step system that feels easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid systems, so that you consistently fill your pipeline and continually get new clients. It’s all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of things. So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.
