Onboarding is how we welcome our clients. It is also a collective term for organizing your systems and processes when a client books with you. When done correctly, it can streamline and strengthen your client relationships. Your onboarding process will be different depending on the service a client has hired you to perform. For example, a full-service client will have a very different onboarding process than that of a wedding management client.
Simple Wedding Management Onboarding
You want to create systems and processes because this will give your clients a better client experience. When clients love to work with you, they tell their friends, family, and vendors. Having them put out good vibes will more than likely send you new business. So when it comes to onboarding your clients, here are six simple wedding management onboarding moves that work.
#1 Welcome Email
One of the very first things I do when a client books is send a welcome email. In this email, I welcome them to our family and tell them of all the benefits available to them (i.e., Facebook group, toolbox, monthly newsletter). I also remind them of some of my policies and procedures, like what my hours are and how I handle communications. Lastly, I tell them what to expect next from me. It’s a pretty long email, but it’s a thorough one.
#2 A Digital Welcome Packet
Next, I will send my new client a digital welcome packet. True, this welcome packet goes over a lot of the same information I already gave them in my welcome email, but it includes a bit more information and it’s all presented in a much more attractive way. Inside my digital welcome packet, you’ll find:
- Welcome Message
- The Service
- About Me
- Policies and Personal Conduct
- Important Dates
- Preferred Vendor List
- A La Carte Services
- Tools and Resources
- Next Steps
#3 Give Them a Toolbox
Because all my clients are wedding management clients and I’m pretty hands-off until 30 days before the wedding, I send them a toolbox. Inside this toolbox, they will find everything they need to plan a wedding. This toolbox also includes a checklist of monthly task reminders starting 12 months out. They can find this toolbox in their HoneyBook Wedding Printable.
#4 Set Up Their Workflow
Creating a workflow for each of the services you offer is a critical part of your client experience. You can use a CRM system to automatically send out emails and questionnaires for a flawless interaction. Setting up a workflow will give you the freedom to know that things are being taken care of by your CRM system. This leaves you free to do more important things. One of the ways I create value for my management clients is by sending them a list of monthly tasks to complete. With HoneyBook, I no longer have to actually sit down, open up a client’s file, figure out how many months away the wedding is, and send out the right list of tasks. HoneyBook automatically does it for me.
#5 Sending a Tentative Timeline Worksheet
Because I don’t want to overwhelm my bride right off the bat, I wait a couple of days to send a tentative timeline worksheet. This worksheet will help me build their wedding day timeline. I want to be as helpful as I can be as my bride makes wedding preparations all while sticking with our contractual agreement. By giving her a tentative timeline, she is able to let vendors know what type of time frame she’s working with at the venue. You can find this questionnaire in our Onboarding Wedding Planner Kit.
#6 Send Vendor Worksheet
Speaking of booking vendors, I also send out a vendor worksheet. This worksheet is designed to keep all of the vendors’ information in one place. This is a super helpful document when I take over at the 30-day mark. As a bride books her vendors, she will add their contact information to the vendor worksheet. This worksheet also helps me give credit to vendors for social media purposes and in my blog post about the wedding once it’s over.
Last Words on Simple Wedding Management Onboarding
When bringing on a new client, these are the simple wedding management onboarding techniques I use. Of course, remember, the type of service your client has chosen will determine how you create your own onboarding process. For example, if I had a full-service client, I would also send them a design questionnaire. Don’t be afraid to ask past clients what they liked and didn’t like about your process. You’ll be able to give a better client experience if you get some feedback.
