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Organize Your Client Relationships with Evernote

Organizing client info so this is different from managing relationships relationships because when we talk about managing relationships we talked about making sure that we remember to follow up we remember to check in with those people when we talk about managing clients it's more about managing the process off working with you and that's from the moment that somebody just expressed interest to work with you so that and decline in say that will happen from the moment that somebody said okay like I'm considering working with you until they actually start working with you like that's kind of recline on boarding client intake so that will be one piece of the process and the second piece of the process will be actually how you deliver that service so the importance of actually mapping out this protest the couple of processes them for yourself is that first of all you will create this amazing experience for your client and term them turn them into raving fan and plus for you on the back and...

it will be so much easier to manage that process because you will have that very queer step by step that you follow every single time you work with the client and the kind of bonus there is that whenever somebody refers another person to you and they've worked with you the person who referred the new client work with you because I already talked to them about how you work and when you can replicate that for this new person that will make you like such a big expert in their eyes because just like I mentioned a bit earlier we we sell our process and like that's what people come to us for they just make sure that you can deliver results for them and the more systematically you can 00:01:57.521 --> 00:02:01. do it the more people that will see you as an expert. 00:02:03.42 --> 00:02:03. So 00:02:05.42 --> 00:02:06. one more template 00:02:08.26 --> 00:02:10. client management template how 00:02:11.82 --> 00:02:19. just like we talked about creating templates for steps 00:02:19.7 --> 00:02:23. that you take in individual processes that you would 00:02:24.42 --> 00:02:29. t o the same exact thing here you will list the steps 00:02:29.16 --> 00:02:34. that you take when you work with a client and if somebody 00:02:34.17 --> 00:02:36. wants to give me an example of how they work with 00:02:36.52 --> 00:02:40. their clients we can look at that specific example 00:02:40.92 --> 00:02:43. thank you and that can be that client intake part 00:02:43.77 --> 00:02:47. or it can be actually working with with the client 00:02:48.02 --> 00:02:50. one of the things they do is one on one coaching with 00:02:50.94 --> 00:02:55. other companies and so um the steps that I would take 00:02:55.14 --> 00:02:58. with them are they typically reach out to me on dh 00:02:58.38 --> 00:03:02. I have unusual conversation with them about the types 00:03:02.3 --> 00:03:05. of questions they have and the help that they need 00:03:05.76 --> 00:03:08. if I'm the right person to help them then we'd move 00:03:08.91 --> 00:03:11. on to one set of steps if I'm not the right person 00:03:11.03 --> 00:03:13. I refer them to somebody else that can help them but 00:03:13.71 --> 00:03:16. if they are to work with me then I send them a lengthier 00:03:17.73 --> 00:03:20. questionnaire to fill out the dives deeper into some 00:03:20.0 --> 00:03:23. of the questions that they have um we schedule a time 00:03:24.17 --> 00:03:26. to meet and we determine the format if we're going 00:03:26.4 --> 00:03:29. to meet in person or on the phone or scape uh so we 00:03:29.95 --> 00:03:32. scheduled that they fill out the questionnaire then 00:03:32.59 --> 00:03:35. I typically review things before we meet even just 00:03:35.39 --> 00:03:38. a half hour and then we meet for at least an hour 00:03:39.12 --> 00:03:42. and afterwards there's typically homework that they 00:03:42.19 --> 00:03:44. have to do but also some there's usually some things 00:03:44.71 --> 00:03:46. that I need to send them whether it's introducing 00:03:46.51 --> 00:03:49. them to somebody else or sending them some resource 00:03:49.17 --> 00:03:52. is or worksheets or guides on dh then of course there's 00:03:52.46 --> 00:03:55. the testimonial process afterwards of finding out 00:03:55.9 --> 00:03:58. you know how they felt about the process and also 00:03:58.84 --> 00:04:03. then ideally scheduling a of subsequent meeting with them if if the project or if they need teo so that's kind of my great so do you see now can you envision how you can use ever note to manage that process yes absolutely and something you mentioned earlier about scheduling or noting which steps my v a could d'oh is tremendously helpful I think that going through this step by step process can actually help me off load more to my v a um by breaking it down into such concrete small steps absolutely. And what can also help you rv for example, some of those tasks that you want um her to take care off is sending those emails you can go back to the emails that you've sent teo clients like that and create the template out of that email and added either to the main note off that client process we're maybe put them into individual notes and cross link it but so that all your we needs to do is kind of ok like this is this this is the part of the process this is the email that goes out this is what they need to do teo personalize this personalize this email and this is the information that I need to send them along with with that email so the simpler you do it for the easier thank you will present like that step by step for your v the more the higher the probability that they will whenever they get the task them it will be exactly what you were looking for and if you provide them with all information that they need them there is no way they will drop the ball I think from a claim perspective to the people that I'm offering coaching too I think it helps to manage their expectations you were toe 00:06:00.455 --> 00:06:02. line out all the different steps and what they were 00:06:02.97 --> 00:06:05. responsible for getting you and what they how I'm 00:06:05.38 --> 00:06:09. going to help them just because a lot of people when 00:06:09.66 --> 00:06:11. they're new to coaching and every coach works differently. 00:06:11.72 --> 00:06:14. Teo it might just help them invision the process and 00:06:14.91 --> 00:06:17. maybe jump onboard sooner if they could see what your 00:06:17.97 --> 00:06:21. process is a design industry to right like I'm gonna 00:06:21.36 --> 00:06:23. need all your assets I need your content I need images 00:06:23.7 --> 00:06:25. and every designer is getting a little bit different 00:06:25.59 --> 00:06:27. so if you're saying this is what I need from you at 00:06:27.47 --> 00:06:30. what times going to make the whole process go that 00:06:30.19 --> 00:06:34. much smoother absolutely and especially with something 00:06:34.89 --> 00:06:39. that you do marie you get like there are some questions 00:06:39.11 --> 00:06:42. that you get asked all the time so you can have those 00:06:42.59 --> 00:06:45. three sources for them. So if this question gets asked 00:06:45.0 --> 00:06:45. that 00:06:46.36 --> 00:06:49. for example if you will be inviting the clients to 00:06:49.23 --> 00:06:52. work with you on that project in ever note and nick 00:06:52.16 --> 00:06:54. will will talk about project management in never note 00:06:54.68 --> 00:06:59. in one of the lessons but you can just create for 00:06:59.21 --> 00:07:01. them a short video off okay like this is how it's 00:07:01.78 --> 00:07:04. going to look like this is where your information 00:07:04.36 --> 00:07:09. will live this is these will be the faces ofthe howie 00:07:09.01 --> 00:07:12. will be working together so definitely it will help 00:07:12.38 --> 00:07:15. you to manage expectations much better and something 00:07:15.84 --> 00:07:17. that sometimes I find 00:07:18.86 --> 00:07:23. oh like especially in the service based industry were 00:07:23.78 --> 00:07:28. shying away from we feel like okay if we so we tell 00:07:28.63 --> 00:07:32. our clients like what they need todo they will not 00:07:32.11 --> 00:07:35. work with us. They will like feel to constraint whereas 00:07:35.11 --> 00:07:40. the opposite is true more clearly we outlined for 00:07:40.08 --> 00:07:44. them the process to which they will go uh we does 00:07:45.12 --> 00:07:48. the more relaxed they feel like the more taken care 00:07:48.64 --> 00:07:51. off the field because they know okay like next I need 00:07:51.94 --> 00:07:54. to do this or next I need to do that and something 00:07:54.72 --> 00:07:57. that I used for myself and look out oh 00:07:58.16 --> 00:08:00. I'll show you if you will see where it fits in my 00:08:00.29 --> 00:08:04. process is that I always whenever I start working with somebody I create for them a welcome packet so it's it's something that I just think I have a template and I adjusted accordingly but that helps me too uh set boundaries with the client tell them how are working together we'll look like provide them with all the resources they need and at the same time outlined for them okay like this is what you can expect from me and this is what I expect from you and it works very well because they know what they need to be doing as a client and it's not the surprise when I ask for it they're just like ok, we've talked about this so they think there is nothing you like it actually allows them to organize themselves match better and actually get much more out of working with you and I'm already seeing not just from a va perspective but collaborator expect process you know I run a mentorship program and now I'm bringing on a new mentor on dh so I have all this documentation that I've been using so it I'm just saying that between google docks and dropbox and having one checklist and even the language that we use when we respond to a student that's applying um yeah that the branding kind of feels absolutely use the same language we use the same templates for you you know, everything is so streamlined so I'm seeing that that's going to be it makes so much sense for ever know to be the place that that happens because I was like I was at a google dog dewey it seems like everything's kind of living everywhere so at least now if those air linked within one document weakened both kind of share that and going to make everything so much easier absolutely and uh I will show you right now a couple of my own sample its but remind me if I forget to give you an example off how you can manage a small group programs so uh the way I work with clients and the way I use ever know to help me I'll manage the processes that I differentiate between short term clients and long term clients and this is nothing but just the short term look to me it's more about kind of the level off the relationship it's more like short inclines are more transactional clients. They usually buy one off session and that there is a chance that they will come back but at that point there just this transactional client and so type of information that I collect about them basic information what's also important out were how they've found me so if they found me through somebody else then I another the kind of action gets triggered that I need to think that person even if it's just an e mail or if the eye I know it is that people come through another source or another kind of website think I I can take a court steps to make sure that ok if like that brings new clients to me let me let me make sure that either guess post again on that blogged if if I see people coming from a guest post or get interviewed by that person that it brings me like say if I got interviewed and like that interview brings people back to my side so again like this this is very important a peace that I I find it to me it helps me to kind of gets beam or intentional about how clients are coming to me uh uh just like you katie I have a question their answers and then I would not for myself what exactly they but whether it was one ofthe session or in the past I would create individual systems so that that was an option tio and then I would note for myself if there is a possibility for us to work together and if I see that's yeah that's actually the person that I I could work together or I could help more but I would keep an eye on them that they would be treated like one of my contacts so that I know that I need thio regularly see their social media feed and see what they're up to in order to just they have this very relevant conversations with them and even some point I see that they ask a question like pertaining to systems or something that I can help them with then it gives me another kind of idea okay like they would be right for this service or they would benefit from my program so whenever I touch base with them I can actually explain to them how they could benefit from working with me again uh huh with long term clients it's a slightly different so this part it's way too much of the same contact information about the client but with long term clients we usually start with a diagnostic session and like this is the place where I indicate for myself while our systems that they're struggling with most and what something that would have to we would have to work on first end the next piece is declined intake piece and here I just need to make sure that the contract is sent and return the payment is made that the welcome packet that I talked about earlier is sent as well they scheduled consultation downloaded the bonuses and the yes or no part is just for me to know like if it's to know that that means that I need to follow up so when that happens the tag is that it that I need to follow up and that can be my assistant or that that can be myself but then like I know what what needs to happen where when it's it's not an immediate yes and this is the piece that I started implementing for myself because I used to take notes like just stick notes but then like those notes would would live like separate notebooks and then like I would search for uh like what we talked about last last time so it was all messy and when they moved everything into ever known I figure that because I need basically very come on you and specific pieces of information about our sessions like I just mapped those items right here so with for every session I was just a copy paste the template part and uh copy right here on top so that I have uh notes about the last session power on the top and I would mention how what are the client our client's wins what they're still struggling with what we discussed but homework I gave them what I need to follow up with them about next time I would also look at it very sick if there if there is anything that I can improve with how to handle something. Or maybe they ask the question. I did not no answer to, so this will be the area where I could put I would put that stuff. So basically, I would use every note not just to record information about the client, but also their progress report. And, ah, a couple of words about how you can manage. Group programs and specifically high and grew programs where you usually have limited number off people and usually that was our these types of programs that how that's our prices so we have to make sure that we deliver with a great experience for those clients even though it's group programs you can treat those clients and exactly the same way so you would map out for yourself what whether those a steps that client goes through what is that information that um I need to receive back why do we need to communicate to the client? So with my a program systematic success for example I have a checklist for myself because a lot of it is a bit manual there is not much that I can I can automate like so I would say that okay like they received welcome email they joined my g g plast group they sent back to me their accountability agreement so all that exists as a checklist for each individual a client for participants of the program even though it's a program I still know where everybody is if they returned to me something that they needed to return if they filled out the committee course survey so I know what what I need to do in order. Tio what I need to ask for if I need something from them or if I need thio pull off with them and see if they found an answer to a question or something that will also be an ever note and make that creates that very special experience for them, despite the fact that it's a group program. Okay, so let's, go back to the presentation. So this is how you could use a template to make sure that you list the steps. Reference all the documents that you need for the clients. And when you get a new client carpeted template, replace the title off the note with the name of the client and start going through this step by step. Okay, so I showed you how I manage my clients. Oh, and going back to these tips make make sure that all are these pieces go into, ever note and what you can have in that original step by step. If you always send them the same contractor in that I know what you can already have put, for example, links to drop books contract that he would modify incentive the client same with the well, compact. Same with the emails that we would send to follow up, for example, if they did not return something. So see what applies to you? What kind of progress report you need to keep about that client. So take a look at your process, create a template, and I identify information that you need for for the process, and last but not least, think about how you're organizing that information. If you are relying more on notebooks, make sure that you have ah, client notebooks and the q. Put them the cues. You stuck them up and create a client's stack. Or if you are using tags, what tags you are going to use and how you are going to make sure that you can easily access those notes.