Have you ever reached the end of a client project, only to realise that you have no other projects lined up?
It can be draining, feeling like you’re on a never-ending hamster wheel of searching for clients.
You’re left with no time to enjoy your work because you’re constantly worrying about where the next project will come from.
Well, in today’s newsletter, I want to introduce you to an overlooked but crucial part of the client process that can:
Generate future opportunities.
Improve customer satisfaction.
Increase your chances of getting a referral.
This occurs during the off-boarding stage and it’s essential due to the recency effect. But what is the recency effect? Put simply, it means people tend to remember the most recent information more vividly.
Think about it: have you ever had a great holiday only to have the uncomfortable journey home overshadow the whole experience?
That’s the recency effect in action.
And it’s crucial to understand because it underscores the importance of leaving a lasting impression on your clients.
So what should you include in your offboarding process?
There’s a lot of things you can (and should) add to it, but the most effective I’ve found are:
Brand guidelines
A Goodbye Packet
An off boarding call
Let’s take a deeper look at this 👁️
Brand Guidelines
You’ve already put in a ton of hard work, you’d hate for it to be used in the wrong way, right?
Think about it, you wouldn’t go and buy a car if you didn’t know how to drive it. For the same reason you want to make sure that your clients know how to get the best out of your designs.
By educating them on the colour variations, logo formats, and font usage, you empower them to represent their brand consistently and showcase your designs in the best light possible.
Not sure what to include in this document? You can grab my done-for you brand guidelines template here.
A Goodbye Packet
Remember going to a friend's party when you were a kid? You'd always leave with a goodie bag to remember the occasion. Well, it's the same when wrapping up a project. Give your clients your own version of a 'goodie bag' (goodbye packet).
This final touch offers a chance to leave a positive impression and sets the stage for future collaborations.
Make sure to include key information about their files, essential business resources, and a gentle reminder of any additional services they might need in the future.
Plus, sweeten the deal with a referral discount to incentivise them to bring in more business your way.
An Offboarding Call
There’s three really great advantages to hosting an off boarding call:
You offer one final personalised touch, this means the last thing they remember is that positive chat you both shared.
You get the opportunity to find out what you did right.
Most importantly, you can ask them what you could have done better. Not only does this mean you can raise any concerns they might have, you also get to learn how to improve the experience for them and any other clients going forward.
Want to learn more about this side of working with clients? I have a whole course that goes through the cleint process from start to finish, so if you’re interested in seeing me go in-depth on the best systems and processes you need to grow your business, then check it out here.
Chat next week,
Abi 😊
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