As dreamy as it would be to only ever work with clients we love, we know that isn’t always the case. There are even the few that put on a good front and seem like they’ll be a really great fit, but something goes astray during the relationship. It could be an issue as simple as miscommunication, lost expectations, scope creep, etc.

No matter the root issue, it’s hard! It may even be so hard that you’ve come to a point where you’re ready to fire a client and finally part ways for good. Before you let anxiety get the best of you, keep reading as we dive into how to determine if you actually need to say goodbye, some other ways to get back on track, and– if it comes down to it– how to fire a client without ruining your reputation.

Client testimonials are the proof in the pudding to potential clients about how amazing you are. You need to be able to back up your claims of being able to achieve XYZ results for your clients and the wonderful experience you provide. Not only do they serve as a diverse marketing asset that you can repurpose in numerous ways, but they’re also like hanging those sticky fly traps.

The fact of the matter is that dreamy clients know other dreamy clients. As soon as you land who you consider a dream client, you have to use that person and their testimonial for every referral or potential client that you can because you’ll get even more like-minded clients from them.

So in what ways can you use testimonials to signal more dream clients that they should work with you?

We think congratulations are in order! Since you’ve come to this blog post, that must mean you’re doing something right with your marketing, so we’re proud of you for getting to the point where you’re now officially overbooked. Although it’s stressful, this is a stage in your business that can open so many doors and opportunities that you’ve probably only been dreaming about until now!

First, though, we need to deal with the overwhelm and figure out how you can free up space on your calendar so that you can give your undivided attention to your clients, plus what to do with new leads. Keep reading as we cover all of these things and more in this blog post!

When it comes to running a service-based business, there’s one term that you’ve likely heard a lot– client experience. It’s honestly the sole thing that service-based businesses revolve around because it can make or break your business.

But what exactly does client experience mean? Why is it so important? These are the questions that we’ll be answering in today’s blog post!

Client onboarding is the most crucial beginning phase to starting a project with a new client. It sets the tone for the working relationship and can make or break your project depending on how you handle it. If handled poorly, it can lead to your client having a bad experience with you, and it’s the client experience that determines whether or not you’ll receive positive testimonials, repeat business, and future referrals. (No pressure!)

After working with clients during both our time as separate businesses and even after we first became business partners, we know a thing or two about client onboarding and making sure the client feels comfortable and taken care of before, during, and after the project.

With that said, let’s dive into our ultimate guide to client onboarding, plus crafting an extraordinary client experience!

We preach often (probably entirely too often) about the importance of your client experience, but it’s one of the key defining factors between a client having a good time with you, referring you to others, and leaving a positive testimonial… Or not.

Mastering the art of providing an amazing experience for your clients is crucial to your reputation as a service provider. We know this sounds super scary, but it can actually be pretty dang easy. As long as you’re able to check in often, respond quickly, and provide important information, you’re already at an advantage.

One way of stepping off on the right foot with a new client is by sending a welcome packet. You may have also heard it called a welcome guide, onboarding guide, or onboarding packet. We’ve sent a welcome packet or two– or a million– during our years in business, and now we’re here to share 10 must-have details you should include in your client welcome packet!

Dubsado is one of our favorite CRMs, and a big reason for that is because it’s so robust. There are tons of features that are needed by any service-based business, and one that we think is sometimes overlooked is the client portal. Not only is it useful for your clients to easily keep track of files, emails, and documents that you’ve shared with them, but it also adds that “wow” factor to their experience.

We’re all about branding everything, so it’s no surprise that we fell in love when we learned that the client portal can also be branded. With a few quick tweaks in your settings and 15 minutes in Canva, you can have a beautifully branded client portal.

Client and customer testimonials are one of the most crucial pieces of your marketing strategy. The journey you want to take people on to lead them to a sale consists of three main parts:

1. The “Are you in my head?” stage when you relay their pain points to them

2. The “Yeah, that actually would be nice..” stage when you have them envision what their life would be like if those problems weren’t problems

3. The “Okay, I’m ready to buy!” stage when you present the solution as your product or service

But– hold on a minute– hardly any one is just going to be ready to buy after seeing your thing. First they want to know if it will even work, and that’s when you bring in the big guns. (Big guns being testimonials, if that wasn’t clear.)

Testimonials can sometimes be the single defining moment of someone ready to hand their money over, or not. You probably wouldn’t purchase a product on Amazon if it didn't have a single review, would it? We as consumers count on those reviews as the proof of a product being worth the investment or not.

So, what makes your products or services any different? You can use those testimonials strategically in your marketing plan to be the final push that gets someone over the line and to the checkout page or paying their first invoice.

That’s why we’re going to share with you 7 places you should be showcasing client or customer testimonials, if you aren’t already.

We all know that testimonials are a crucial part to a functioning business. Unfortunately, many of us are met with fear and anxiety just from the thought of having to ask clients for testimonials/feedback.

“What if I’m actually not doing a good enough job to warrant a great testimonial?”

Thinking of actually bringing it up to your clients almost makes you want to run away or barf (or both). It can even seem like a super awkward conversation, like you’re saying, “Hey, I know we’ve working together for a while, and I think I’ve been doing a great job, but can you just confirm that by writing a testimonial that will potentially be shared with thousands of people depending on how good it is?”

Okay, so you won’t actually say it that way, but it can seem like it! So today, we’re going to walk you through how you can put this task on autopilot so that you can avoid the testimonial-asking anxiety. Or if you’re just simply the worst at remembering to ask for them, these tips are also for you!