Client offboarding is the final step to help you continue to nurture the client relationship. When done right, it will keep them coming back to you time and again with more projects.
Little things leave a lasting impression! So your relationships with your client shouldn’t come to a screeching halt because they aren’t going to be paying you anymore. Not to mention, you want to get feedback and a testimonial from your clients after they’ve worked with you.
An off-boarding process will help you do that and more!
Getting the type of clients you want to work with and that pay well is hard work. But what’s even more important is having those clients come back to you time and time again.
They say it takes roughly five times more time and energy to land a new client than it does to keep an existing client. If you can get even 5% of your clients to come back, you should be able to increase your profitability by 25-125%. That’s huge!
The best way to keep an existing client is to impress them with good work and by exceeding their expectations. And when you’ve fulfilled your contract and you have a smooth client offboarding process, you can transition them from just being a current client to being a repeat client.
This process validates the experience they have had while working with you. You want to be an influencer in their life. This means they will trust you so much that you inspire or guide their actions.
I talk more about this in in another blog post where I describe some simple things you can do to elevate your customer experience to create super fans. Click here to take a look at it.
When you don’t have a client offboarding process, it’s like slamming on the brakes during a smooth ride. Not only does it startle you but it makes you wonder what happened. You don’t ever want your clients to feel like that!
So here is a simple five step client offboarding process you can follow to create a great customer experience after your contract ends.
Step 1: Send Them Advance Notice
If you’ve been doing your part and delivering your services as promised, they should be surprised to know your time together is almost up. This presents the opportunity for you to extend your contract. Even better you can inform them of additional services they may not even know you offer. But most importantly, it shows you are organized and have a handle on the project.
Step 2: Send Your Final Invoice
Depending on your payment terms, now is the time to send your final invoice or payment reminder. Some contracts state that payment in full must be received before any deliverables will be turned over.
Step 3: Send a Good-bye Message
You’re going to be putting some really important information in this email. So mention you will be sending it on the final call to make sure that they actually read it!
- Include a breakdown of the time you have worked together again. Be sure to include the outcomes and transformations that you have achieved so that it reminds them of the value of your services. Put all of the client’s deliverables into a nice folder and give your client access at the end of your services. it’s a nice touch for you to put them all in one place for your client and give them access.
- Include a list of things you will be closing like your Slack channel with them and the project board in Trello or Asana. Also let them know the date this will happen based on your contract terms.
- If your clients have given you access to their website, social media profiles, any other accounts or made you an administrator, you need to let them know. So if you have not made it a practice to keep track of the things your client’s give you access to, now is a good time to start.
Step 4: Send a Thank You Note
Send them a handwritten thank you note. You can include a gift card to one of their favorite coffee shops or their favorite place to shop. This is an easy way to go above and beyond! Then in the future you’re more likely to be front of mind for them. And besides, unexpected gifts make everyone feel important and valued!
Step 5. Don’t Forget to Follow-up
The fortune us un the follow-up! Don’t wait too long to follow-up because you want them to remember all the progress they made with your assistance.
This is also a great time to ask for a testimonial! Happy clients will gladly give you a testimonial if you make it easy for them.
So there are two options you can use to ask for a review. Create an email template that asks for the review and includes a link to your Facebook page where they can leave the review and others can see it. Or you can send them a simple survey and compile their answers into a full review. Just don’t forget to do something with them!
The way you end things with a client is just as important as how you start working with them. It’s something that a lot of business owners forget to do. So strive to be different! Create a personalized client offboarding process using these steps.
If you would like my help getting your process mapped out and implemented, feel free to schedule a 60 minute clarity call with me. We can get all of the pieces in place so you can cross this off the to-do list.
If you would like the audio version of this topic, be sure to check out episode 40 of the podcast. Tune in on your favorite platform by clicking one of the links below.
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