The 5 Phases of a VIP Day Client Experience!

I’ve been running my Book Me For A Day offer for close to 2 years now, and have learned a TON along the way.  One of the biggest things I’ve figured out that has contributed to my success with this offer is how to create an EPIC Client Experience.

A client experience that leaves your client feeling like they are in the hands of a true professional will be a game changer for your success of this business model. My number one motto for the Client Experience is “Surprise & Delight” and I do everything I can to ensure they are delighted with their experience!

Honestly, this is key to the success of your individual intensives PLUS directly contributes to the success of your offer as a whole.  When you create an experience unlike anything else, your clients will remember you & will be more than thrilled to share you with everyone they know.

So, what are the 5 phases of the Epic Client Experience?  Let’s dive in….

Phase 1:  Client Onboarding

You’ll want to ensure that once your client has decided that they want to move forward with your one-day intensive service, they can easily book their date, and get all of the information they need to make it a great day!
This typically includes sending them a welcome email or a welcome kit with instructions for what they can expect over the next 4-6 weeks, or however long your lead time is.  Make sure they know exactly where to find the things they’ll need, and how they should contact you with questions.
Set your boundaries and expectations right from the start, and your client will instantly view you as a professional who has her shit together.

Phase 2: Client Pre-Work

Once your client has booked their date, and paid their deposit, it’s time to fire them up and get them excited about what’s to come. It is your job to provide them with everything they need to make it as stress-free as possible for them. After all, they’re booking you because they don’t want to do this stuff themselves.
Having all of their bonuses (yes, I give my clients a bonus copy of my mini course) and their homework in one place, with a clean and easy direct link to it will make it simple for them to find what they need and get started on the process.

Try to think through all the potential steps that they will need to take in order to complete their pre-work, and automate, or streamline as much of it as possible for them. If you find yourself explaining the same thing over and over to each client, make a video that you can include in the pre-work packet. Or, if you have a course/program that will help them get through the pre-work easier, share that content with them. They will love feeling like they just got a special bonus!

Plan to keep all of their homework answers, content, images, etc. in a folder or project management app. I personally use Google Drive for this, but you could use Dropbox, Trello, Asana or Dubsado – just to name a few…

Phase 3: Kick-Off Call

I ask my clients to schedule their kick-off call with me about 4-5 days before their intensive. This is when we go over their homework, set expectations for the intensive and go over the details of how the day is going to go down.
This is an opportunity for me to get clarity on anything I’m still unsure of, and the client has a chance to ask their questions as well.

Often times, if there aren’t many questions and the client has done all of their work ahead of time, we can dive right into one piece of the intensive work and get it out of the way – for example, choosing brand colors if it’s a Brand Identity intensive! This is always a fun surprise for them.

Phase 4: Intensive Day

The intensive day is so exciting for both myself and my client, and I truly love every minute! I get to do work that lights me up more than anything, and I get to do it in silence in my cozy office – two of my favorite things!

The most important part of this day in my opinion, is staying in communication with your client. Since you’re working & they’re just sort of “waiting” you want to check it with them regularly to let them know the status of the project. Give them an opportunity to ask questions or give feedback on your work throughout the entire day.

If you know you’ll be busy working on one specific thing for a while, give them the courtesy of letting them know they can go grab lunch or go for a walk, or whatever. Let them know that you won’t be needing their input for a while – so they aren’t sitting there waiting to hear from you!

As you near the end of the day, assess where you’re at and what is left. Let them know that time is running out and ask them what their top priorities are for completion, so that you ensure you are working on the right things. While it’s entirely possible to get through their full list if you’ve planned well, there’s always the chance that you won’t finish – and that is OK!

Remember, your client is booking you for the day, NOT the deliverables.

Phase 5: Post Intensive Support

I always offer 30-60 minutes of final edits within 2 or 3 days following the intensive. This way they have a chance to review everything that I did on the day of, and make any last minute change requests. After all, it can feel a little hectic and rushed when they feel pressured to make quick decisions, just so that we can keep moving forward….

These intensives are intentionally set up that way so the client can make quick decisions, but let’s be real – everyone deserves an opportunity to think things over and change their mind. If the client has a lot of changes or more work to be done, now is your opportunity to offer them another half-day or full day at a “repeat” client discount! I get close to half of my work from repeat clients!

I also offer my clients 30 days of post-intensive support. To be clear, this is not “work” support, but rather if they have a question about something I did, or how they can make a change on their website, I give them the info they need. I like to empower my clients with the tools to manage their brand and website themselves going forward, so I record quick Loom videos for them to demonstrate how to do things.

They love feeling like they have me in their back pocket for a month, should questions arise!

In conclusion….

Thanks to having many of these processes streamlined and automated, I’m now able to focus solely on making sure my clients have an amazing experience, which keeps them coming back (and sending their friends to me as well). The big idea here is that if you can create an epic client experience, the marketing of your intensives nearly handles itself!

I can honestly say without a doubt that switching to “Day Rates” has been the best thing I’ve ever done in my business! I only have to work 2 days a week on client projects (usually), and it leaves the rest of the time for me to work on creating courses and mentoring programs, which have a greater impact on others – and my bottom line!