Karen Repoli October 18, 2021 Have you ever found yourself staying up late, replying to emails or scrambling between documents trying to find the info you need for a client? If so, you are not alone! Many entrepreneurs, struggle with setting boundaries. That’s why it’s so important to find tools that help you to be more efficient with your time! Systems and tools are my jam!
I’ve recently discovered a business management tool that allows independent business owners to manage projects from start to finish in one place. It’s called HoneyBook and it’s a game changer! You’re able to utilize templates to keep yourself from writing those emails and creating proposals in bed at midnight, and it gives your clients one place to access everything they need to work with you.
I wanted to share how HoneyBook can help you get organized, get some time back and ultimately grow your business without working those crazy hours! Sound like a dream? Read on!
Step 1: Organize your leads in one place
The first place to start is managing all new inquiries in HoneyBook. You probably get inquiries from so many different places, and are spending way too much time asking the same questions over and over, and looking back to find their info later. There are three easy ways to automatically add new inquiries into HoneyBook.
First, I recommend adding the HoneyBook contact form to your website. You can customize the questions so you get all the information you need upfront, and new submissions are automatically added to HoneyBook for you.
You can also add your direct link to your bio on social media! This allows you to share your form without any embedding necessary and is a great way to get the info you need from folks who slide into your DM’s.
For those inquiries coming through email, check out HoneyBook’s Chrome Extension. With this installed, you can automatically add new inquiries to HoneyBook without leaving your Gmail inbox!
Once new inquiries have been added, the project pipeline is your best friend! This is a dashboard that gives you a bird’s eye view of where all your projects currently stand – from first inquiry to project completion. You’ll live on this dashboard so you’ve always up to date on where all your projects are in your process.
Step 2: Follow up quickly!
First, you need to answer this question: “How do I like to follow up with my new inquiries?” Do you like to send an email to introduce yourself, or do you prefer to schedule a call? Do you like to send them a pricing document to review your services or do you prefer to ask them some questions and get more details?
It’s super important to me that new inquiries get followed up with quickly, but I always want my replies to feel personal. That’s why having templates set up in HoneyBook comes in handy!
Send an email: The faster you respond, the more likely you are to book that client. What’s great is it’s super easy to add your personalized email templates into HoneyBook, so you don’t have to write the same intro over and over. This is a great way to make sure all new inquiries get the info they need quickly.
Schedule a call: Meeting face-to-face on google hangouts with a new potential client is a great opportunity to build a relationship and establish if there’s a mutual fit. HoneyBook’s scheduling tool saves me so much back and forth! All you do is pre-set your availability and pop in your custom meeting link to your email template. Your potential clients select a time that works for them and get confirmation and reminders automatically.
Send a questionnaire: Need to get some more details before moving forward? You can use questionnaire templates to make sure your clients answer all the important questions that you need answers to. That way you can make sure they’re a good fit quickly.
Send a brochure: Brochures are a wonderful way to present yourself and your services to potential clients. When a potential client receives a brochure, they’ll be able to select a package or list of services that they’re interested in. This allows you to showcase you services and makes it so easy for your potential clients to work with you!
Bonus (that will save you hours!):
With all the things you have on your to-do list for every client and project, every bit of automation can help. HoneyBook automations allow you to automate the steps you want while still giving me complete control where you need it.
Automations allow you to automate your first replies to inquiries, automatically send next steps when a client makes a payment, and send a questionnaire asking for feedback when a project is complete.
Automating these steps in your process gives you so much peace of mind and will free up an incredible amount of mental space so you can focus on moving your projects forward.
Step 3: Book your client with Honeybook
So you’ve added your client into HoneyBook and you’ve followed up with them appropriately. You’ll probably find, that this speedy yet personalized and professional communication sets you apart, and it doesn’t stop there!
When it’s time to book, sending a contract and invoice can be a lengthy process for you and your clients. I used to send a contract and invoice separately, and sometimes I would receive a signed contract but no payment, or vice versa. Enter the HoneyBook proposal file.
The proposal merges these two steps by combining the contract and invoice into one file! You just insert your template, review the payment schedule and contract, make adjustments where needed, and send.
When a client receives your proposal, they can review the services, sign their contract and submit their payment – all in one place! This will save you so much time and makes booking so easy for your clients. What used to take you hours, putting together a contract and invoice, will only takes a few minutes now with HoneyBook!
There you have it! With a little better understanding of the HoneyBook tools and how they work together, you are ready to get booked quickly and efficiently. It might take some time and effort to get all settled in at first, but I promise it’s worth it! With my help and the help of the world class HoneyBook team you’ll be there in no time!
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