4 Tips to Simplify Your Client Process in Dubsado

By Ema Katiraee, Certified Dubsado Specialist

TL;DR: The setups that work best in Dubsado usually have a few things in common: one contract that works across all packages, a simplified payment plan structure, packages built out in advance, and canned emails and templates ready to go. Here's how to think about each one before you build.

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I've looked at a lot of different client processes: coaches, photographers, interior designers, and more…

The setups that made the biggest difference weren't always the most complex ones. Usually it came down to a few strategic decisions made before anything was built in Dubsado. Here's what those decisions look like.

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1- Simplify & Standardize Contracts

If you have multiple packages in the same proposal, you can really streamline your process by connecting a contract to that proposal.

This means that the wording in your contract needs to work across all of the packages available in that proposal, so that your client can go directly from proposal to contract regardless of what package(s) they select.

I know that this isn't always possible, but where it is, it's a great way to reduce the number of steps it takes for your clients to sign up, reducing friction and potentially increasing the number of clients you sign.

Disclaimer: To make sure that your contract works for all your packages, make sure to consult a legal expert.

Difference between using one contract for all packages vs. using a different contracts

2- Streamline Payment Plans

If you have multiple payment plans, it adds a lot of complexity to your client process in the following ways:

• Having to manually select the next workflow or update the payment plan on the invoice depending on the selected payment plan

• Not being able to put different packages with different payment plans on the same proposal

• Needing multiple versions of the same workflows - one per payment plan

I understand the need for providing different options for your clients, but being able to minimize and streamline the number of payment plans will help you simplify your business and save you time.

You don't have to offer only one payment plan to your clients, but if you do have multiple payment plans, think about placing the most popular one in the proposal.

Then, list the other payment plan option(s) and ask clients to reach out via email before they submit the proposal if they need a different payment plan. If they reach out, manually switch the payment plan in the invoice + the workflows and done!

Difference between using one payment plan vs. providing multiple payment plans

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3- Build Packages

Some industries will need to use custom packages - which is a great way to provide clients with exactly what they want / need.

But you can make things easier by setting up packages with the line items that you find yourself repeating over and over as packages in Dubsado to simplify and speed up the process.

Build all the different packages, then add them one by one in an invoice and setup your proposal to pull the information from the invoice vs. using packages in the proposal.

Custom proposals that take a couple of minutes to build. Voila!

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4- Proposal Templates & Canned Emails

There's a myth that using canned emails and form templates will make you seem robotic or disconnected from your clients. That's a flat out lie.

Canned emails and template forms help you not be tied to your computer manually writing emails and creating custom proposals. You can inject your personality & branding, so it sounds like you & looks amazing.

And no... none of your clients are going to reach out and complain that your emails don't sound like you or that they sound robotic.

In all my years sending canned emails, this hasn't happened once. Clients respond to my canned emails as if I had written it to them personally. They may know that it's an email template (or maybe they don’t), but either way they don't care.

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Make It Easier For Your Clients & For You

Ultimately, it comes down to understanding what your clients want and providing it to them in a streamlined and simplified way to make it easier for them.

Big bonus if it's automated because you can provide the same quality of client care in less time, making it easier for you.

Plus, automation makes sure that your clients receive everything they need at the right time, so you can relax knowing that everything is taken care of.

And if you need help streamlining, simplifying and automating your client process... that's where I come in.

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Want Your Dubsado Setup Built Properly?

If you want your contracts, payment plans, packages, and workflows all set up correctly in Dubsado from the start, I can help. Book a discovery call and let's talk about what that looks like for your business.