How to use a welcome packet to successfully onboard new clients 

Three people meeting to discuss client onboarding

Learn how to create a client welcome packet that introduces your business, informs your new clients, and adds delight to your client experience!

Three people meeting to discuss client onboarding

Critical files and collateral for independent businesses often include invoices, contracts, sales brochures, and more. But, there’s one tool you might not be using, which can play a big role in creating a great client experience and setting your projects up for success. That tool is a client welcome packet. 

When you start any project or working relationship, it’s always important to get the last pieces of information that you might not have capturing during the booking process. You also want to set expectations with your clients about how you should be working together and communicating. Lastly, you want to create a great impression, and that starts at the very beginning of your relationship with your client onboarding

Here’s everything to know about using a welcome packet with your clients and best practices to make sure yours is effective. 

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What should your client welcome packet include?

Your client welcome packet communicates all the important details that you would like to share with a new client. This includes information that can help build your relationship, as well as detailed information about the project. 

You can include everything such as a bio, your client onboarding process, your communication preferences, the project timeline, how the client can track statuses, and more. 

We’ll break it down further below. Keep in mind that your specific welcome packet may vary depending on your client onboarding checklist. For most independent businesses, here’s what your client welcome kit should include:

1. Welcome message and introduction

First, take the time to thank your new client for booking with you. You can include a brief note on the first page of your welcome packet, or save it for the introduction email you send along with your packet. Either way, mention something specific from when you were first talking to them as a lead, and make sure they know how excited you are. 

Even though they probably already know about your business from their own research before booking, give your new clients a refresher about who you are as well as the mission statement behind your business. This is also a great opportunity to introduce them to your team if they’ll be working with others along with you. 

2. Policies

Next, get the serious stuff out of the way. Take the time to remind your clients about some of your policies, which should have also been in your contract. You don’t have to copy and paste your contract clauses, but it’s a good time to reiterate late payment fees, payment processes, confidentiality agreements, and more. 

3. Communication preferences and information

Be sure to give your clients instructions on how they can communicate with you moving forward. You should also include your office hours so they know when you’ll be able to respond and when you’re offline.

Include your contact information or a link to your scheduling tool so they’ll always be able to get a hold of you. 

4. Login details and tech overview

Different businesses use different technologies, so this section will especially vary, but it’s important to get your clients up to speed as soon as they’re onboarded. 

If you’re a photographer, for example, you might just have a client portal and invoicing software that your clients will need to know how to log into to get their photos and pay their invoices. For other businesses like consultants, you might have more tools like project management software, so you’ll need to include specific instructions for how to log in and use the system. You might also want to leverage part of your onboarding packet as an intake form to ask your clients to share specific documents.

5. FAQs

Are there common questions that you get throughout your projects? This is a great place to address them upfront and give your clients a set place to refer to them throughout the project. These might include how to use your client portal, how to adjust their payment schedule, where to find project updates, and more.

6. Timeline and scope of work

Once you’ve briefed your clients on all the general information about your business and working with you, it’s time to get into the specifics of their project. Lay out the timeline and scope of work that you’ve already agreed on in your contract. 

At a high-level view, it can be great to call out important milestones and key dates that you’ve already set together. 

7. Payment information

The most important part of running your business is getting paid! Don’t forget to reiterate everything your clients need to pay you. You can include their specific payment schedule along with a reminder of how you accept payment (credit card, ACH transfer, etc.). 

8. Next steps

Lastly, you want to include next steps for each client. Will you be working on their project for a few weeks until the next check-in? Will there be a while until they hear from you next? Or, is there anything you need from them? Remind them to send over any important documents and files or send information you might need to get the project started. 

Best practices for your welcome packets

Make sure your client welcome packet is part of your brand

The most important thing about including a welcome packet in your client experience is that it has to be a completely branded package. This means it has to involve more than just shoving your logo into a client welcome packet template, adding text, and calling it “ready to send.”

Your client welcome packet is like holding the front door to your studio wide open to invite potential clients in. It sets the tone for your business. When it’s not cohesively branded or doesn’t fully jive with your website or social media profiles, potential clients notice and can feel the disconnect.

Keep your welcome packet concise and easy to navigate

Though there’s a ton of information to include in your welcome packet, try to keep it as simple as possible. Each section should have its own page that’s easy to navigate through a table of contents. Be sure you’re only providing the information–there’s no need to add paragraphs of text on each page if it’s unnecessary. 

Make your client welcome packet an interactive experience

Want to upgrade your client welcome packet even more? Use a system like HoneyBook to make it interactive. Instead of a stale, static PDF, you can build fully branded, digital files that incorporate your visual brand along with video, photos, and interactive elements like questionnaires. You can provide your information while also giving your clients a professional, immersive onboarding workflow from the start.

Use the right tool to build branded, effective client welcome packets

You can build your welcome packets with a variety of tools, including docs, PDFs, and slideshows. However, you want your packet to be a living, breathing document that your clients can return to over and over again and use to refer back to different parts of your process. 

That’s why it’s best to use a clientflow platform to build your client welcome packet. With a system like HoneyBook, you can build your welcome packet as an interactive template that syncs with other parts of your process. Clients can immediately schedule inside the welcome packet, view an invoice, refer back to their contract, and more. 

Customize these free brochure templates to send to clients 

Laptop showing free brochure templates

Download two free brochure templates and learn how you can customize your sales brochure to properly showcase your brand and book more clients.

Laptop showing free brochure templates

Ready to send a client or new inquiry your brochure but need the right free brochure templates? Look no further, we have just the thing.

We partnered with Galler.ee to create two high-impact business brochure templates that present your services, pricing, and story in the best possible light. They’re beautifully designed, fully customizable, and 100% free. 

Leverage the templates with these business brochure examples to make sure you’re creating the best sales tool fit for your needs.

Each free brochure templates download includes:

1. Entrepreneur Pricing Templates (PSD Photoshop files), which include individual files you can customize for the following sections in your brochure:

  • Top Header
  • Let’s Get Started
  • My Process
  • Core Values
  • Inspirational Quote
  • Testimonial Quote
  • Pricing and Services
  • Add Ons

2. Storyboard & Proofing brochure templates (PSD Photoshop files), which includes:

  • Top Header
  • Quote Sections
  • My Clients
  • “Customize Your Experience” Header
  • Primary Palette
  • Secondary Palette
  • Moodboard

3. Instruction set for using the templates

What goes into memorable brochure design?

Using a digital brochure is best to showcase your products and services, but it can also showcase your brand. With an eye-catching brochure, leads will form stronger associations with your brand so you’re more likely to convert them into long-term clients. 

You don’t need to have your brochures professionally designed to have a big impact – with the right brochure templates you’ll be able to create brochures and customize them to fit your needs so they look just as professional as if a hired designer created them. 

When customizing your brochure templates, be sure to choose fonts and colors that already match the branding on your website and social profiles. You should also include high-quality images. We recommend adding a headshot of yourself as well as photos or samples of any relevant projects.

Want your brochure to do even more?

The #1 mistake we see independent business owners make with their brochure is not making it easy for clients to book them straight from the brochure. Think about it: If you make your inquiry click out of your brochure to take another step to contact you, request a proposal, or book your services, you’re just adding more steps in between booking with you.

Clients get distracted. Emails get buried. The less friction between your sales process and booking process, the better.

With HoneyBook brochures, customers can book from your brochure with the click of a button.

Interactive sales brochures let clients choose their desired services, and you can even build custom packages using the a la carte feature. On the next page, they’ll see an invoice with the services they just selected, with the option to pay online immediately. 

Improving your brochure experience

Your brochure doesn’t always have to be a static file. If needed, it can become an interactive step in your booking process to help engage both clients and leads. The trick to improving your brochures is to think of them as part of the experience rather than just another file. 

HoneyBook Pros who specialize in improving your business can work with you to map out the best brochure strategy for your needs. They’ll help you understand when to send your brochure, what information to include, and how to move your clients toward next steps.

If you’re using brochure templates, they can also use their design expertise to make sure your template incorporates your brand throughout. 

How to use an online brochure maker

The easiest way to create a brochure is by using a platform that’s designed for seamless client communication. In HoneyBook, you have full creative control to drop in images, text, questions, and services in a variety of formats. Each element is included to help you move leads forward to clients by offering a single place for them to learn about your services and select their choices. 

To use your free brochure templates with HoneyBook, simply customize the templates using the Photoshop files, then upload them to your HoneyBook account. Within the brochure builder, you can drop in each part of the template as an image, then add other content blocks like questions or services. The drag and drop builder lets you move each element around – and you don’t have to use every file that comes with your free templates. It’s all about creating the brochure that works best for you and your clients’ needs.

Don’t forget to include more information about your company, such as your social media links and some specific project examples. Once you’re finished, you’ll have a stunning and professional brochure that’s fully customizable to your brand. Better yet, you can do it all in little time with our free brochure templates.

 

How to remind someone to pay you: 7 tips & examples 

Person working on a late payment reminder

Here’s how to remind someone to pay you and ensure you actually get paid. Use our 7 tips and examples to ask politely and ensure you’re paid on time. 

Person working on a late payment reminder

While nobody likes to chase after their clients to get paid, it can be a natural part of running a business. 

Learning how to remind someone to pay you is key to ensuring positive cash flow, successful projects, revenue growth, and good client relationships. 

With the right tools and strategies, you can also take much of the work off your plate when it comes to chasing down payments. With automatic reminders and online invoices, it’s easier than ever now to get paid faster. 

Here’s how to communicate with someone who owes you money so you can feel less stressed about collecting payments. 

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1. Include all the payment details up front

The best way to get paid is to avoid the need to hound your clients in the first place. When it’s time for your client to pay their first invoice, make sure you’re providing the entire payment plan upfront. 

Often time, people simply forget due dates–it’s not that they’re trying to avoid paying you. 

Within your invoice, include the following details and payment terms: 

  • Invoice number
  • Due date
  • Remaining balance
  • Additional due dates
  • Late payment policy and any associated fees

As soon as you send your first invoice, be sure to confirm with your client that they’ve received it. If they have any questions, you can take the time to answer those at the start of the project before you get into it and more payments are due. 

2. Schedule payment reminder messages

The best way to remind your clients to pay an invoice is to send them a series of payment reminder emails.

Unfortunately, if you have a lot of clients, the time it takes to send dozens of payment reminder messages will add up quickly.

By using a payment reminder software like HoneyBook, you can make your life much easier by automating email templates to send out on a predetermined schedule. For example, you can send a polite email reminder for payment a week before the invoice is due, on the day the invoice is due, and two days after it’s due if the client still hasn’t paid.

Setting up a series of payment reminders can feel like overkill at first, but in most cases, your clients will appreciate the reminders—especially if the reminders provide them with a link to pay the invoice immediately with an online payment software.

Include the following information in your payment reminders: 

  • Use clear subject lines
  • Re-attach the original invoice
  • Write in a friendly tone, even if payments are late
  • Make the payment due date clear, and reiterate the payment terms they agreed to
  • Remind them how they can pay, and list the payment methods you offer
  • Provide clear details of the work they’re paying for

Once the client’s payment is late, you can also include your late payment terms —but don’t sound too threatening.

3. Send payment reminders that are personalized and automated

If you’re automating emails, you might feel like they can come across too stiff or impersonal. But, you can easily have the best of both worlds with reminders that are both personalized and automated, so they still take work off your plate. 

Try an email system or automation software that lets you incorporate your brand. With HoneyBook, for example, you can implement your personal email signature and branded headers that you might use. 

When you’re setting up your payment reminders, write in your natural voice and tone. Personalization doesn’t have to mean every single email is unique–it just means you’re still adding your personal touch while relying on automation. 

If you’re still worried, you can choose to approve your automated reminders before they send. You’ll get a notification that they’re ready to go, giving you the time to update them with any specific details for your client. 

4. Offer multiple payment options

When your client’s payment is due, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to pay. Always give your clients the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has a lot going on, so a late payment could just mean they’re confused about how to pay. 

Provide a seamless payment experience by offering multiple online payment methods, linked directly from your online invoice. With a payment processor that includes invoice templates, you can offer credit and debit card payments as well as ACH payment processing. 

If your clients have to track down their checkbooks or pay via cash, you’re more likely to deal with an outstanding invoice. 

5. Try a phone call

If emails aren’t working, it’s time to pick up the phone. Sometimes, a two-minute phone call is all it takes to get a payment issue resolved.

When calling your client:

  • Introduce yourself (if needed)
  • Clarify you’re calling about a late payment
  • Speak clearly and professionally
  • Give your client the benefit of the doubt
  • Be polite (even if your client isn’t)
  • Summarize what was agreed to on the call before hanging up

Try to avoid asking why the payment is late, but you can offer to provide any additional information needed to make the payment happen.

6. Remember to politely remind your client to pay

Keep in mind that your client most likely isn’t trying to swindle you. Your goal is to get paid as soon as possible and move forward with your project, not sacrifice a client relationship. 

Whether you’re scheduling automated reminders, hopping on the phone, or texting with your clients, stay personable and polite. 

You can use these payment reminder examples that incorporate professional yet polite language, but be sure to incorporate your personality to make sure they sound natural as well. 

7. Refer to your contract details

If your clients aren’t responding or aren’t working with you to make their payment, it’s time to refer to your contract details. 

Your late payment policy should include a timeline of late payment fees, interest applied to overdue payments, suspension of services, and cancellation. 

For instance, your late fees might apply after an invoice is 7 days overdue. From there, you may suspend services and apply interest to the late payment for 30 days. After 30 days, you can reserve the right to cancel your client’s contract. You can adjust this timeline as needed, but these terms can help you protect your business. 

As you remind your client to pay, remind them about these late payment terms as well. Once you hit certain milestones, you’re well within your rights to withhold services, as long as it’s in your contract. 

At this point, you still want to keep your communications professional, and simply stick to the terms of your contract. 

Examples of kind reminders for payment

As mentioned above, it’s best to send your client a series of payment reminder messages encouraging them to pay on time rather than waiting until the payment is already late.

For example, you could send payment reminders:

  • One week before payment is due
  • On the payment due date
  • Two days after payment is due
  • One week after payment is due

Here are a few payment reminder message templates you can send to your clients:

Upcoming payment reminder

Here’s an example email sent one week in advance:

Copy/Paste Template:

Upcoming Payment Reminder

Hi Nick,

I hope you’re doing well! This is a friendly reminder that invoice #25, totaling $1,234, is due for payment on October 25th—one week from today.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the invoice or payment details.

Thank you,

Jeff

Due date payment reminder

If you need to send a payment reminder on the due date, you’ll want to include more details to make it easier for the client to pay you:

Copy/Paste Template:

Due Date Reminder

Subject: Payment Reminder: Invoice #25 – Due Today

Hi Nick,

Hope you’re doing well. This is a reminder that invoice #25 is due for payment today (October 25th).

To remind you of the details:

Project name: Blog posts

Due date: 10/25/2020

Amount: $1,234

I’ve reattached the invoice for your convenience. Payment can be made by direct deposit, bank transfer, or check.

Best wishes,

Jeff

Late payment reminder

If the payment is late, you can use a more stern tone while still staying neutral and friendly. If applicable, you may want to include any consequences of late payments.

Copy/Paste Template:

Late Payment Reminder

Subject: Payment Reminder: Invoice #25 – One Week Overdue

Hi Nick,

As per my email reminders, payment for invoice #25, totaling $1,234, is one week overdue. I’ve reattached the invoice for your convenience. Payment can be made by direct deposit, bank transfer, or check.

Please note that a 5% late fee will be applied if the payment is not made within the next 2 business days.

As always, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!

Best wishes,

Jeff

Use the right tools to avoid late payments

Instead of remembering how to remind someone to pay you, it’s better to avoid it altogether. Luckily, it’s entirely possible when you have the right tools. 

Usually, clients forget to pay you because they forget the due date, it isn’t easy to pay, or they simply aren’t a great fit anymore. 

Using HoneyBook’s clientflow management platform, you can always ensure you get paid. Use file templates that help you evaluate your leads and ensure they’re a good fit for your services. From there, send online contracts and invoices in the same file so clients always have to agree to your payment terms before signing and paying upfront. 

With branded invoice templates, you can always include your project’s payment schedule and apply automated payment reminders for recurring payments.