How To Professionally Offboard Clients
This article explains how to professionally offboard clients.
Off boarding is the process of wrapping up a project with your client and sending them on their way feeling confident and prepared for their next steps. As a service provider, understanding how to professionally wrap a project with a client is an essential skill. A beautifully designed, well-appointed Goodbye Packet is the ideal way to send your client out into the world with everything they need to succeed.
The off-boarding process can be tricky. Sometimes you have a client who wants to hold on to the professional relationship, usually because they’re afraid of going it alone. But, for everyone’s sake, there comes a time when all clients must make the leap into independence. A thorough Goodbye Packet will set their minds at ease and gently push them out on their own with an air of confidence.
In this article, I’m going to share how you can create and develop your own professional, customized, branded Goodbye Kit in just a few hours on the cheap. (How does $25 sound?)
I’ll cover the basics of an expert client off-boarding experience including:
I. What is a Goodbye Packet?
II. What’s included in a professional Goodbye Packet
III. Why a Goodbye Packet is an essential off-boarding tool
IV. How to create your own custom professional, branded Goodbye Packet
01. What is a Goodbye Packet?
A well-appointed Goodbye Packet is a culmination of the work you’ve completed with your client.
Whether you’re a graphic designer providing elements, a coach providing empowerment, or a copywriter sharing wireframes, a Goodbye Packet gives your new client everything they need to venture out into the professional world equipped with everything you’ve provided them with in a single, organized place without overwhelming them.
In the future should questions crop up, they can go back and reference the packet to get the answers they need instead of emailing you with questions, which saves you valuable time.
02. What’s included in a professional goodbye packet
A professional Goodbye Packet includes the following elements and pages:
- A cover design
- Thank you letter
- Project recap
- Deliverables
- Files to download
- Next steps
- Invitation to group or community
- Client resources
- Additional services/up-sells
- Referral requests
- Affiliate program information/invitation
- Inspiring quotes to send them on their way
- Parting gifts
- Feedback request
- Testimonial request
- Tax receipt
- Social media follow invitation
- A final sign off/stay in touch
03. Why a Gooodbye Packet is an essential off-boarding tool
All service providers need a professional client Goodbye Packet.
Use it to:
- Achieve satisfactory closure
- Thank your client for working with you
- Recap the project you just wrapped
- Provide the project deliverables
- Share any promised files or bonuses
- Give start up tutorials and instruction
- Invite them to your group or community
- Offer upgraded or additional services
- Ask for referrals, testimonials, and reviews
- Share your affiliate program with clients
- Ask for feedback
- Provide clients with a tax receipt and/or invoice
- Invite them to follow you on social media
1. Show appreciation
Final impressions are a close second to first impressions. They’re your chance to show your sincere gratitude to your client for having chosen you. There are undoubtedly a lot of competitors in your arena, and your client chose to invest in you and your services. Your Goodbye Packet is the ideal place to thank them and send them on their way feeling like they made the right decision.
2. Provide satisfactory closure
Your Goodbye Packet allows you to part ways on a positive note. It’s natural for a client to feel uneasy going it alone for the first time. You can go a long way towards empowering them by reminding them they have everything they need in one place. It recaps the work you’ve done and shows them the transformation and improvements that have occurred throughout your time together. This leaves them feeling good about their choice to have hired you. Your newly former client will be armed with everything they need to venture confidently into their marketplace or professional realm.
3. Share deliverables and resources
As your project commences, you’ll provide your client with their promised deliverables. This includes any files, imagery, and downloads promised in the original agreement. Having a single, convenient place they can return to and get access to their files eliminates the need for them to contact you for them later on. And, if you ever update their files in the future, (such as updated figures, a new fact, or the latest version of a workbook, etc.) you won’t need to resend the files to all your past clients. Instead you can upload the latest version of your item and their download button will redirect them. You cannot imagine the amount of time this saves you down the road.
4. Induce testimonials and feedback
A powerful testimonial is worth its weight in gold. Anyone can buy an advertisement, but receiving glowing and sincere acclaim from a previous client shows they enjoyed the work so much, they were willing to sit down and put their praise in writing. In your Goodbye Packet, your client possesses a reminder of all the reasons they loved working with you. And, they’re feeling confident and excited. There’s no better time to ask for a testimonial than as soon as the project wraps, making your Goodbye Packet the perfect place to request a testimonial.
5. Invite referrals
A Goodbye Packet is also an opportunity to keep yourself as a front-of-mind choice in the event your past client ever finds themselves in need of your services in the future. As their business grows and scales they may see a need to expand, change, alter, or renew some elements of their business. When they can reflect back on their work with you in their Goodbye Packet and recall how effective your time together was, they’re highly likely to return. Return client are some of the best around.
Providing an exquisite experience, including professional closure, also helps them feel more comfortable in referring others to you. Referrals are such a tremendously impactful way to gain quality new clients with zero acquisition fees. In other words, you won’t have to pay to advertise to get them. Your client sent them to you, so as long as the experience with that particular client went well, the chances increase exponentially that their referral will be a great fit. This is also a good place to share your affiliate program with your clients, if you have one.
6. Showcase your other offerings
As the project winds down, your client may begin to see a need for something additional to complete their project. By strategically dropping links to some of your other, relevant offerings, you can gently entice your client to upgrade the service they just finished or maybe even purchase a different service altogether. Preferably one that perfectly coordinates with the one they just commenced. For example, if you created a visual brand and logo for them, you might then offer to create print marketing pieces (like business cards, postcards, brochures, etc.) using their new elements.
7. Recap the experience
In this portion of the Goodbye Packet, you’re detailing everything you achieved together through the process. This includes any transformations and improvements you can point out. You can also share the ‘before and after’ version of their unique situation to show them how things have gotten better since you started working together. This is an impactful way to end things.
8. A cohesive, consistent brand presence
Paired with the coordinating Welcome Packet, your client Goodbye packet provides a powerful, complete, and supremely professional client experience. (I’ll share how you can save money with the bundle down below.)
04. How to create your own branded, professional goodbye packet
Right about now, you may be thinking, “that all this sounds great, but it’s sure to be expensive.“
Right? Wrong.
If you’ve got $25, you’ve can get your hands on a professional Goodbye Packet right now. Best of all, it’s one you can customize to match your unique brand.
All you have to do is:
1. Sign up for a free Canva account
2. Choose one of the packets I designed for you
3. Download the Goodbye Packet and it’ll open automatically in your Canva account
4. Start customizing it with your words and imagery (Here’s a quick tutorial on how to customize in Canva)
5. Download as a PDF
6. Share with all your new clients
Here’s a quick visual of what you can do with the exact same page layout in Canva by simply swapping out colors, fonts, and images:
I designed all my kits using free Canva fonts and elements. While the imagery isn’t included because of licensing restrictions, you can drag and drop your own images into the placeholders or use one of the thousands of free stock images Canva provides. Upload your logo and any images you’d like to use. The free version of Canva offers a ton of free stock images, design elements and fonts to choose from. If you want to take things to the next level and open the door to millions of options, consider Canva Pro.
Get Yours
Visit the shop to select one that best suits your brand personality and start creating your new Goodbye Packet today.
Creating a positive, memorable client experience can make all the difference in your business. A coordinating Welcome Packet helps welcome your new clients in the door as your Goodbye Packet sends them confidently on their way. I created these Client Experience Bundles to help onboard and off-board your clients with all the proficiency and class of a true professional. Shop the discounted bundles while they last.
I’m a Brand Therapist® providing psychology-based branding, copywriting, and consulting to individuals and micro-businesses in the creative arena. My signature services will help you discover and articulate your most authentic self so you can tell better stories, make more meaningful connections, and do more profound work.