How I Went From 1 Week to 1 Hour in My Lead-to-Client Process: Streamline Your Business with Automation
When I started my business, closing a deal from proposal to payment took about a week. My process was entirely manual, and every step added unnecessary delays. I thought this was just part of the process, but looking back, I see how much time I wasted. If you’re in a similar place, and overwhelmed by repetitive backend tasks, you need to read on. I’ll share how I cut my process from a week to just one hour ( sometimes less), using automation and streamlining strategies that work.
My Old Process: A Week of Waiting
Here’s what my workflow used to look like, I counted and problaly left steps off , and there were at least 16 steps!
- Discovery Call
- Send a Canva-made proposal with multiple offers.
- Wait for the client to respond.
- Email Follow-Up to See if There are Questions from the client.
- Wait again for their decision.
- Manually Create a Proposal based on their choice.
- Send the New Proposal via email.
- Wait for acceptance.
- Manually Create a Contract detailing the offer.
- Email the Contract and wait for them to sign.
- Manually create an invoice using a payment app.
- Send the Invoice and wait for payment.
- Follow-up nonpayment via email.
- Receive Payment and manually email onboarding instructions.
- Wait for the client to set an appointment.
- Check Back to confirm the meeting is scheduled.
Every step required me to nudge clients, manage communication, and manually track progress, remember I also manually created documents for each client lead. This process was exhausting, error-prone, and far from efficient.
The New System: One Hour ( or less ) to Onboard
Now, my backend workflow is fully streamlined and automated. Here’s what happens:
- Discovery Call: During the call, I send a proposal with multiple offer options.
- Automatic Proposal, Contract, and Invoice Generation: Clients choose their offer in the proposal, and the system automatically generates and shares the contract and invoice.
- Payment Triggers Onboarding: Once the invoice is paid, the system sends an email with a scheduling link. ( if not paid it will send a reminder based on what i set it to )
- Appointment Confirmation: I receive a notification when the client schedules the onboarding meeting.
How I Acheived This Transformation
Streamlining your business doesn’t mean investing in complicated tech or expensive tools.
Here’s how I implemented these changes and you can too:
1. Use an All-in-One Tool
I switched to a platform that combines proposals, contracts, invoices, and scheduling as well as project workflows. My all-time favorite is Dubsado ( see free trial link below), I tried two other ones but this was the winner of the 3 by far.
This tool eliminates the need to jump between apps, reducing errors and saving time.
2. Template Everything
- Create templates for proposals, contracts, and emails and dont forget your offers.
3. Automate Communication
- Use triggers to send follow-up emails, scheduling links, and reminders. For example, once a payment is received, the client gets an email with the next steps without any manual input from you.
Note: Always Test Your Workflow
Before rolling it out to clients, test your process to ensure the automations work as intended. This helps avoid hiccups during live use. I always create a test account to implement new features or items before I use it live.
Finally, Why Do Automations Matter?
Streamlining and automating your backend isn’t just about saving time—it’s about creating a better experience for both you and your clients. Here’s why it matters:
- Professionalism: A seamless process reflects your expertise and builds client trust.
- Scalability: Automation allows you to handle more clients without increasing your workload. Image working on 10 leads with my old method!
- Focus on Core Tasks: With automations, you will have more time to work on the core items of your business, like sales, and marketing.
If you’re tired of tedious workflows and ready to reclaim your time, start by:
- Mapping out your current process
- Identify repetitive tasks
- Look for automation opportunities.
With the right tools and strategies, you too can go from a week to an hour!
If you have any questions or comments. Reach out to sandra@smcvsp.com, Also, Here is a link to Dubsado where you can try it for free for up to 3 clients.
( This is an affiliate link.)
Author Bio:
Hi, I’m Sandra Muriel-Colorado, your online Business Consultant.
With over three decades of tech and business expertise, including co-owning a software company, I’ve empowered countless buiness owners/entrepreneurs to scale their businesses with strategic backend setups. Whether you need to implement automations, workflows or add digtial resources to your business offers I am here to help you implement the rigth processes or streamline your current ones.
If you’re seeking personalized guidance or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. For more valuable insights and tips read my other blog posts and follow me on social media where I provide information on creating your business the right way!
Set up a free 15 min clarity call with me and see how I can guide you in a creating a backend that works for you.