The Benefits of Having a Client Application Process

Setting yourself up for success as a practitioner means ensuring that you are working with the right clients. The “right” clients are different for each practitioner and are based on many factors such as values, personality fit, aligned goals, or that work with your area of expertise/niche. You’ve likely had the experience of working with clients who just aren’t the right fit and we’re sure you know how challenging that can be. Not only does it impact the experience for both you and the client, but it makes it much more difficult to get results.

One way to ensure you are working with the right clients is to implement a client application process. This is a process that can take place prior to your discovery call or initial consult and will allow you to gauge if it’s the right fit for both you and the client. You could implement this by creating a form that you send to all prospective clients to collect information such as:

• Main health concerns/goals
• Any roadblocks/challenges they’ve faced
• If they’ve worked with a practitioner/coach before and what they liked/didn’t like
• Willingness to change
• Willingness/ability to invest financially in their health

Overall, a client application process will ensure they are a qualified prospect and someone worth spending your time speaking to. As well, gathering this information ahead of time will set you up for success during the sales process as it will allow you to understand your prospect in more depth.

Here are four main benefits to implementing a client application process in your health and wellness business:

1. Helps gauge if it’s the right fit (on both sides)

As we’ve discussed, working with clients who are the right fit is essential to your business and your client’s success. Gathering information using a form prior to your first interaction with your prospective client will allow you to understand what their main health concerns are and if this is something you can actually help them solve (assess fit with your niche and scope of practice). As well, you will be able to gauge if you are aligned with your values, personality as well as style of coaching.

2. Gives you a sense of commitment levels

Within your client application, you can also include questions to understand the commitment levels of your prospective client. You’ll want to learn about their commitment when it comes to willingness to change, but also their financial commitment. Getting a sense of these areas of commitment will tell you if this prospective client is serious about making the changes needed to improve their health, as well as if they have the resources to do so. Knowing all of this ahead of time will mitigate time spent with a prospective client who isn’t actually ready to take action and move forward.

3. It creates better positioning for you as the “seller”

A client application sets the tone for the dynamic between you and your prospective client during the sales process. Instead of it all being on you to “sell” the client on you and your services, the client will also be invited to “sell” themselves to you. By inviting the client to show how they are the right fit for you in the application, it creates a more equal process and allows you to connect on a similar level without any power dynamics. This will ensure that you are able to go into these conversations without the belief that you have to convince the client that they should work with you, which will positively impact your energy and thus the success of the conversation.

4. Sets you up for success if you do move forward

Gaining insight into your prospective client through an application not only helps you understand if it’s the right fit but also sets you up for success if you do move forward in working together. Knowing the client better will enable you to curate the onboarding process to fit their needs, and will also allow you to better prepare for the discovery call or initial session. You’ll be able to ask more informed and pointed questions, keeping this initial call streamlined and successful.

As we’ve shared, implementing a client application process will benefit both you and your client greatly. Collecting information from your prospective client ahead of time is an important cornerstone of any successful health business as it will ensure your prospect is the right fit, help create an equal relationship dynamic, as well as set both of you up for success if you do move forward in working together.

Implement in Practice Better

You can easily implement a client application process in Practice Better!

We recommend creating a custom form with your client application questions, which can be done using our form builder. The form builder allows you to include a variety of question styles and elements such as short/long response, yes/no, multiple-choice, checkboxes, and scales. This ensures that your form is streamlined and easy for your prospective client to fill out.

Once your client application form is ready, you can choose to share it with prospective clients in a variety of ways:

• Share the public form link directly with prospective clients (you could also include this link on your website, in an email newsletter, or in your social media bios)

• Embed your form on your website for prospective clients to complete without having to leave your site

• Require clients to complete forms before requesting services, packages, and programs by including your application form as a booking page form

Better Business Conversations

Each month, our Business Success Coaches, host an interactive BBC YouTube Live, bridging together expert advice and Practice Better technology. Take a moment to watch the session below where they discuss ‘The Benefits of Having a Client Application Process!’

Video Duration: Approx. 19 minutes

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about our next YouTube Live event!

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Practice Better is the complete practice management platform for nutritionists, dietitians, and wellness professionals. Streamline your practice and begin your 14-day free trial today.