Blog post by Dubsado Specialist Heather Quill
One of my favorite things about Dubsado is the large amounts of automations the platform offers.
You can make it as custom or as simple as you would like.
When businesses think of automating, they automatically assume that means they won't be able to create a customized experience for every single client.
I'm here to debunk that assumption!
Your Dubsado account can remind you and your team using ToDo reminders within a workflow - thus, providing a custom automated experience for you and your client(s).
That being said, let's get into 4 simple Dubsado hacks that you, yourself, can use as an event venue.
At this time, Dubsado does not provide an option for businesses to follow up with a client for appointment schedulers. This means if the client does not schedule an appointment with you, an automatic follow up reminder will not be sent.
So, how do you semi-automate this step, without pulling your hair out?
By creating a ToDo reminder within your workflow. In this ToDo reminder, which can be automatically sent to your email, you can specify which client has not scheduled their appointment with you, which appointment scheduler link needs to be sent, and include screenshot images of how to do this.
That way if you wish to outsource this ToDo reminder down the line, your team can take the lead on this reminder without having to ask you a billion questions!
Picture this: A client signs their contract with you and pays their deposit. Yay! They're officially booked!
I'm assuming this means you'll be sending them a form or two or more.
One of the biggest concerns I get from my wedding professional clients, is the need to send multiple forms in that welcome email. How do you send multiple forms to fill out at once, without overwhelming the brand new client!?
Easy! Activate their portal. Send those forms to the client's portal. Send a welcome email including their portal link and the password to their portal.
Because many event venues work with brides and grooms, their emails and processes should be as simplified as possible, especially with so many moving parts to the wedding planning process. Providing a simple email that includes next steps and a link to the portal — which the client can access at any time — is a great way to share everything they need without bombarding them!
Remember, it's all about the client's experience!
Picking an event venue for a wedding, corporate, family or personal event can be tough and a client can go back and forth, more often than not!
That being said, I'm sure there's been plenty of times where a client will approve their proposal, possibly sign a contract with you, but then get cold feet or forget to pay their deposit.
It happens, and as a venue that relies on income, it's important to not properly welcome/onboard that client until the deposit is paid.
How do you do this?
For a pre-determined deposit amount for all clients, you can apply a payment plan to a work flow and hold actions until that deposit is fully paid.
For a wide-range of deposit amounts for your clients, you can create a ToDo reminder within your workflow to make sure each client has paid their deposit with you. Once they do so, you can check off on that ToDo reminder and have the workflow continue.
Because your an event venue, my guess is that you work with all sorts of clients. Brides and grooms, corporate partners, soon-to-be mothers, soon-to-be brides... the list goes on and on!
Dubsado offers a feature where you can create a tag for each type of client — and it can be created automatically using a workflow.
It's super simple! On a Lead Capture Form, you can utilize the Workflow Element component. Based on the dropdown option the inquired client chooses, (i.e. What type of event will this be? Wedding, Baby Shower, Bridal Shower, Corporate Event, Personal Event), a workflow creating a specific tag for that event will begin.
Let me explain in simple terms: A wedding client heads to the inquiry form on your website, they choose a Wedding event on the dropdown option, they click submit. A Wedding event workflow will begin and a "Wedding" tag is added to that client's project. Thus, allowing your venue to see what type of events you're preparing for!
The above hacks are just the beginning of what Dubsado can provide your event venue! In fact, these hacks are among the most simplest that Dubsado can offer.
As a Certified Dubsado Specialist, I take pride in creating a more simplified, yet automated, approach when it comes to client experience. Just because it's automated, doesn't mean it can't be simplified AND customized!
Are you an event venue or wedding professional and have been putting your Dubsado on the back-burner? This 10-step workflow will help make your business more profitable, efficient and run on autopilot. Click here to get access to our free inquiry workflow!
Heather is the founder of HQ Virtual Solutions — a boutique business agency that helps creatives and wedding professionals find simplicity and flexibility in the chaos of their business. After working project management for well-known corporations for over 8+ years, Heather decided to launch HQ Virtual Solutions and put her organization and project management passions to life. In her free time, she loves to spend time with husband and infant son, binge-watch Netflix documentaries, snuggle her pug and remodel her 1950's rancher.
