Handoff
processes.
You have an offer, a website, fulfillment figured out, a CRM catching leads, and your business is legal. Now we build the machine that runs after a lead says yes.
Document it once. Run it the same every time.
Every step from "yes" to "happy customer" needs a documented process. Not because you love documentation, but because the second you have two clients in flight at once, you will forget a step.
Documented processes also make outsourcing trivial. Without them, every handoff to a contractor is a re-explanation. With them, the SOP does the explaining.
Map the client journey.
Customize this template to your offer. Some steps may not apply, others may break into sub-steps. The point is that every stage has a documented owner and outcome.
- 01Lead comes in (marketing, referral, outreach).
- 02Sales conversation (call, meeting, async).
- 03Proposal or quote sent (if applicable).
- 04Close — they say yes.
- 05Payment collected.
- 06Client onboarding (collect info, set expectations).
- 07Handoff to fulfillment (outsourcer, partner, or yourself).
- 08Delivery — the work gets done.
- 09Quality check before sending to client.
- 10Client delivery and follow-up.
Document your sales process.
You do not need to be a natural salesperson. You need a process you can follow consistently.
- ›Discovery — understand their problem, confirm fit.
- ›Present the solution — what you deliver, the result, the price.
- ›Handle questions directly, honestly, patiently.
- ›Ask for the sale — never leave without a clear next step.
Get paid before you start.
Or at clearly defined milestones. Pick one processor, set it up, and run a small test transaction before any client uses it.
Stripe
Most flexible. Works with almost everything. 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Default choice for most service businesses.
PayPal
Widely recognized. Some clients prefer it specifically. Similar fees to Stripe. Good as a secondary option.
Square
Strong for in-person payments and POS. Reasonable online tools. Worth it if you also see clients face-to-face.
Invoicing tools
FreshBooks, Wave (free), QuickBooks. Send professional invoices with payment links built in. Best for larger one-off projects.
- ›One-time projects: 50% upfront, 50% on delivery (or 100% upfront for smaller amounts).
- ›Retainers: monthly billing, due on the 1st, auto-charge if possible.
- ›Always written into the service agreement from Lesson 4.
Build a client onboarding template.
Same flow for every client. No more reinventing the wheel every time someone signs up.
- ›Welcome email confirming the engagement and outlining next steps.
- ›Intake form — logins, brand assets, content, access, preferences.
- ›Timeline — when they see the first deliverable, when the project completes.
- ›Communication channel — email, Slack, weekly calls? Set the expectation.
Hand off to fulfillment.
If you are outsourcing (Lesson 3): write SOPs that tell your fulfillment partner exactly what they need to know — scope, client info, brand guidelines, deadlines, quality bar.
Review every output before it goes to the client. Every time. Until you fully trust the process. Define an escalation path for when something goes wrong, because eventually it will.
If you are doing the work yourself, document your delivery SOP anyway. Future-you (or your first hire) will need it.
Deliver, then follow up.
Do not just send files. Deliver with context — explain what was done, why, and what they should expect next.
Ask for feedback. Handle revisions per your agreement terms. After completion, ask for a testimonial or referral while the result is fresh. Add the client to your list for future upsells and check-ins.
Before moving to Lesson 7.
- □Full client journey mapped to your offer.
- □Sales process or talking points documented.
- □Payment processing live and tested.
- □Client onboarding template created.
- □Fulfillment handoff SOP written.
- □Quality check process defined.
- □Delivery and follow-up process documented.
The machine is built. Now turn on the traffic.
Lesson 7 is marketing — paid ads, organic content, and direct outreach. Pick one channel, get it working, then layer in the others.