How to Create a Client Waitlist (+ the email sequence you need for it)
Updated September 2023
Are you nervous to move to a waitlist in your interior design business or wedding planning business? Afraid it will have potential clients going to someone else with their project?
While it’s slightly different for wedding planners because typically brides book their wedding planners almost a year in advance of their wedding date, there are still times when you can’t add any more immediate client work, meetings, or planning to your calendar.
Before you move to a waiting list, there are just a few recommendations I can make. Be sure to check out our Waitlist Workshop in The Workroom for all the specifics.
01 | CHANGE YOUR MINDSET ABOUT MAKING CLIENTS WAIT
I know it can be scary to put clients on a waiting list because of a scarcity mindset (what if we have a bad month, what if we can’t book more projects, what if people don’t want to wait). Look at the data, look at the demand. Creating a waitlist allows you to serve your clients more fully because you won’t be overworked and overwhelmed with managing the details of your existing project load.
02 | SET THE EXPECTATIONS IN YOUR MARKETING MATERIALS
I am a HUGE fan of putting project availability on websites and in marketing materials/emails.
First, it sets an expectation for potential clients so they know right off the bat if their timeline matches up with your availability.
It creates a sense of urgency for clients to book before you fill up.
03 | HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOU SHOULD MOVE TO A WAITING LIST
This may sound like a no-brainer, but some business owners may not know when it’s time to move to a waitlist because they’ve never been able to step away from their work to analyze their projects and their schedule.
I love mapping out projects for our monthly partnership clients to see what they can realistically handle. If you don’t have someone to help you with this, I would recommend going old school to map it out.
Print out a blank calendar template and fill it in with your current projects and the timeline for each one (or create a Gantt chart). From there, look at the month and see if there is room for any additional project types based on the hours you work each week. (this is also how to plan your marketing, by assessing the gaps and then *magic* promoting those services to fill in the gaps!)
Now you know exactly when you can take another project!
Once you’ve reframed your scarcity mindset, made it real by putting your availability on your website, and have assessed your schedule and know it’s time to move to a waitlist, it’s time for your client waiting list strategy!
Client Waiting List Strategy
GET THEM ON THE WAITLIST WITH A CONTRACT + DEPOSIT
My interior designer and wedding planner typically don’t do wait lists; but they do have clients who sign on whose projects won’t start for another month or two.
This same applies to most coaching and creative industries. Rather than let them go and find someone who is available sooner, let them know when you can start their project and have them go through all the steps in your proposal process to book your services. Remind them of the benefits: this locks in pricing + confirms their spot on your calendar.
SERVE THEM ON AUTO-PILOT WHILE THEY’RE WAITING TO START
I recommend going through your typical onboarding process so they still get all the feels when they first sign up with you. This includes homework you need them to complete as well as any other tips for how to prepare for your first meeting/session.
Cue the email sequence! Depending on how far out you book your waitlist, I love having an email sequence in place to send out a few emails so your client feels the love while they wait. If you’re an interior designer, be sure to check out my done-for-you client waiting list email sequence here if DIY isn’t your thing.
Email ideas to include in your waitlist sequence:
Introduction to your team email
Details of each phase of the process for that service type (they may have forgotten what the process is and what’s included!)
Additional resources to help them prepare
Inspiration for their project
Send them a welcome gift! I like sending clients welcome gifts at the beginning of the process because this is when clients have just made a financial investment and might be having some buyer’s remorse. PS: Don’t send anything with your logo on it.
Grab the done-for-you email templates below and have this six email sequence ready to go in minutes.
You’ll be able to keep clients informed and excited, and you’ll look like an absolute professional. Fully written for interior designers and wedding planners who want to support their clients before they officially start. Easy to edit as needed and use right away from your inbox, CRM, or email service provider.
Sometimes a client waiting list won’t work because your client wants help right away. To avoid spending time on a lead who isn’t an ideal fit, it all goes back to that initial inquiry phase and the questions you ask on your intake form.
If you’re not on a waitlist and wish you had that many clients coming in, be sure to check out my client experience templates so you can have a process for your clients that will keep them referring you to their friends and coming back for more.
Talk soon!
Katie
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