Hello, darling!
Welcome to Le Blog, your go-to resource for all of your burning CRM and back-end business questions. As a client experience strategist specifically for wedding professionals, I have answered every question imaginable about CRMs. Today, we’re going back to the very foundations, starting with the most important question: “What is a CRM?”
By the end of this blog, I want you to feel confident and, dare I say, excited about using a CRM to elevate your business—for your clients and yourself.
This, darling, is the basis of everything I do here at It’s Chloe G. A CRM is a Client Relationship Manager. This is the system you use to manage the ‘behind the scenes’ of your business. Everything from contracts and invoices to scheduling calls and sending questionnaires happens in your CRM. For wedding professionals, it’s the difference between you manually sending every email, tracking down signatures, and hoping clients remember to pay their invoices versus having a system that does all of that automatically while you focus on the creative work you actually love.
After explaining what a CRM is, I usually get asked, “Okay, Chloe, but is a CRM really that necessary for me, a humble service provider?” The answer is a resounding yes.
If you’re not convinced, let me ask you this: What’s the alternative? Invoicing through Venmo? Sending endless Calendly links and using Google Docs to share information? None of these are bad, per se, but they are certainly not helping you stand out from your competition and build trust with your clients! Not to mention the brain power required to keep track of all of these different platforms 😵💫. Besides, as a service provider, your client experience is everything. Your reputation lives and dies by how organized and professional you are. A CRM ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
Think about how much time you spend sending emails, following up on documents, scheduling events… I’m getting tired just thinking about it all! Every hour you spend on admin work is an hour you’re not spending on billable work or marketing. A CRM gives you back those hours and then some. Imagine not having to do everything manually. How many more clients would you be able to work with if you weren’t spending countless hours on admin every week? You can only manually manage so many clients before things start breaking down. A CRM lets you grow without the chaos.
And here’s the last thing I’ll say to you service providers who are still on the fence about a CRM. Professionalism builds trust. Automated (but personalized) follow-ups, beautiful branded documents, and seamless payment processing make clients feel like they’re working with an established, trustworthy business – even if you’re working from your dining room table. If you want to level up your business, you need to begin by leveling up your client experience. And all of that starts behind the scenes, with your CRM.
I could go on and on about all the benefits you’ll see when you invest in a CRM, but oh wait! I already have. If you want an in-depth look at how a CRM can change your business (and life), read this blog on the ROI of a custom CRM setup. If you’re just looking for the cliff notes, keep reading.
The first and biggest change I see when someone first invests in their CRM (meaning, learning how to use it effectively) is that they gain so much time back. Not only do they have more time during the work day, but they no longer have to send contracts at midnight or follow up with clients on Sunday morning. The system handles it.
And you know what else? Your time off can actually be time off. When your workflows are automated, you’re not chained to your inbox. The business keeps running even when you’re unplugged. Your mental health, friends, and family will thank you.
The next thing that changes is your confidence. You’re no longer second-guessing and triple-checking every email you send. You don’t wake up in the middle of the night because you forgot to hit send. Before integrating a CRM, it’s so easy to forget to follow up with a lead who inquired 8 days ago. With automation, that literally can’t happen.
And then that ease and trust turn to confidence. There’s something about having a polished, organized system that makes you feel (and act) more professional. Clients pick up on that energy.
The last big benefit of a custom CRM setup? A streamlined, luxury experience justifies premium pricing. When your client experience is top-notch, price objections decrease significantly.
So, what is a CRM? Only the backbone of your business and your gateway to having more time, freedom, and confidence in your business. It’s the next step in elevating your client experience and reaching a new level of clientele. It’s the transition from overwhelmed to excited. And it can happen in just five weeks.
Take it from Leah, the change is almost instant. “Before working together, something that was difficult to navigate was HOW to make the changes I knew I wanted. Now, I feel so confident in what each inquiry sees and each booked client experiences.”
Leah Thomason Photography
I offer completely custom Dubsado and Honeybook setups for wedding pros who are ready to take that next step. From designing branded forms to creating automations with personalized email responses, my done-for-you CRM setups help you avoid the overwhelm, stop procrastinating, and start utilizing the tool you’ve been avoiding for the past six months. Explore my Dubsado and Honeybook services, and schedule a call to get started!
And if you still have questions, explore the rest of Le Blog! From choosing the CRM that’s right for you to understanding the difference between CRM and PM tools, the blog is a completely free resource to help you navigate business ownership.
