Dubsado… Dubsado Has a problem!
Hi everyone!
Yes, I decided to use a click-baity title to get you to take a look at what I’m saying. You won’t be disappointed though; what I’ve got to say is good!
Now, I’ve been hearing a few people asking what is Dubsado, how Dubsado works, and do they need it if their processes are still manual (you know, calling their clients and all that), and I thought I’d put (digital) pen to paper addressing all this.
What exactly is Dubsado?
I went through a lot of trial and error and confusion surrounding Dubsado until I learned how to use it and it clicked for me. Now, I’m a kinesthetic learner; I learn best by doing or relating to what I did, so when I saw the Dubsado Education Portal, it didn’t make sense to me until I started using all the functions. But anyway, I digress.
Dubsado is a CRM (Client Relationship Management) tool. What that means is that it’s there to manage the one-on-one relationship you have with your clients (current & potential) from start to finish. Now, let me give you a real-world example from the time I used to work in a clinic:
Think about the time you went to the doctor’s office. You booked an appointment, right? And while doing that, you filled out some forms that had base information that your doctor needed.
When you come for your appointment, they’ll pull out your file and you get to see the doctor. You go in, communicate with the doctor, just you and them, getting all your needs met, getting a prescription, and a review date. All that is in your file.
I would say Dubsado works like a clinic. The patient walks in the door, and enquires about the doctor, or whatever service they want. If they’re new, the receptionist will start a file and give them forms to fill with the base information they need to keep tabs on the patient, right? That file is what they’ll use to keep track of all your visits, treatments, prescriptions, etc.
Now that file is called a “Project” in Dubsado and that’s where everything about your client is housed. Whenever you need to send them anything or communicate with them, you always need to open up that file. Keep this information handy, it’s important.
What Dubsado is Not:
It is not an email marketing tool.
Remember, this is a Client Relationship Management tool. It’s there to foster a one-on-one relationship with your client the same way a doctor conducts their appointments with a patient. At that point, that client you’re dealing with is the only one in the (digital) room, and they’re the only one that matters, and Dubsado is the one that sets the mood. Email marketing is more like having a shareholder’s meeting, where you as the email sender are the keynote speaker. They are different methods of communicating with people. They’re both important, but one cannot do that which the other does.
It is not a Project Management tool
Okay, so, you can have tasks and deadlines, and time tracking and so forth, but remember, all those are client-specific, meaning all the tasks you’re doing are geared towards moving your business relationship forward with your client, and nothing else. Project management tools are used in the running of your business. Now, you can probably build a project management tool to be a CRM, but Dubsado is client-focused, and that’s what it’s going to focus on.
Why’s Dubsado so Overwhelming?
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say: those pesky workflows. Which aren’t necessary honestly, especially when you’re starting. When you’re starting, you usually don’t have a solid process. You’re still fumbling around and you’re still trying to figure out how you want your client experience to look, and that’s okay. What you do in the meantime is take advantage of the fact that you can use it as a one-stop shop for client tasks:
- Email communication
- Scheduling appointments with your clients.
- Billing and handling payments
- Collecting information from them with forms etc.
- Giving them a safe space to house their documents & invoices and download them when they need them.
Once you have that down, and you’ve identified the repetitive process you use to get leads and convert them into clients, that’s when you can automate it into a workflow.
Another thing I’m going to say is that just like with medicine, once you understand Dubsado fully, it puts you into this “elite” category, and if you’re not conscious and continually checking in with your client, you’ll always be talking over their heads. There’s a vast difference between a doctor explaining conditions with medical terms only and them explaining them with terms people will understand. So, when you’re explaining Dubsado, the setup, and what it’ll do, always use examples that everyone will relate to. Hopefully the family clinic one is relatable enough.
How to Make it Less Overwhelming for Clients… and for me?
1. Stop Thinking about Workflows
I’m serious. Stop it. Right now.
Good.
Thinking of workflows in Dubsado is putting the cart before the horse. There’s a reason why setups start with the seemingly boring details before they get to THE ALMIGHTY WORKFLOWS! The boring details are the heart and soul of Dubsado, the workflows are pretty much the icing. Would you want a trash cake with icing on it? No, so you better make sure that Dubsado cake is delicious before you ice it with workflows.
2. Solidify your foundation
There are tiny little steps you need to make in Dubsado before you even get to the fun stuff. Get all those done first. The Dubsado 101 Education Portal is so good at helping you set up every little thing you need to set up. Take it very slowly and get those foundations set up for you. They also have a great customer service line. When you’re stuck, they’re always there to help you figure stuff out. If you’re like me, however, and you need to tinker around a bit to truly learn, this is what you need to think of:
- Your branding: your logo, your company colour, your company details.
- Connect your business calendar.
- Connect your business email.
- Play around with Projects (client files)
- Find where the invoices stay
- Try making a form
- Make a scheduler.
3. Define your Process
Have you been in business for a while and you have a solid method for dealing with leads, converting them to clients, onboarding then offboarding them? Have you written it down? If not, do that now. That will help you start to think about how it would look like when you’re doing it in Dubsado, or, if you move to another CRM, will help you replicate your process there. I’d recommend getting that process down manually so that it’s second nature before you even think about workflows.
4. Everything Starts and Ends with a Project
Remember the patient analogy? Once you have set up everything in Dubsado, every bit of work you will do for a client or a lead will be in their digital file. This video breaks it down a little better, and I hope it helps:
5. Outsource the setup and management!
If you’ve read this & watched the video and you’re like “Nah, I don’t want to go through this all by myself,” I recommend getting someone to set it up for you and then having your assistant or someone well-versed in using Dubsado daily (like us!) to manage it for you while you get the hang of it. If you need someone to set up your Dubsado, I’ll always recommend these ladies (They’re certified Dubsado Specialists, I love them and they’re a close part of my network):
Of course, I’ll shamelessly plug Nawena Virtual Solutions for the management part, because we live and breathe Dubsado.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if it means asking over and over. It’s your business and if you want to understand a certain part, you should. Understanding it sometimes is the fine line between you deciding whether it makes sense for your business or not. Hit us with all your Dubsado questions! We’re here to bring clarity to you.
With you in business,
Nawena Virtual Solutions