Can you explain how to service a client after closing, including proposal details, setting up an Instantly account, pricing, and money transfers?
I’ve already recorded videos on this, but in short: help the client create an Instantly account using your affiliate link (you earn 30‑40 % commission). For payments, I use Stripe for direct transfers and Upwork for freelance work—Upwork takes about 7 % after fees. When pricing, bundle services into a subscription or retainer, outline deliverables clearly, and add a small margin (2‑4 %) to cover costs. This creates a clear, repeatable process for agency work.
It's straightforward and depends on the platform. On Upwork they handle payments, escrow, and invoices, so beginners don't need Stripe or a business account. Otherwise, ask the prospect for a fixed-price or hourly offer based on your negotiation; you can split payments into milestones (e.g., 50% up front, 33% each). The prospect creates an offer, you accept, and the money goes into escrow—a neutral account that releases funds when you submit the agreed deliverables. To reduce drop-off, combine the proposal, contract, and invoice into one document after the sales call; the client signs, a payment page appears, and after the invoice you receive an email booking the onboarding call. This cuts the funnel loss from ~40% to ~20%. US companies tend to move faster through this process than European ones, which often require more steps.
We usually start with an upfront deposit, then collect the delivery payment, and finally move the client onto a retainer. It’s essentially an intro‑offer plus a recurring service model. The intro offer is a low‑ticket, highly deliverable product that proves value quickly—often priced around $2 K (or even $998 to make it more palatable). After you deliver and show ROI, you pitch a monthly retainer, typically $5 K per month for a four‑month commitment, which becomes the bulk of the revenue. The flow looks like: upfront deposit → delivery payment → retainer. This structure makes it easier to sell recurring services, which are hard to sell cold, by first establishing trust with a concrete, repeatable deliverable.
Start with a kickoff call after the client pays, where you help them set up any needed platforms and possibly share your affiliate or partner codes for discounts or revenue. Then state that you’ll build everything in their environment so they retain full control if they stop working with you. Build using their tools (they give you credentials), and deliver the project with a video SOP that walks them through the system and serves as documentation for future maintenance. Use that video as a retention mechanism, then upsell related projects based on the knowledge gained from the current job. Mention that you can save them $500–$10,000 per month with a simple system, and invite them to a quick call if interested. The loop gets you in and prints money; you can pitch a monthly upsell or another one‑time project.
If you're building a system that generates $5,000 a month in value for a client, having them pay a small percentage fee is not a big deal; they care about the upside, not the tiny downside. As the service provider, you might worry about subscription costs, but the AI and automation field attracts technical people who overthink this. Get the client to pay for everything. On a kickoff call, walk them through exactly which platforms they need to sign up for. This builds perceived value because they see the technical setup and appreciate you handling it. You can also use your affiliate links—being a Make.com partner, for example—to earn 3–5% kickback or give clients discounts. If a client stays for a year, you earn recurring affiliate fees; e.g., 40% on a $100/month plan yields $40/month, or $480–$500 per year per client even if they stop working with you. This approach also minimizes your liability since you’re not making monthly payments on their behalf. It’s the best way to handle software costs. If you’d like a kickoff call SOP, I have a document that outlines how to run the call and get clients signed up on the platforms.