Does keeping track of your coaching clients feel like pulling teeth?
Effective client tracking allows you to stay organized, provide personalized support, and ultimately help your clients achieve their goals.
But having a streamlined client tracking system is easier said than done. In this post, we’ll cover how you can manage client tracking as a coach, even if you hate fancy tech! Keep reading to discover:
- The importance of client tracking for coaches
- 4 ways in which to keep track of clients
- Creating your own client tracking system
- Paperbell: The client tracking software made for coaches
The Importance of Client Tracking for Coaches
Client tracking is more than just keeping a list of names and contact information. It’s an essential tool that:
- Provides insights into your client’s progress
- Helps you identify their needs
- Allows you to tailor your coaching approach accordingly
By keeping track of your clients, you can easily refer to previous conversations, record milestones, and understand their behavior or progress patterns. This information lets you personalize your coaching sessions, set realistic goals, and track their progress effectively!
Plus, having a well-maintained client tracking system builds trust and credibility with your clients.
For instance, when your clients see that you are organized and attentive to their needs, they’ll feel valued and are more likely to continue working with you – and to send a referral your way.
It also allows you to provide a higher level of service and show your clients that you genuinely care about their journey.
One of the key benefits of client tracking is the ability to gain valuable insights into your clients’ progress. By keeping detailed records of their sessions, you can identify patterns and trends that may not be immediately clear while in the session.
For example, you may notice that certain clients tend to resort to the same excuse every time they struggle to act on a plan you’ve created together. But you may not have noticed this pattern without looking across all your notes together.
Client tracking also allows you to set realistic goals for your clients. By reviewing their progress over time, you can identify areas where they have excelled and areas where they may need additional support.
This information can help you set achievable milestones and guide your clients toward reaching the big, juicy goals they want to reach!
It also provides a benchmark for measuring their progress and celebrating their achievements along the way.
In addition to tracking progress, client tracking can help you understand your clients more deeply. Reviewing past conversations and notes lets you gain insights into their values, motivations, and personal goals.
This knowledge not only allows you to tailor your coaching sessions to their unique needs and aspirations, but it can also help you build rapport with them.
Overall, client tracking is vital for any coach who wants to have more than just one or two clients. It helps you understand your clients’ progress and needs and allows you to personalize your coaching approach, set realistic goals, and build trust and credibility.
By investing time and effort into maintaining a comprehensive client tracking system, you can provide exceptional service and support to your clients, helping them achieve their goals and live their best lives!
4 Ways to Keep Track of Clients
You can use various methods to keep track of your coaching clients, depending on your preference and the size of your coaching business. Here’s how to keep track of clients with 4 specific tools.
1. How to use paper tracking for a low-ticket client tracking system
One traditional approach is using a paper-based system to track your coaching clients.
This method involves using a notebook or a physical folder for each client. With a paper-based system, you can easily:
- Jot down notes during sessions
- Keep track of progress
- Add sticky notes for reminders or goal-tracking
Even though I’ve adopted digital methods to track my clients, I have to admit I’m partial to keeping a notebook with me at all times. But that’s because of my personality. To me, it’s easier to write raw, unfiltered notes on paper than on a computer or smartphone.
2. Can spreadsheets work as client management software?
An alternative to paper-based tracking is using digital spreadsheets. Tools like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets offer the flexibility to create customizable client tracker templates.
With spreadsheets, you can:
- Categorize clients based on their goals
- Track progress from almost any device
- Record important milestones
- Create charts or graphs to visualize their development
Spreadsheets make it a lot easier to standardize how you keep track of your clients and make it much simpler to share this data with your clients when needed.
However, like any digital resource, it’s important to back up your work or manage your spreadsheets from the cloud. Imagine your computer getting corrupted or destroyed with no backups to your spreadsheets – you’d lose all those client trackers and be unable to support your clients in the best way possible!
3. How to systemize with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms
Another effective method is using customer relationship management (CRM) software.
These tools offer many features that can streamline your client tracking process. For example, they provide contact management, allowing you to store all client information in one place.
Progress tracking features enable you to monitor and evaluate your clients’ progress. Task management tools help you stay organized and ensure that you are meeting your clients’ needs. Appointment scheduling features make it easy to manage your calendar and avoid any scheduling conflicts. Some CRM software even offer automated reminders, so you never miss an important session or follow-up.
Some popular CRM platforms include:
- Salesforce
- Pipedrive
- Hubspot
- Zoho
The biggest issue with CRMs is that many of them are designed for sales teams – not coaches. As such, many of them can feel a bit bloated with features you don’t need.
And they’re a bit hard to understand if you’re not already tech-savvy. Plus, some of the most popular CRM platforms, like Salesforce, are extremely expensive.
4. All-in-one online business platforms
Finally, you can opt for software for keeping track of clients with an all-in-one online business platform such as Dubsado or Honeybook.
These platforms allow you to automate workflows with your clients and prospects, such as:
- Appointment reminders
- Contracts
- Invoices
- Payment reminders
Most of these platforms typically allow you to keep client notes as well.
However, I’ve tried both Dubsado and Honeybook – and while they’re great tools, both have big issues when it comes to running a coaching business.
Dubsado itself is extremely powerful, but it’s also very complex. Entire businesses were born specifically to help service providers set up their Dubsado accounts – and it’s not cheap to pay for that kind of setup.
As for Honeybook, it’s clear the software was designed for local service providers like photographers – and not for coaches.
For instance, you have to create a new project for every single client – instead of creating a ‘project’ for every coaching program. And you’ll also run into several limitations with the calendar scheduling options.
Creating Your Own Client Management System
While using existing software or tools can work for you, you may prefer to create your own client tracking system tailored to your coaching style and unique needs. Here are a few steps to help you get started:
1. Define your goals
Start by identifying what specific information you want to track, such as client contact details, session notes, progress updates, or goals.
This will help you establish the foundation for your tracking system.
Your goals may be different from another coach, depending on your coaching niche. For instance, a fitness coach will likely track milestones such as max weight during reps, while this makes no sense for a mindset coach to track!
2. Consider the unique needs of your coaching practice
Are you primarily focused on helping clients achieve specific outcomes, or do you also want to track their overall well-being and personal growth?
By clarifying your goals, you can ensure that your tracking system captures the data that is most relevant to your coaching approach.
3. Choose which tools you’ll use to build your client-tracking app
Decide the tools, software, or apps you want to use for your tracking system.
Consider factors like:
- Ease of use
- Accessibility
- Integration with other tools you may be using
When building your own client tracking system, there are various options available to you. Some of them include:
- Spreadsheets
- Flexible project management platforms like Airtable or monday.com
- Digital planners
Take the time to research and test different tools to find the one that best suits your needs – and the one you’re capable of customizing in the way you like.
For example, while I love spreadsheets, I’m not the best at creating custom tracking solutions. So, I don’t typically use them for client tracking systems.
4. Create a structure
Determine how you want to organize your tracking system. Depending on your needs, you may want to categorize clients based on their goals, create folders or tabs for each client, or use tags to mark important milestones.
The structure of your tracking system will play a crucial role in its usability and effectiveness. Think about how you can organize your clients’ information in a way that is intuitive and easy to navigate for you – not for other coaches.
5. Set regular check-in points
Establish a schedule for checking in with your clients and updating all client progress tracking. This will ensure your tracking system remains up-to-date and relevant to their journey.
Regular check-ins are vital for maintaining a strong coaching relationship and ensuring that your clients are making progress towards their goals. By incorporating check-in points into your tracking system, you can stay informed about your client’s current status and provide timely support and guidance.
6. Regularly evaluate and evolve
Continuously assess your tracking system to see if any improvements or modifications are needed. As your coaching practice grows, you may discover new requirements that can improve your client tracking process.
Paperbell: The Client Tracking Software Made for Coaches
Let’s be real: you’re probably busy and don’t want to waste time learning a bunch of tech or building an entire system from scratch.
But all-in-one business platforms with client tracking features force coaches to adapt to them instead of being the other way around!
That’s where Paperbell comes in – it’s hands-down the best client-tracking software for coaches!
Designed specifically for coaches, Paperbell offers a simple and intuitive client-tracking solution that can streamline your coaching practice and help you minimize all that admin work.
One of the standout features of Paperbell is its ability to manage client profiles via its client tracking portal easily. With just a few clicks, you can access all the information you need about each client, including:
- How many purchases they’ve made (and which packages they’ve bought)
- How many appointments remain in their current package
- Scheduled appointments
- Contracts
- Survey responses
- Private content shared with your client and vice versa
- All email logs
- And finally: notes you’ve been taking on this client!
Every time you create a new note in your client tracking database, you’ll be able to add:
- Links
- Files
- Formatted text
Plus, you can choose to share the note with the client or keep it private to yourself.
But that’s not all. Paperbell also makes scheduling appointments with potential clients (and existing clients) a breeze.
And because the calendar scheduling tool is designed specifically for coaches, you can create custom availability for every coaching package type. It also lets your clients see how many appointments they have left with you.
Paperbell also makes communicating with your clients easily from a single platform! All you need to do is click “Send email” and select which client you’ll send it to. No need to change tabs and open your emails.
For coaches who offer virtual coaching sessions, Paperbell integrates seamlessly with Zoom so that your clients never have to scramble to look for that link.
And let’s not forget about the financial side of things. Paperbell offers seamless payment processing, making it easy for you to collect fees from your clients. You can set up recurring payments, create payment plans, or ask for a one-time payment upfront.
It’s the best way to keep track of client payments without consistently scrolling through your inbox. No need for a separate client payment tracker.
And this is only the tip of the iceberg. With additional tools such as package creation, landing pages, and automated emails, Paperbell is the last tool you’ll ever need to run a coaching business without all the tech overwhelm!
Simplify Your Client Tracking and Sales Process with Paperbell
Whether you choose a traditional paper-based approach digital spreadsheets, or opt for specialized software designed for coaches like Paperbell, client tracking is a non-negotiable if you want to keep your clients happy while keeping your mental health intact.
So, if you’ve been spending too much time managing dozens of spreadsheets or fumbling through your paper notes, why not try Paperbell for free?
Your account is free forever until you get your first client. And with all that admin work gone, you’ll be able to focus on what truly matters – helping your clients achieve massive results!
Grab your free account of Paperbell today to get started.
