Why your onboarding call is costing you clients
If every new client starts with a 60-minute kickoff call, you're spending your best hours on logistics instead of coaching.
Most coaches start every client relationship the same way: a long kickoff call where you collect goals, explain how you work, and answer the same five questions you answered last week. It feels personal. It's also the most expensive hour in your business.
Do the math. Ten new clients a month at 60 minutes each is ten hours you can't bill and can't get back. And half of that call is you typing information into a form while the client waits.
A better structure: send a 10-minute intake form before the first session, record a 5-minute welcome video that covers your process and policies, and use the first paid session for actual work. Clients feel more prepared, not less cared for. In my experience they show up to session one with clearer goals than they ever did after a live kickoff.
The objection I hear is "but my clients expect the personal touch." They don't expect a phone call. They expect to feel taken care of. A tight intake form and a welcome video that answers their questions before they ask delivers exactly that — and it scales past the point where you can remember everyone's details.