Build trust that leads to conversions
Nani Skincare is a local salon who recently started offering skincare treatments and aesthetician services. They wanted to grow a loyal client base for facials and other new offerings. To attract customers, they launched free consultations through an easy-to-use online booking form.
Suddenly, their calendar filled up, and Nani was having genuine, two-way conversations with people who were excited to learn how their services could help with their specific needs. Even people who had previously ignored their marketing efforts suddenly booked and became loyal clients, simply because they could see firsthand Nani's expertise, feel heard, and leave with a plan personalized just for them.
Why offer free consultations?
- Build trust: Service businesses run on relationships. Consultations let you get to know each potential client personally, so you can listen, relate, and put them at ease.
- Showcase your expertise: A free consultation gives you valuable face time with prospects to demonstrate your skills, answer their questions, and build credibility from the very first interaction.
- Tailor your recommendations: A consultation allows you to assess each prospect's unique needs and recommend the exact solution for them, making their experience personalized from day one.
- Higher conversion: Customers who have experienced your expertise and connected with you are far more likely to trust you with their business.
In this lesson, you'll learn how to build a high-converting free consultation workflow in Klaviyo to maximize the impact of every scheduled consultation. From wellness and home improvement to legal or creative services, this method helps any service business demonstrate their value and earn new clients.
Build your free consultation workflow in Klaviyo
Follow the steps outlined in these tabs to set up a workflow that collects prospect information, helps them book a consultation, and provides you with valuable information needed for segmentation and targeting.
Intake form
Create a sign-up form in Klaviyo that allows customers to sign up for free consultations. Full page forms work really well for this.
Use this form to ask:
- Contact basics (e.g., name, email, phone number).
- Segmentation data (e.g., "what's your primary skin concern?").
- Qualifying questions to determine service eligibility (e.g., for personal training, "Do you have any medical conditions that may affect your ability to participate in fitness sessions?")
This information is stored in the prospect's Klaviyo profile, so you can personalize every future touchpoint.
For a more interactive experience, consider building a Typeform survey and then integrating Typeform with Klaviyo.
In the final step of the form, include instructions or a direct booking widget (like Sesami) to let prospects schedule their consultation instantly.
Why this matters for service businesses:
A robust intake form lets you show, right from the first step, that you’re attentive, professional, and customer-focused. It sets the tone that you’ll deliver a personalized, high-quality experience.
Add an incentive
For high-commitment or expensive services, the barrier to conversion can be quite high. Try pairing your free consultation with an exclusive discount to help convert interest into bookings.
For example, SWAK cosmetics offers permanent makeup starting at $500. Their promotion: "Book a free consultation and get $200 off your first permanent makeup procedure!"
This way, they have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with folks who are interested but hesitant about this procedure. The client leaves feeling more informed and confident about their decision, AND gets a discount!
Why this matters for service businesses:
Service purchases are often high-consideration. Incentives eliminate risk and reward prospects for taking the time to get to know you.
Confirmation flow
After someone submits the form, use flows to:
- Confirm their booking (or send a scheduling link if not completed).
- Provide pre-consultation prep information and make it easy for them to reach your team with questions.
- For booked appointments, create a flow with friendly reminders so customers show up and feel valued.
For example, Nani's sign-up form adds prospects to a consultation list, triggering a flow.
Once the customer books a consultation, a new Klaivyo flow sends reminders based on their appointment data, which is stored in a custom object that contains the date and time of the consultation appointment.
Why this matters for service businesses:
Building relationships doesn't stop after the free consultation. Use flows to clearly communicate with and nurture your leads to continue building on that foundation of trust.
Key segments
Use the data collected in your free consult signup form to create segments and tailor your messaging for higher engagement.
You can group customers by need, industry, or fit for your different services and send targeted messaging based on this shared characteristic.
For example, Nani created 3 segments based on skin type: dry, oily, and sensitive. Then, they promote the most relevant facials and skincare products to each segment. They are also able to run seasonal specials targeted at people whose skin is prone to burning or dryness.
Why this matters for service businesses:
Segmentation ensures you’re always addressing what matters most to each client, reinforcing your expertise and commitment to providing the right solution from the start.
Maximize conversions after the consultation
You’ve delivered a stellar consultation and left your prospect feeling informed and heard. Now, it's time to convert that connection into action and build the foundation for a lasting client relationship.
Design post-consultation nurture flows
Set up an automated nurture flow after each consultation.
Use conditional splits to send tailored messages to clients who have booked a service versus those who haven't.
If you offered any discounts or special incentives with your free consultation, include them in this post-consultation flow.
Send targeted campaigns to key segments
Segment your audience based on consultation form responses or in-appointment feedback. Recommend specific services or follow up with solutions custom-matched to their needs.
For example, Nani's team evaluates each customer's skin during the consultation and recommends specific facials and skincare products.
They run a regular rotation of specials for different services, targeting each campaign at a different key segment who would be most interested in that service. As their lead funnel continues to flow, they are continuously adding warm leads into these campaigns, providing them with personalized solutions.
Measure consultation strategy success
Track these key metrics to evaluate success of your free consultation strategy:
- Consultation form submit rate
- Consultation-to-client conversion rate
- Engagement with post-consultation messaging
Optimize your consultation strategy
Regularly review the performance of your free consultations using the key performance indicators (KPIs) listed above.
Use these insights to test new messages, offers, or flows.
Use what you learn to adapt and improve, ensuring your consultations remain compelling and your approach stays productive.