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Episode 267

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Published on:

17th Dec 2025

The CRM Emails That Turn New Leads into Booked Clients Faster (Without the Sales Call) with Kara Duncan

If you still think that a system for booking and onboarding new clients has to be complicated, this is the episode for you. What if you could take a potential client from inquiry to payment in under five minutes? In this episode, I sit down my copywriter Kara Duncan to show exactly how a fast, thoughtful, and human booking process changed her business.

You’ll hear how a simple CRM, a quick Loom video, and thoughtful follow-up emails turned missed opportunities into the fastest payment she’s ever received. The best part? No sales calls required.

Find It Quickly:

00:25 - Welcome Kara Duncan

00:52 - The Five-Minute Booking Process

02:01 - Client Communication: The Key to Success

05:21 - Enhancing Proposals with Loom Videos

14:17 - The Importance of Follow-Up Emails

22:11 - The Importance of Detailed Proposals

23:22 - The Power of Loom Videos

23:58 - Overcoming Sales Call Challenges

24:57 - Effective Client Communication

26:07 - The Value of Personalized Videos

27:41 - Sales Calls vs. Video Proposals

28:54 - Client Communication Strategies

32:32 - The Five-Minute Booking Process

39:53 - Reassuring Clients Post-Payment

Mentioned in this Episode:

Email Like You Mean It

Episode 39 of The Kara Report: How to Create One (+ More Tips to SIMPLIFY Your Life With Your CRM) with Colie James

Episode 14 of The System for Everything: The System for Keeping It Personal (Even When It’s Prewritten) with Colie James

Episode 123 of Business-First Creatives: 3 Videos to Create for Your Client Experience Right Now (Video Visibility Series)

Connect with Kara:

Website: thekarareport.com

Podcast: thekarareport.com/podcast

Instagram: instagram.com/thekarareport

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About the Podcast

Business-First Creatives
A podcast about systems, workflows, and business advice for creative service providers.
Business-First Creatives is a podcast for photographers and creative service providers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business without drowning in admin work, client experience chaos, or systems that let you down.

This show delivers clear, actionable conversations around marketing, CRM workflows, client communication, Dubsado and Honeybook automation, Airtable systems, and workflow strategies, giving photographers and creative entrepreneurs the systems that scale, operational clarity, and strategic, human-first client experiences they need to build streamlined, referral-worthy business operations that don't require working 24/7.
If you're tired of babysitting your inbox, chasing down contracts, or watching your workflows break the moment you look away, this show will help you move beyond "figuring it out as you go" and toward a creative business that brings you joy and a paycheck.

This podcast provides answers to questions like:
How do I automate my client journey without losing the personal touch?
What CRM workflows do photographers and creative businesses need?
How can I use Dubsado or Honeybook to streamline my client experience?
What systems do photographers need to save time and deliver exceptional client experiences?
How do I reduce admin time in my creative service business?
Why do my workflows keep letting me down (and how do I fix them)?
How can I build a profitable creative business that brings me joy and a paycheck?
What's the best way to communicate with clients throughout their journey?
How do I create systems that work even when I'm not babysitting them?
How can I map my client journey to convert more inquiries into bookings?

Hosted by Colie James, a Dubsado Certified Specialist, Honeybook Educator, and Workflow and Automations Guru with 10+ years helping creatives systemize their businesses—this show delivers practical, no-BS guidance for photographers and creative entrepreneurs who are ready to streamline their client journey, automate their operations, and make money from their craft.

If you're done dropping balls and ready to build a business-first creative operation with systems that scale, you're in the right place.

Find out more about Systems in Session ➡️ https://coliejames.com/systems-in-session