OBVI-US · #whathappensnext
Most of your future work is already in your client list.
You know your best clients and your hardest. It's the ones in the middle who go quiet, and the repeat work and referrals go with them. I map what happens next for every client, from first enquiry to the referral they send you, then build it into a CRM your team will actually use.
For law firms, accountancy practices, and music and arts organisations.
Flowlu Solutions Provider · Helping service businesses since 2018
[Photo: a founder and her team mapping a client journey on a whiteboard]
Enquiry received. So, what happens next?
Obvi-us, in short
Obvi-us is a customer experience consultancy for service businesses with a long client list. I map what happens next for every enquiry and client, build that process into a CRM and keep it working. I recommend Flowlu and I'm a Flowlu Solutions Provider. Founded in 2018, based in the UK, working with clients globally. The first conversation is free, and scope and fee are agreed before any work starts.
Returning client
Waiting 3 days
“Hi, are you doing my tax return again this year?”
Owner
Nobody
Nobody
Next action
In someone’s head
In someone’s head
Due
—
—
Mapped with Obvi-us
Returning client
On track
“Hi, are you doing my tax return again this year?”
Owner
Jo
Jo
Next action
Confirm and send this year’s checklist
Confirm and send this year’s checklist
Due
Today, 4pm
Today, 4pm
“So far nothing has dropped.”
Esther Gambrell, Joint Owner, Shining Star Studios
Information gets captured. Nobody designs what happens next.
Good firms rarely lose clients through one big mistake. They lose them in the gaps: the follow-up nobody owned, the check-in that lived in someone's head, the client who simply stopped hearing from you.
The forgotten middle
Good clients who bought once, were happy, and never heard from you again. No repeat work, no referral, just a row in a spreadsheet.
Nobody owns what happens after
The job is done and the file is closed. Everyone assumes someone else will stay in touch, so nobody does.
Enquiries that go quiet
A returning client or a new lead gets in touch, then waits. By the time someone replies, they've gone elsewhere.
A five-minute exercise
Who is your Line 38?
Export your client list and scroll to line 38. Not your favourite client, not your most difficult. Just a real person in the middle. Then try to answer these:
1. Who are they, and where are they?
2. What did they last buy, and when?
3. When were you last in touch?
4. What do you know about them that isn't in the spreadsheet?
5. Are they still hearing from you?
2. What did they last buy, and when?
3. When were you last in touch?
4. What do you know about them that isn't in the spreadsheet?
5. Are they still hearing from you?
If you struggled, you're not alone. That gap is where repeat work and referrals go missing.
#
Name
Last purchase
Last contact
36
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37
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38
Penny
?
?
39
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40
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Penny has booked concert tickets for twelve years. To most systems, she's just row 38.
Mapping first. People in control.
Most CRM projects start with the software. Mine start with your client's point of view, asking one question at every step: what happens next?
01
Discovery call
Two ears, one mouth. I listen to how your business really runs before suggesting anything.
02
Map the journey
Together, on a whiteboard, we trace every step from enquiry to referral, including the months after the job is done, and find what's broken, missing or ripe for automation.
03
Build it in your CRM
I configure Flowlu around your process: pipelines, automations, templates and dashboards. Not a generic set-up. More on Flowlu set-up
04
Train, then step back
Your team learns to run it. You own it, with no lock-in, and quick “how do I do this again?” questions are always free.
Built for firms with a long client list.
This is for you if you have 100 or more past clients, they come to you every so often rather than every week, and nobody really owns the relationship once the job is done. The size of your list matters more than the size of your team: a solo accountant with 400 clients is a great fit.
Law firms
Wills, conveyancing, family and private client work. Your clients' lives keep changing after the file closes. Be the firm they think of first.
Accountancy practices
Clients you see once a year and rarely in between. Keep every one feeling looked after, not just at year end.
Music and arts organisations
Music schools, venues and ensembles. Students, patrons and audiences come back when someone remembers them.
Photographers and wedding businesses
One big day, then silence. Turn happy clients into the referrals your next season depends on.
I also work with coaches and consultants who sell expertise and rely on clients coming back.
Ways to work together
Four steps, taken one at a time. Start free, and only go further when it's clearly worth it.
01 · Start here
Line 38 review
Free
A 20-minute live session on your own client list. You'll leave knowing who has gone quiet and what you'd say to them.
02 · Map
Process mapping and diagnostic
£3,500 + VAT
Your client journey drawn from the client's side, with leaks, owners and next actions marked. You leave with a prioritised plan. The fee is credited in full if you go ahead with the build within 30 days.
03 · Build
CRM set-up and improvement
One fixed price, agreed after the diagnostic
The mapped process built into Flowlu: pipelines, templates, automations, dashboards and team training. Existing set-ups reviewed and fixed.
04 · Keep going
Ongoing support
From £1,500 a month
Someone in your corner every month: reviews, refinements and a CRM that keeps pace with the business. Quick “how do I do this again?” questions are always free.
Scope and fee agreed in writing before work begins. Flowlu is optional; mapping starts with your business, not the software.
[Photo: Neil running a mapping workshop]
Who you'll work with: Neil Gowans
I'm Neil. I spent around 20 years working with airlines at Rockwell Collins and SITA, running workshops that got different departments to agree on how a process should actually work. The last five of those were spent on the customer journey, and they taught me that a plan only works when the handovers do.
In 2018 I started Obvi-us to bring that same thinking to smaller firms. Same principle, much smaller whiteboard: look at your business from your client's side, and ask what happens next.
You'll work with me directly, from the first call to the last training session. Neil on LinkedIn
~20 years
in airline operations
in airline operations
2018
Obvi-us founded
Obvi-us founded
Flowlu
Solutions Provider
Solutions Provider
What clients say
“Best practices and automations nearly doubled our income in one year’s time.”
Esther Gambrell, Joint Owner, Shining Star Studios
“I trust Neil with my email list, which means I trust him with my business success.”
Andreea Grad, Founder, Ponder & Spoon
“The most organised person I have ever worked with.”
Rachel K Collier, music producer
“He opened my eyes to what is possible with CRM.”
Sabrina Brown
Client feedback, published with permission. Individual results vary.
Questions founders ask
What does Obvi-us do?
Obvi-us is a customer experience consultancy. I map how clients move through your business, from first enquiry to repeat work and referrals, then set up your CRM so every next step happens reliably.
What is Line 38?
A five-minute exercise. Export your client list, pick the person on line 38, and see how much you really know about them. It shows how many good clients have quietly stopped hearing from you.
Who is it for?
Firms with 100 or more past clients, who come back every so often, where nobody owns the relationship once the job is done. Most of my clients are law firms, accountancy practices, music and arts organisations, and photographers and wedding businesses.
What is #whathappensnext?
It's my approach. At every point in your client's journey, I ask what happens next from their side. The answers show where processes break, where the experience falls short, what can be automated and which information you should be capturing.
Do I have to use Flowlu?
I'm a Flowlu Solutions Provider and most of my builds are in Flowlu. The mapping comes first, though, and it's valuable whichever system you use.
How much does it cost?
The Line 38 review is free for firms that qualify. The diagnostic is £3,500 + VAT, credited in full if you go ahead with the build within 30 days. The build is a fixed price, agreed after the diagnostic, so there are no surprises.
How long does a project take?
Typically 4 to 6 weeks from start to finish. That's elapsed time, not full-time work, so it fits around running your business.
Will I be locked in?
No. The aim is for your team to run the system confidently without me. Ongoing support is there if you want it, never as a condition.
#whathappensnext, by email
Not ready to talk yet? Get the Line 38 notes.
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Customer journey mapping and Flowlu CRM set-up · Since 2018
© 2018–2026 Obvi-us · Neil Gowans · Based in the UK, working with clients globally