Your project has recently been sent to potential providers who your advisor believes will be a good match for your project!
These providers will review your project brief and decide whether they can meet your desired outcomes. With a directory of over 56,000 providers, you can rest assured that your advisor will be able to find you a list of suitable providers.
So what's next?
Receive provider applications
You will receive a provider application via email and SMS from those who feel they can meet your requirements.
Within these applications, you will find a personalised message from the provider introducing themselves, a portfolio showcasing their previous works, a brief team biography, their location, client testimonials, and other pertinent details to give you a comprehensive overview of their skills.
If you like the application, the decision to meet the provider is yours. Simply accept or decline to have a meeting by clicking the thumbs up or thumbs down buttons at the bottom of the application.
Regardless of your decision, we ask that you respond timely to each application you receive. This ensures that your advisor is aware of your preferences and can adjust the selection accordingly. It also helps providers determine whether they should spend time preparing a pitch.
Should you decide to accept the application, you will be presented with the provider's proposed meeting time, who has taken into account the availability you previously shared with us. You have the option of accepting the suggested time or suggesting an alternative that better suits your schedule.
All of your confirmed meetings will then be displayed in your personal calendar.
Remember that all provider applications are easily accessible from your Sortlist account inbox. This serves as a centralised platform for you to communicate directly with providers. We strongly recommend that you use this communication channel instead of your personal email to ensure that no important communication is missed.
Meeting with providers
As your scheduled meeting with a provider approaches, here are some important things to remember.
On the day of the meeting, you will receive an automated email from us with important information.
If you have any questions about the meeting, please do not reply to this automated email. Instead, you should either contact your advisor personally via email or contact the provider directly via your Sortlist inbox.
For a full overview of what to expect during the meeting, we recommend you read our article "What to Expect in a Meeting with a Service Provider and How to Prepare for One".
Rescheduling a meeting:
If you find yourself in a situation where you need to reschedule a meeting, don't worry. Simply access your Sortlist account, navigate to your scheduled meeting, and select the reschedule option. You will be prompted to suggest new possible meeting times to the provider.
Please do not try to reschedule a meeting using your personal calendar, as providers will not receive notifications that way.
Cancel a meeting:
Similarly, if you need to cancel a meeting with a provider, log in to your Sortlist account and cancel the meeting directly from there. You will be asked to select a reason for the cancellation.
Post meeting
Once you've met with your selected providers, take the time to evaluate each one thoroughly before making a final decision.
Whether or not you have scheduled a follow-up meeting with your advisor, it can be invaluable to speak with them if you have any uncertainties or questions during the decision-making process.
You can also take a look at our article "6 Advantages of Comparing Service Providers and How to Compare Them to Help You in the Process."
Whether you choose to meet with a provider again, select them as your project partner, or decide not to continue with them, it's important to communicate these decisions to all the providers you've met with. They have invested time in preparing a detailed pitch, attended the meeting, and are now waiting for your response. You can easily communicate your decisions through your Sortlist account.