12 Ways to Improve Your Client Onboarding Process
It’s no secret that first impressions matter. The same goes for business relationships – especially when you’re trying to land new clients.
That’s why having a strong client onboarding process is essential to the success of any business. After all, it’s the first step in building a lasting relationship with your client.
Unfortunately, many businesses don’t give onboarding the attention it deserves. As a result, they end up losing out on potential clients and opportunities.
Don’t let that happen to you. Keep reading to learn 12 ways you can improve your client onboarding procedures.
Help clients prepare with a checklist of what needs to get done
A great way to make sure you onboard your client as quickly and efficiently as possible is to come up with a standardized list that you give to everyone. This list should include everything that the client needs to do or prepare in order to get started with you.
Some items that could be on this list include:
- -Reading any relevant materials you send them
- -Filling out any necessary forms or questionnaires
- -Gathering any required documentation or evidence
- -Making any initial payments
This list will help to ensure that your clients are prepared for their first meeting with you and that they understand what is expected of them. It will also save you time in the long run by avoiding having to explain the same things over and over again.
Make sure to frame it not as something you expect from them, but something they can do to improve your ability to do great work for them.
Give them a detailed explanation of your process
When you first start working with a new client, it is important that they understand your process and what they can expect from you. This will help to set the right expectations and avoid any misunderstandings down the road.
Make sure to go over every step of your process with them, from start to finish. Explain what you will be doing, why you are doing it, and how long it will take. This will help to ensure that they are prepared for each step of the work and that they understand the value of what you are doing.
Put together a welcome package
A welcome package is a great way to introduce your new client to your business, your team, and your process. This package can include items such as:
- An introductory letter from you
- A brochure or overview of your business
- A list of Frequently Asked Questions
- A guide to working with you (including what to expect and how to get the most out of your relationship)
This welcome package will help your new client feel more comfortable and confident working with you, and it will make the onboarding process smoother for both of you.
Schedule a kickoff meeting
A kickoff meeting is an important part of the onboarding process, as it gives you a chance to meet with the client, get to know them better, and discuss the work that you will be doing together.
This meeting should be scheduled as soon after they become a client as possible. During this meeting, you can:
- Review your process and what they can expect
- Get to know them and their business better
- Answer any questions they have
- Set expectations for the work ahead
This meeting will help to get the relationship off on the right foot, and it will ensure that both you and the client are on the same page from the start.
Assign them a point of contact
One of the best ways to improve your client onboarding process is to assign each new client a point of contact. This person will be responsible for answering any questions they have, getting them set up with the necessary tools and resources, and keeping them updated on the status of their project.
This point of contact will be their main point of contact throughout the onboarding process, and they will be the one to help them through any bumps in the road.
Assigning a point of contact will help to make sure that your clients always have someone to turn to, and it will make the onboarding process smoother for both you and them.
Set up a project management system
A project management system is a great way to keep track of all the work that needs to be done for each client, and it will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
This system can be as simple as a Google Doc or spreadsheet, or you can use a more comprehensive client onboarding system like Custify, which can help better meet customer needs, reduce churn and increase total customer lifetime value.
Using a project management system will help to keep everyone organized and on track, and it will make it easier to see the progress that is being made on each project.
Get creative!
Do you have users? No one has users on their products. They have people! And people love to be entertained. There is, after all, a reason that Netflix is so popular. So get creative when engaging with your audience, like Whale’s Stijn Smet, who won the Most Creative CS Leader of the Year Award for 2023.
Thanks to Stino (as they call him at Whale), customers were provided with personalized videos and GIFs, including ones from popular television shows like the Real Housewives, to help guide them through the onboarding process. This allowed customers to onboard at their own pace and have a more enjoyable experience.
Send them an onboarding welcome package
This can include things like :
- An introductory letter from you
- A guide to working with you (including what to expect and how to get the most out of your relationship)
- A list of Frequently Asked Questions
- A welcome gift
This welcome package will help your new client feel more comfortable and confident working with you, and it will make the client onboarding process smoother for both of you. The client gets something with a personal touch that makes them feel special, and you can also include important information in there that will help them understand your process and what to expect.
Onboard new clients in batches
If you have a lot of new clients coming on board at once, it can be helpful to onboard them in batches. This means grouping them together based on similar needs or project timelines, and then working with them as a group through the client onboarding process.
This can help to save time, as you can provide information to all of them at once and answer any common questions they have. It also helps to build a sense of community and camaraderie among the group, which can be helpful for getting projects off to a good start.
Get feedback from clients
Asking for feedback from your clients is a great way to improve your onboarding process. You can ask them how they found the process, what could be improved, and what their overall experience was like. This feedback will be invaluable in helping you to make changes and improvements to your process.
You can also use this feedback to create case studies or testimonials that you can use to market your business.
Celebrate milestones in the client onboarding process
As your clients reach different milestones in their project, take the time to celebrate with them. This can be something as simple as sending them a congratulatory email or giving them a call.
Recognizing and celebrating these milestones will help to build a strong relationship with your clients, and it will show them that you are invested in their success. You can also use these opportunities to collect feedback and make improvements to your process.
Have a system for handling client questions
Questions will inevitably come up during the onboarding process, and it’s important to have a system in place for handling them. This could be something as simple as setting up a Google Doc or spreadsheet where clients can submit their questions, or you could have a dedicated email address or Slack channel for questions.
The important thing is that you have a system in place so that questions don’t fall through the cracks, and so that you can keep track of which questions have been answered and which ones still need to be addressed.
Conclusion
Onboarding new clients doesn’t have to be a stressful or difficult process. By following these tips, you can set yourself up for success and make the process smoother for both you and your clients. Putting some thought into your client onboarding process will pay off in the long run, and it will help you to build strong relationships with your clients.
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