First Impressions Count: How To Master The onboarding process

Having a standout and seamless user journey is a big part of running a successful business that keeps your clients happy and coming back for more!

But there is a lot that goes into creating this easy and positive experience for your customers.

In my last blog, I spoke about everything you need to consider in the first stage of the user journey (if you missed it, you can catch up here!). We left off after the client had paid your first invoice and signed your contract.

After this, you’re officially ready to onboard them! 

This is such an exciting part of working with a new client but it can also be really overwhelming and that’s not the impression we want to give to any new clients.

So here are some of my tips for creating an onboarding process that feels effortless and easy for both you and your clients!

Start with a welcome document 

A welcome document is one of the best ways to clearly communicate everything your clients need to know about working with you. 

All you need to do is create a PDF on Canva, style it in your branding and add some key information and you’re good to go! 

Within my welcome documents, I include information about how to get in touch with me and when my working hours are, access to their Google Drive with an explanation of what it is used for, a project checklist so they know what to do next and finally, a project timeline so they know what to expect and by when.

This is the easiest way I’ve found to communicate all of the core onboarding information my clients need to know in an organised, professional and on-brand way!

Send a welcome gift

This is completely optional but it can be a really nice touch! 

Depending on your budget, the gift could be anything from a card to flowers, some chocolate or even a few branded items like a mug, notebook or candles!

It’s simply a small gesture to show how excited you are to be working with them so it doesn’t need to be anything too grand (unless you want it to be!).

Get organised behind the scenes 

One of the best things you can do to improve your onboarding is to get organised and have a set of internal tasks you do each time you onboard someone!

I have an automation set up in my business (thanks to my amazing OBM) where anytime a client signs a contract in Dubsado, a ClickUp folder automatically gets created for that client and it contains every task I need to do. 

This includes things like setting up a Google Folder for them, gathering relevant log-in and branding information, setting up their Airtable base, establishing content pillars and booking their strategy session! 

It then takes me through the monthly process of creating content (if they’re working with me on a retainer basis) so I know exactly where I am in the process. 

This makes you appear more organised and helps the client feel more supported. 

Ultimately, the more organised you are on your side of things, the more seamless the onboarding experience for your client will be.

Get clear on your communication 

One thing that is extremely important to help maintain a positive experience for your clients (this extends beyond onboarding!) is having a clear system for communication between you and your client. 

I personally allow clients to dictate to me how they would like to communicate based on their preferred communication channel. This might be controversial but for me, I’ve found by letting the client choose their preference, they are much more likely to regularly communicate and be more prompt in sending over any assets or information I need- particularly during the onboarding process!

I also have monthly strategy sessions with all of my clients but I make it clear that they are able to contact me any time during my working hours between these monthly calls if they need to.

Make sure your team are up to date

Finally, if you have a team, you want to ensure they have everything they need to support your new client, or you while onboarding them!

To provide that seamless experience for your clients, it’s imperative that every member of your team, whether they’re client-facing or not, are on the same page and have all of the relevant information they need to do their job well.

Put all of these together and you get a seamless experience to leave a positive impression on your clients!

Keep your eyes peeled for the third blog in this series where I’ll walk you through the offboarding process. This is often overlooked but is a key part of growing your business!