The 5 Most Important Aspects of Client Onboarding
If you are an Account Manager with a digital marketing agency, you understand that a new client onboarding process is crucial. It all starts with you! The Client Account Manager is one of the first people clients meet and interact with once that contract is signed and dotted. The agency relies on you and your vibrant energy to make the client feel welcomed and ready to rock.
Onboarding can make or break the client's experience. Providing clients with everything they need upfront can be time-consuming and overwhelming for both parties. How can you successfully onboard a client that gets rave reviews and streamline your workflow? Let's dive into the most important onboarding practices so you can wow clients and agency owners every time.
Nail The First Impression
Onboarding may be the most essential part of client strategy for your agency. A successful onboarding process brings client satisfaction, less churn, trust, and even higher-quality clients. The strategy and process may look different depending on the agency's specialty, platforms, and needs, but it is safe to say that nailing this first impression is everything!
As you know, your role as an account manager relies heavily on communication. Starting a new partnership is exciting for the client. Put yourself in the client's shoes. What would impress you when starting a new collaboration?
Create branded documents, introduction videos, or short questionnaires so the client's onboarding is interactive and doesn't feel like homework. Get to know your client immediately by setting the tone with enthusiasm and flare. Show your confidence with ready-to-go resources and quick responses to maintain momentum. Set clear expectations to demonstrate professionalism and expertise while informing clients of your process. Make messages concise and digestible using bullet points, color-coding, or emojis ✨. How you approach meetings and interact with clients also plays into that first impression. You will pick up cues from the client as they open up, which will help you create rapport and form a long-lasting relationship over time.
These best practices are the secret sauce to keeping your role professional and fun without running out of steam! To add that wowing Client Account Management flavor to your operation, steal our client onboarding templates by joining our CAM Community!
A Foundational Discovery Phase Never Fails
Raise your hand if you love a checklist 🙋♀️! A solid client onboarding checklist will help prepare you and your team for success. The discovery phase is foundational to your onboarding process. Plan out dedicated time for conducting thorough research, understanding the client's business and industry, and reviewing data and performance trends. The goal is to learn as much as possible before the kick-off call with the client.
Some agencies create a client onboarding questionnaire, which includes common questions to get a detailed explanation of the business, competitors, and historical data, and to provide a space for the client to upload any valuable assets. Utilize tools like Typeform or create a simple version in Google Docs that is easy to copy. Depending on your agency's operations, find a system that makes it effortless for you and the client.
As you prepare for a kick-off call, create a list of insightful questions and engage your client in conversation to hear their perspective. Gather details about their business, department, and personal goals. Ask them about their pain points or roadblocks. Show interest in their expectations, preferences, and definition of success. The more information you can gather in advance, the more equipped you and your team have to support the client in the short and long term.
A comprehensive discovery is your opportunity to shine! It will display your commitment as a strategic partner to achieve clients' goals and help them overcome challenges. Set your agency apart by starting every client off on the right foot.
Organization is Key for Client Resources, Assets, and Deliverables
The new client onboarding process comes with many moving parts. It is so important to keep everything in one place. How do you share documents, review timelines, and update projects? Whether you live out of your project management system like us, or prefer a trusty shared Google Drive, train and involve your client to generate that collaborative spirit. If you are working with a client team, sharing one link with organized folders works best for multiple people to drop in branding guides, graphics, logos, and other assets for campaigns and designs 🗂️.
Leverage Slack, ClickUp, or Notion to streamline communication with clients and team members. Create healthy guidelines and over-communicate up front so people know where to find resources. Ensure roles, responsibilities, and workflows between everyone involved are clearly defined to eliminate confusion, answer questions, and support the client throughout onboarding.
The more organized the process is, the more comfortable everyone will feel!
The Power Behind Client Onboarding Systems
If we had one secret to give away to be a thriving client account manager, it'd be a well-oiled client onboarding system. Imagine a digital marketing world where every detail is delivered, updates are instantaneous, and tasks are completed — no questions asked! Guess what, it's possible!
The ability to integrate, automate, and operate will make an efficient and seamless experience for you and your clients. Spend the time to set up an onboarding workflow with welcome emails, clear instructions, deliverables, and resource links once to save precious time later.
Are you repeating countless onboarding tasks? Create a template and automate the task list. Automation allows room to focus on what matters most: client rapport and strategy. Does your agency have too many platforms with too many functions? Integrate them to streamline your to-do's without having to redo everything. Are your team members doing something different every time you onboard a new client? Keep the elements aligned by creating standardized operating procedures that everyone understands and follows.
A functional onboarding system will enhance the client experience and increase value. Plus, it allows you the freedom to nurture client relationships, drive strategic initiatives, and add your meaningful, personal touch. Implement this now and watch the agency scale and client roster grow.
Clear Expectations Equals Long-Term Success
Clear and realistic expectations are the cornerstones of a successful client relationship. During onboarding, clearly outline the scope of your services, timelines, and milestones. Discuss potential challenges and how they will be addressed. Get the client pumped for what's ahead and create an accessible and transparent roadmap with your team to ensure both parties are aligned on goals to understand the journey ahead. Be proactive in managing expectations and address any potential concerns promptly. It's only natural that priorities change. Schedule periodic check-in calls to level-set or talk through new initiatives. Well-managed expectations can lead to smoother collaboration and a more satisfied client 🤩.
Transform Your Client Onboarding — Join the CAM Community!
It's time to propel your onboarding process once and for all! A client onboarding system empowers you to reclaim time, eliminate the risk of oversights, and elevate your agency's role as a strategic partner. As a Client Account Manager, mastering these aspects will improve your onboarding process and lay the groundwork for lasting and beneficial client relationships.
Be a part of an expert team of Client Account Managers! By joining our network, you can access invaluable resources, tips, and insights that will revolutionize your client onboarding approach. But that's not all – we have a library of templates designed to simplify and enhance every facet of your onboarding process. Enhance your skills and let us support you in the CAM Community – we can’t wait to see you there!