What Should a Client Onboarding Template Include?
If a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, then the building of a long-lasting client relationship starts with a single onboarding template.
Codifying how you onboard your clients is good for your (and your teams’) sanity, of course.
It’s also the best way to start any new relationship off on the right foot.
The Purpose Of A Client Onboarding Template
If you own or run a digital marketing agency, then you’re used to the dance of keeping your clients super happy, while keeping your workflows in check. We’ve learned that having the right systems in place is the best way to do this. This is especially true when it comes to onboarding.
When done properly, onboarding sets the stage for long-term relationships. And it does this while also simplifying life for you and your team, helping with that engagement piece, too.
That said, many agencies overlook the nuances of onboarding, thinking they can go with the flow until they get down to the nuts and bolts of ‘real’ project management. But trust us: client onboarding is ‘real’ work, and, whether you realize it or not, you’re probably dedicating several hours to this process with each client. Creating an onboarding system can help make sure you’re not wasting time—-yours, or your client’s.
Ultimately, onboarding is all about scaling up your business, without having to reinvent the wheel each time you add a new client to the mix. Like Brandon Smits, partner and CMO of Solar Cheat Code, found, “when my agency started working with DOT & Company, we utilized their onboarding systems and immediately were able to begin scaling, bringing in 3, 5, and up to 7 clients at one time with ease.”
In other words, a client onboarding template can turn this important process into a sustainable and repeatable process that anyone on your team can follow. You’ll be pumping out happy clients like you’ve got a happy client factory (because, really, don’t you?).
What Should Your Onboarding Template Include?
OK, so you’re on board (ha) and ready to onboard ‘by the book.’ But what should your book include?
If you’d like to steal our complete onboarding workflow, don’t forget to download our free client onboarding checklist.We’ve put together a killer system that lets us onboard without a hiccup, each and every time.
Note that we’re agnostic when it comes to your project management platform. We’re big Asana fans, but whatever works for you, works for you.
From there, make sure you include the following in your onboarding plan.
1. A Plan for Internal Communication
Who is going to be the contact point for your client? And how will they contact them? How and where will you collaborate on joint tasks?
In what we call the ‘pre-work’ phase of onboarding, it’s important to set up an internal communications channel (we use Slack), where everyone can go to get the scoop (or add to it), whenever they need it. It’s also important to lay out ground rules for how your team will work on this project.
In other words, before you do anything with your client’s ducks, make sure all your ducks are in a row first.
2. A Plan For Invoicing
The time to dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’ is now. The sooner you can take care of contracts and invoicing, the sooner you can get onto the fun stuff.
We know, we know—this is one of the least favorite tasks for many small business owners, especially those who might be on the shyer or more reserved end of the spectrum. If that’s you, then all the more reason to systematize the process and get it done and over with early.
3. A Plan For The First Meeting—And Every Meeting After That
Time for a little secret that packs a big punch. Your kick-off call is more than just a kick-off call. In fact, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship … assuming you treat it like the opportunity it is.
Namely, your first meeting is a chance to learn more about your client—the person, not the business owner. Yes, of course you’ll cover project details (more on this below). But take this opportunity to learn what you can about your client, so you can connect on a one-to-one level. And that one-to-one level connection is what really builds a long-term relationship (not to mention all those glowing referrals).
Pro-tip: always be listening for small details that you can use for client gifting. We give all our team members a quarterly gifting budget and teach them how to listen for thoughtful gift ideas … because gifting just makes everyone feel good!
Finally, remember that the kick-off call is going to be the first of hopefully many chats with a long-term client. So be sure to show up and set the scene for what they can expect going forward. Show up a bit early, make sure you stick to the agenda, send a friendly recap email with next steps. Make plans for your next virtual meeting, and make sure your client knows what cadence of meetings to expect in the future.
4. A Plan For Project Management
Of course, every agency is going to do things a little differently and have their own unique workflows and standards. Depending on the service you’re providing and how you like to do things, then what you need for scope management can vary.
But what can’t vary is how you approach scope management during the onboarding process. Beyond all the basics (getting access to Google Drive folders, identifying your contact(s) in the organization, etc), you also need to figure out exactly what your team will be doing to help your clients reach their goals.
This is when your onboarding rubber really meets the road, and where your team is now proactively involved in the process. It’s when everyone actually gets assigned work with due dates. Ideally, most agency owners should be able to hand project management over to a confident and collected Client Account Manager (assuming they haven’t already jumped in at an earlier stage!). A great CAM makes a great Project Manager, freeing up owners to spend more time on generating sales and driving the business forward.
5. A Plan For The Future
Never forget about the true long-term goals with onboarding. Yes, you want to get everything settled so that you can actually get to work. But try to think beyond this initial first project. How can your onboarding process set you up for long term success with each new client?
Again, everything in client management comes back to relationship building. The better your relationship, the better you’ll be able to weather the occasional dips and storms that come about in any business. So be sure that your onboarding process includes a regular plan for future check-ins, including campaign reports. And make sure you deliver awesome support from Day One.
Remember, too, that while you’re in control, onboarding is bidirectional. Clients will want to learn about you, your team, and your processes, as much as you want to learn about theirs. We also start sending out happiness surveys right away, so we can gain insights into our client’s experience from the early stages (snag our survey template here).
And of course, one of our unicorn-status CAMs can also help make onboarding a breeze. Reach out to learn more!