what you NEED to know about onboarding clients

I talk about onboarding a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

I tell myself its because "it's relatable!"

Every agency onboards clients, and it looks about the same everywhere: a kickoff call and an onboarding form.

I also talk a lot about how its your first impression - dazzle them at the beginning to start things off on the right foot.

But I'm rebuilding my own onboarding right now, and I realized there is a deeper reason why Onboarding is CRUCIAL to get right.

A LOTTA headaches during a project can be resolved if we are proactive during Onboarding.

Look: I get how alluring it is to complain about a client and blame them when they are unhappy.

But an unhappy client down the line often means some important things didn't happen at the very beginning.

So next time a project with a client starts to go sideways, reflect on your Onboarding Process and ask these questions:

• Do you set clear expectations with the client? Did you fully lay out your schedule, what's included in the project, and what's expected of them?

• Did you explain everything more than once and in multiple forms? (IE: On a call, via email, in the proposal, etc). Or did you tell them what they needed to know once and expect them to remember?

• Did you do a deep enough dive into what their needs are before beginning, or did you start your work based on vibes and now have to do a million rounds of revisions?

A rock-solid onboarding form and a kickoff call that does its job handles the little things (timeline, the boundaries, access to every tool, etc), AND they handle the Big One: building trust.

This is the kind of thing I build with agency owners.

The full path a client takes with you, inquiry to offboarding, with onboarding so solid the rest of the project runs smoothly.

If the thought of revamping your Onboarding sounds like too much to do on your own, apply to work with me.