My 7-step guide to a flawless customer onboarding process [with templates]
My 7-step guide to a flawless customer onboarding process [with templates]
Anything better than showing up and feeling instantly welcomed?
You could do what most freelancers do. Wait until the client tells you what to do.
Or… you could tell the client what to do.
The best way to control your customer experience is to intentionally create it.
Elle Robertson
Lots of ways a freelancer can approach working with a new customer. I don’t recommend waiting for them to tell you how to do your thing.
If you want high-ticket projects with satisfied clients over and over, it starts with your customer onboarding.
If you want glowing reviews, it starts with your customer onboarding.
If you want to control the project, get intentional about your customer onboarding.
It all boils down to…
Onboarding, onboarding, onboarding.
Why do I like onboarding so much?
As a freelance copywriter, few things have changed the game for me the way a tight onboarding process has.
If you're unsure what customer onboarding is, keep reading. I'll fill you in and show you how to outshine regular freelancers and win repeat business, over and over.
7-steps to a flawless customer onboarding process
Step 1: Commit to having one
Step 2: Welcome them into your ecosystem
Step 3: Dictate communication
Step 4: Introduce tech stacks
Step 5: What's your revision and feedback process?
Step 6: Deliver a quick win
Step 7: Use a detailed questionnaire
Templates: Onboarding doc & questionnaire
There are lots of fabulous resources for creating a customer onboarding process. And they’re pretty great. But you don’t need em.
Zendesk’s s pretty solid.
I’m especially liking Onboard.io’s hyper-efficiency.
Crowd favorite, Hubspot, does a bang-up job.
But when you’re starting to develop your onboarding process, those can feel too complex.
With the exception of Onboard, they seem a bit bloated for the task at hand.
My onboarding is much more direct and to the point. It includes what I’ve seen as the most important variables to tie down early.
Below I include 2 templates and show you my process you can use to implement into your workflow.
Let's say...
You've just been hired to work on an interesting project with a cool new client. You're seeing long term potential here.
You're excited, they're excited. That magical feeling of landing a new project—and getting paid—is still alive and well.
You're eager, maybe a bit nervous. You want to impress them so you get right to work.
Before long, you hit a snag. It always happens.
Could be a big snag or barely a snag, a communication snag or a deadline snag. But, questions will arise. Ones that will need you to clarify or revise something with your cool new client.
Emails start flying back and forth. While you're digging into the snag, you get double text'd. It's not your client, but someone you don't know, on their behalf.
Key points begin to get lost in the message volley chaos. There’s no message trail. The project's scope is shot. The client isn't happy, and your project’s success is in jeopardy.
Any of this sound familiar?
That's a pretty specific example. But, it shows problems your onboarding process would have solved.
Onboarding is kind of like setting a formal table for dinner. Everyone and everything has a place and it’s clear what those places and roles are. Here's the salad fork, here's the fork fork... and the in-laws go over there.
See? Everyone and everything knows their role and what to expect. It’s not the main event, but without it, dinner would be more chaotic.
Onboarding calms the chaos.
Most companies onboard their new customers. Most freelancers don't.
So when you offer a professional onboarding experience, it blows their minds.
It also lets them know they're in the hands of an expert.
And that’s exactly how you want to start things off. Your clients feel valued and understand the plan. Fewer surprises on both sides, better communication, and a much smoother project.
Step 1: Commit to having one
The first step in a flawless onboarding process is actually having one. If that sounds cart-before-the-horse, hear me out. Even a simple 2-3 step onboarding process can set you apart from the regulars in this crowded market.
That alone will win you repeat business.
What to Do: First, think about what your onboarding process needs to achieve. Jot down a list of exactly what you want your onboarding system to do.
You might want to:
Differentiate yourself from regular freelancers
Set clear client expectations, offer some preventive medicine
Welcome new clients and improve the overall customer experience
Position yourself as an expert and set the foundation for more long term relationships
Then, put yourself in the clients' shoes– what would they want to know about working with you? What do they need to know?
Don't go for fancy or elaborate. Go for clear, accessible, valuable. You’re keeping everyone working towards the same goals so the project runs smoothly.
Step 2: Welcome them into your ecosystem
Take everything from Step 1 and create a welcome packet of sorts.
A welcome packet combines all the essential info in one place. It reduces confusion and makes working with you crystal clear.
Your welcome packet could have:
A quick intro (share a bit of background info and common results you bring etc)
Your contact info AND communication preferences
A list of your offers/products/services
How you work (workflows)
How you bill and collect
Any policies (if you have them)
FAQs
Expectations/distinctions about the client's responsibilities and yours.
You don’t need to include all of these, just keep what’s relevant to you and to your client. Don’t go overboard.
Except where needed, make it a digital thing. A simple Google doc will do. It's easier to update in real time and accessible to your client anytime, anywhere.
What to Do: Create a google doc titled Welcome Packet (or take a shortcut and use mine). Determine which of the bullets above apply to your processes and include them in your doc in a way you can present to your client.
Step 3: Dictate communication
If you're not good at setting boundaries, here's where your onboarding does it for you.
Outline when and how you expect to communicate with them. Include the best channels to reach you for a quick response.
What to Do: Decide if you're accessible by email, phone, or scheduled zoom calls. Plan how often you'll be in contact and when updates will occur. Also, it's crucial to name the main point of contact. One person. Singular.
I learned the hard way: Avoid taking instructions from more than one contacts. Multiple people opens the door to giving you conflicting instructions. Remember, they’re on the same team. If something goes wrong, like it or not, you’re more likely to get blamed for an undesired outcome.
Create a calendar the client can see. Schedule regular check-ins, like weekly phone calls or video meetings.
When you're just getting to know each other, this helps. It build their trust (and keeps them from unnecessarily or unexpectedly bothering you).
You may find all those scheduled touches aren't needed as you get going. But, it gives them warm fuzzies knowing you're planning to keep them updated from the start.
So many freelancers don't do any of this. It's not their fault, I had to be exposed to it for the first time too.
Also, set clear guidelines for how to handle urgent issues. For example, "If something urgent comes up, email me with 'URGENT' in the subject line." Or <gasp> whether they can text you.
In the end, this level of communication helps avoid misunderstandings with clients. Everyone knows what to expect, and what not to.
Step 4: Introduce tech stacks
What would you do without technology to work your magic? Whether you use a project management app or a sales and marketing system, these tools help you and everyone get more done.
I'm not suggesting you tell a customer all the tools you use to get the results you do, but I do want you to get aligned on the technology you'll be using between each other, together or on each other's behalf.
Project management tools specifically make it easy to track progress and see what needs to be done. Everyone can stay on the same page.
What to Do: Introduce your clients to any project management or collaboration tools you use like Trello, Asana, or Basecamp. Show them how to use the parts that apply to them.
Trello is great for creating flows for different tasks. Each flow (board) can have cards for more detailed subtasks, with deadlines and notes. This way, your client can see what's happening at all times. Super easy project management.
They just might need you to show them around. Loom is great for this.
Also ask about their in-house tech that you need to know about or have access to.
Things like:
their own project management tools
CRM systems
billing systems.
Will you need access to their social media accounts or analytics?
Will you be added to Teams, Hubspot etc…
Will you have a yourname@yourclient’s.com email address?
It's easy to forget how nice it is to have all these things in one place when you need them. Trust me, a little preparation makes all the difference when it's crunch time.
Step 5: What's your revision and feedback process?
Explain how you will handle feedback and revisions. Let your clients know how many revisions are included and how they should give you feedback for those revisions.
This sets clear rules, so there are no surprises. It helps prevent extra work that wasn't planned, keeping the project on track.
Example: Tell your clients you accept feedback through email or a project management tool or however you want this information. Explain how many rounds of revisions are included. Set a time limit for feedback, like two days, so you can keep things moving.
Step 6: Deliver a quick win
What to Do: I always try to deliver a small but meaningful result early in the project. This could be something like an insider tip, a landmine I help them avoid, a teardown of something related or even some actionable advice they can execute on that day.
Giving clients these quick wins has been my fast track to building trust. It shows that I can deliver value right away, that I care about where they are right now even if the work they hired me for hasn't officially started.
For my email marketing client, I may take an hour or two to optimize a currently running campaign so it performs better while I get the new one started.
Website copy clients may get a quick home page CRO teardown over Loom.
Founder clients may get a free LinkedIn headline refresh that encourages more booked appointments.
It varies by customer, what their priorities are and what I can deliver in a quick, short punch.
Within the first few days, try and think of inside tip or useful hack you can send to your client. Something that the they can implement now.
Step 7: Use a detailed questionnaire
The questionnaire I use today is kind of my secret sauce. It’s taken me years to assemble. Over time, different versions bled into one another and finally coalesced into this one shiny artifact I use for every single client.
It's seen many tear-downs and revisions and makes up the bulk of my customer onboarding process. I’ll share that one with you when it’s ready for prime time.
In the mean time, you can get started with my recent client onboarding version here. You can send it to them to fill out and hope they’ll return, or you can do like I do and schedule a meeting so I can interview them.
I walk them through a set of questions designed to help me get to know them and their customers the fastest and most complete way possible.
I ask them questions about their business they've never asked themselves before. I ask them questions they've asked, but never answered.
Some of my clients have called it 'therapy for their business'.
And I record the interview.
It usually takes about 2 hours. It does a lot the heavy lifting and will save you down the road.
I call it sales workshop.
And I charge for it.
Ever think your clients would pay you for premium access to a system that allows them to hire you again and again?
What to Include: If you’re not ready to interview clients and charge for it, start by creating a questionaire you can email them to fill out and return.
Your questionnaire should include important questions about the client's business. Ask the obvious things like who's their target audience, what are their goals, etc. But also ask them about the problems they're having as it applies to how you can help them.
Why do they want to solve those problems, and why now.
Aside from that, asking them questions that dig deeper are how you get better results.
For example... don't ask them "why aren't you getting sales?"
Ask them... "where on the buyer journey does your target begin to wander?"
You have plenty to learn when bringing on a new client. And you don't have a lot of time to do it.
Drink through a firehouse by getting all this information upfront. It helps prevent delays and rework, but it also reassures the client they are in an expert's care.
When you know exactly what the client wants, you can start the project off with a bang.
So let's recap...
Creating a flawless onboarding process is super important. Here's a quick reminder of what to do:
Having an onboarding process sets you apart and defines clear objectives so everyone knows what to expect.
Creating a welcome packet with all the information your client needs is a great way to build trust and welcome them into your ecosystem.
Set up a communication plan to keep everyone on the same page.
Introduce project management tools and other tech early on.
Clarify feedback and revision processes to avoid surprises.
Deliver a quick win to build trust and show your value right away.
Use a detailed questionnaire to gather all the info you need. Consider making it an interview and charging for it.
Your turn to start your own onboarding process. I promise it will help you make your clients happier and you will be too.
Give it a try on your next client and come back to tell me how it changed the way you execute.