Define your Client Onboarding Process to Stop Overwhelm

These 6 questions should be the bulk of what you need to put together a smooth customer service experience for your clients. It will also help you for when you’re ready hire people to work for you so you can focus on the larger CEO role tasks. We’re going to start with the inquiry phase. In this phase they’re inquiring about your services and would like to know more about your business. After answering these you’re on your way to automating your client onboarding experience.

Client Inquiry Process

#1 What is the first thing that should happen when a new lead comes in? 

This could be an inquiry email response, or a number of other things depending on what your service is. They’re in the process of deciding whether they should work with you and either you need to give them the information they need to decide if it’s going to work or you need to decide if they’re in the right place and you can provide what they’re looking for. 

Once they’ve finished this phase this is the booking phase where they’re making a decision and the rubber meets the road to make a decision where we’ll head to the booked phase where they’ve signed a contract or put a deposit down.

Client Onboarding Process

#2 What are the next steps to get them booked or onboarded?

This would look like sending a proposal, or a contract. At this point there’s some sort of agreement made either verbal or written that working together makes sense and you should move forward.

#3 When do you consider them to be booked?

Is it once they’ve signed the contract? Is it after they’ve paid a deposit. At this point they’ve made steps and they’re ready to move into the next phase of your onboarding process. 

Client Booked Process

#4 Once the client books what happens next?

Does it mean more emails? Do some documents or forms need to be filled out. How do you get everything you need to begin delivering or how does delivery of your product or service happen. 

#5 When does your work with the client conclude?

Maybe the work doesn’t conclude because you’re on a retainer but more than likely there’s going to be delivery of a result every month or a product.

#6 Do you send any follow ups to the client after the project has ended?

3 things you need to do within each step

• WHAT you want to do

• WHEN you want to do it

• WHICH piece of content goes out