Having a streamlined system for client onboarding is a necessity in your biz. Onboarding your clients sets the tone for your entire contract and plays a huge role in how the client feels about working with you. So today, we are going to give you 4 questions you can ask to evaluate your current client onboarding process.

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What Is A Client Onboarding Process

The client onboarding process is designed to welcome your new clients, address any concerns or questions they may have, and make them aware of your process.

Your onboarding system should be a rinse and repeat process with enough room left for customization so each client feels important and supported.

Question 1: Have you identified the platforms for client onboarding?

It’s super important to identify the platforms you will need and their role in your client onboarding process. On Team EE, the goal is to have a lean system with as few tools as possible to streamline our processes and boost productivity.

Platforms you might use include:

1. Project Management Tool

This is a non-negotiable tool for running your biz. On Team EE, we use ClickUp! With ClickUp, you can store your client onboarding information and create a client portal with dashboards! Check out ClickUp and use code ‘ElevateEffect’ to get 30% off the Unlimited Plan or 15% off Business Plan!

2. CRM Tool

A CRM tool is necessary for sending invoicing, contracts, and proposals. On Team EE, we use HoneyBook! Check out HoneyBook (and use code ‘systemsup’ to get HB for $1/mo for 8 months!)

3. Communication Tool

Having a solid communication tool is a necessity for client onboarding. You can choose between tools like Slack or Voxer. Or you can opt for ClickUp chat or even just chat through your HoneyBook portal!

4. Digital File Storage

Having a digital file storage tool like Google Drive or Dropbox is a great option to back up files. You want to back up files you wouldn’t want to lose like contracts or client onboarding SOPs.

5. Automation Tool

Using an automation tool like Zapier can help you to save time on tedious tasks and it can also help you streamline your platforms.

For instance, you can zap important client information from your CRM to your Project Management tool so all of your important client info is in one place.

6. Scheduling Tool

A scheduling tool is important for your client to be able to book calls. You can use the scheduling feature in your CRM like HoneyBook or Dubsado or you can opt to use a different tool like Acuity or Calendly.

Question 2: Are you welcoming the client?

Welcoming your client is important to make sure your clients feel supported! There are so many ways to welcome a client like sending a branded welcome packet, sending a welcome gift, or even creating a personalized welcome video to embed in your ClickUp client dashboard.

Welcoming your client also includes making sure that the client has all of the information they need before your onboarding day. This includes sending them all of their tasks to complete and making sure they understand (and agree to!) your project timeline.

In addition, all of your client welcome tasks should be templated so you don’t have to start from scratch with every client!

For example, you could create a templated message to send with your client welcome gift, create an outline for your welcome video, and create a template for your welcome packet in Canva!

Question 3: Are the client’s expectations clear?

Setting expectations for communication, deadlines, and boundaries are crucial to ensuring client satisfaction (and preventing you from unnecessary stress!).

You want to make sure that each client knows things like:

Your working hours to contact you
Best communication method (Slack, email, etc.). And in what circumstances they should use which communication method
The response time they can expect from you
Expected client response time
The best method for the client to submit their feedback
Projected completion date (if applicable)

Question 4: Does each team member know their role?

Client onboarding also includes making sure your team is aware of their responsibilities. In order to make this a breeze, create a templated workflow in ClickUp for your onboarding process and assign each task to the appropriate team member.

In addition, you also want to make sure that each task has a detailed SOP and has all of the resources needed to complete each task.

Creating client communication guidelines for your team is another important step in the process.

For example, you can include things like:

Expected response time to client messages
Guidelines for effective responses
Guidelines for communicating in different platforms like ClickUp, Slack, Email, etc.
Templated message for your team to send you if they don’t know the answer to a client’s questions
Templated messages for commonly asked questions

ALWAYS ask your team for their drafted response when they are first starting to take on client communication. As a result, this encourages them to create their own ideas, promotes problem-solving, and boosts their confidence!

There are so many questions you could ask to evaluate your client onboarding process, but starting with these 4 will set you up for a solid process. The client onboarding process sets the tone for your working relationship and is a crucial stage in encouraging your client to either work with you again or refer future clients to you.

As you scale your biz, make sure to check in on your processes and tweak them to grow with you! If you’re ready to start streamlining and systemizing your client onboarding process, check out our course Elevate!