The client has signed the contract, and you’re about to start working with them. And you know that exceeding their expectations is exceptionally important, as it will result in a smoother engagement, less stress, more work, and referrals.

One of the most powerful ways to exceed a client’s expectations is to be more careful about setting them. Yes, the marketing and business development process is an important part of this, but the key goal at this stage in the process is really to get the client in the door.

Unfortunately, once the client has signed the contract, the onboarding process often is a hurried, less-than-optimal affair… even though this is an important predictor of how the relationship will play out. (Even the best organizations tend not to review/improve onboarding: if it isn’t broken, no need to fix it.)

It is important to recognize that the specific onboarding strategies will be very different for different types of organizations: a professional services firm, a SAAS startup, and a trade organization have vastly different needs. But they do have one thing in common: their expectations need to be set, and they have a right to be positioned for success.

Here are 24 onboarding ideas that can help:

1. After contract signature, send a thank you to acknowledge the new relationship; this is more impactful when sent from a senior leader. If possible, having a hand-written note can make a big difference.
   
2. Send a welcome email listing the various ways that they can engage. Include educational resources, first steps, contact information, etc.
   
3. 30-day check-in: this is a senior-level phone call or meeting to ask how the beginning of an engagement has been progressing, and to identify any corrective action.
   
4. Use a short marketing automation sequence to either provide product/service education, or to help the client with their pre-prep.
   
5. Set up a client portal, to warehouse any status updates, deliverables in progress, reference documents, contact information, and also to serve as a jumping off point for any education or support items.
   
6. With the client’s explicit permission, add them to your newsletter.
   
7. Set up a “pre” kick-off meeting for the project, both as a post-mortem for the sales process, and to understand any concerns that they may have now that the contract has been awarded.
   
8. Set up a kick-off meeting for the project. Make sure that the client lead is fully on board with the proposed agenda.
   
9. Before the client-facing kick-off meeting, do an internal one that gets everyone connected with the client on the same page. Update everyone on industry trends and jargon, who’s who at the client, client issues, and the nature of the services that you will be providing.
   
10. Understand that effective onboarding is not all about the “company to company” relationship, but rather the more durable one-on-one relationships. Don’t leave anyone out: ask each of your team members to build a relationship with a specific person at your client.
    
11. Add an agenda item monthly where you can showcase upcoming opportunities that are available to them by virtue of being your client (training, content, events, etc.).
    
12. Project risk report: three quarters through an engagement, have an independent person assess any project risks, and the likelihood of them occurring. This will involve client meetings, delivery team meetings, and reviewing deliverables. The idea is to demonstrate proactivity, while at the same time solving smaller problems before they explode.
    
13. Invite the client to join a “community” group that you’ve set up, preferably on internal social media, but failing that on Facebook; the goal is to build a community-based first tier of support.
    
14. If you have advisory councils, industry groups, functional committees, etc, consider whether you wish to invite them to participate.
    
15. At each project milestone or anniversary, consider sending the client a tangible token of appreciation: a promo item with their logo on it (and yours), a meal or event, a card signed by the entire team, or some other item.
    
16. Decide whether the purpose of the onboarding is to educate, or to sell. (Most clients don’t appreciate the up-sell, as they assume that your service will fully solve their problem, without spending $$$ on extras.) If upselling is important, bear in mind that It’s easier to do once the first purchase has proven itself.
    
17. If you have a SAAS offering, as part of your marketing automation, ask the customer to post reviews on Capterra, G2, GetApp, etc.
    
18. For membership sites, SAAS offerings, and training, implement a “retention” marketing automation sequence for users whose usage has declined; provide education, re-discuss benefits, etc.
    
19. For SAAS providers, do a call for participants in your next Beta program. (This also works for consultants who are looking to “shake down” a new methodology or build a new practice area.)
    
20. Set up an affinity / loyalty / referral program. While this is not typically part of an onboarding program, it absolutely should be, as it turns clients into advocates.
    
21. Remember that behind your ‘machine’ is real people. And behind their logo, they are people too. A key goal of onboarding is to build stronger relationships with people.
    
22. At the end of the engagement, do interviews to see how you could improve the process, and then integrate this into both your new clients’ onboarding, and your delivery processes.
    
23. Post engagement, do a “Net Promoter Score” survey (eg the likelihood of recommending your product or service, and why).
    
24. If they quit, do an exit survey or interview, asking why they decided to quit, and what you could have done better. Then integrate this into your onboarding and operational plans.

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