Your client onboarding process is an important one for both you and your client. For you, it enables you to gather all the information you need to do the job your client’s paying you to do. For your client, it’s the chance to confirm they’ve made the right decision to work with you and to get their questions answered.
When a client first signs up with you, how they’re treated sets the expectation – they’ll decide if the experience will be a good or bad one. Are you setting a good standard? Do you come across as competent or a little forgetful? Are you giving them the correct information for the step they’re at – and do they even know what steps are involved?
It sets that initial impression and standard for your relationship together. The better the experience, the more chance you have of that customer being happy. The happier they are, the more likely they are to recommend you to their colleagues and the more money you can potentially make. That’s why the more streamlined you can get it, the better – you want it as seamless as possible.
What is client onboarding?
But what exactly do we mean by client onboarding? Essentially, it’s the stages you take to welcome a new client into your business and enrol them onto the program or service they’ve purchased. These stages can vary, depending on what services you provide. Still, they can typically include invoicing, contracts, introducing clients to your team, establishing their goals and expectations, setting up software, tools and accounts, and booking in future calls.
How you and your clients can benefit from a smooth onboarding experience
A smooth client onboarding experience builds your clients confidence in you and reassures them that you’re capable of delivering what you’ve promised. You want to build on their excitement and readiness to get started and allay any fears they may have. You want them to know exactly what’s going on and what stage of the process they’re on.
But a smooth onboarding helps you out too. It enables you to have everything you need to get started. Take a Virtual Assistant as an example. They may need access to confidential passwords and software access. For tax reasons, they’ll want a client’s address, and may also need access to a shared storage platform and clients calendar. If they can collect those things during the onboarding process, it minimises the need for emailed questions. It also cuts down on possible phone calls and work delays further down the line.
Why you need to streamline your client onboarding process
The onboarding process involves gathering a lot of information from your client. If it’s not managed well, it can lead to feelings of confusion, frustration and overwhelm for both parties. Working towards a more streamlined approach means you’re cutting out the unnecessary paperwork, requests, emails etc., as well as the need for your time and energy. Because no matter how you look at it, client onboarding is time-consuming and repetitive!
You’re looking to streamline it to make it as simple as possible to complete. You also want it to take as minimal time and disruption as possible. When you have a clear, streamlined client onboarding process, you have something you can replicate with each client. This brings consistency to your work and something you can monitor and track, making improvements as needed. And that, in turn, can lead to ultimately making more money.
If you’re looking to either establish a better client onboarding process or better implement the one you have, why not get in touch? As an experienced Admin Consultant and Online Business Manager, I can help you plan, review and implement a streamlined process. This will leave you free to work on those areas of your business that need your attention. So why not book an initial consultation, and let’s discuss your requirements.