The Art of Client Onboarding

🎉 Congratulations 🎉

You've successfully signed up a new client (or, at least for the purpose of this article, you have)!

Though, before you dish out the high fives and wrap up the client acquisition process, there's one more thing you need to do...Onboarding!

I’m always urging bookkeepers to never give away, or under value, their skills, knowledge and time. However, the Onboarding stage is where you really want to shine. This is your opportunity to 'surprise and delight' and give your new clients an experience that goes above and beyond their expectations.

Statistics show that the "honeymoon" period (generally the first 3 months of engagement) is make or break for a new client - characterised by high churn rates, though also the best opportunity to gain referrals. In other words, come the end of Onboarding, your new client will either love you, or leave you.

So, factor in some TLC, and make sure they LOVE you!

So, where does Onboarding sit in the client acquisition process, and what does an awesome Onboarding experience really mean?

When to Onboard

The Onboarding process legwork starts way back at the initial discovery session when you being to develop a better understanding of your client's values, needs and expectations. All of the little pearls of wisdom you pick up in the discovery process will help you form an Onboarding experience to best suit your client and the job at hand.

A knock-out Proposal and Letter of Engagement further informs the Onboarding process, as it will determine the scope and nature of the induction process and the procedures.

Once you have the signed LOE in your hot little hands, it's time to hit the Go button. The Onboarding Process can take up to 3 months, depending on the complexity of the job and depth of the relationship with the client (make sure you accommodate for this in your pricing and proposal). 

What is the Onboarding Process?

Every onboarding experience will be slightly different, and the content may vary based on the client needs and job scope, though the bones of Onboarding Process remain the same.

1. Secure Contract/s and Payment Details - LOE, DDR, NDAs and any other terms signed and received.
2. Set up Client in relevant internal systems - e.g. OSfA, Gov Reports, Billing System.
3. Send Welcome Email & Client Induction Checklist to Client (checklist is available to Bookwiz Academy Members)
4. Set up Client's Apps / Software requirements and integrations.
5. Set up reporting requirements and establish workflow.
6. Conduct Client Kick-off meeting.
7. Introduce client to team and transition relevant work.
8. Document Client Procedures (templates are available to Bookwiz Academy Members)

How Do I Know If I Got It Right?

It's pretty obvious when things go right (or wrong) during the Onboarding stage - remember my love you or leave you comment from earlier? You got it right if...

✔️ Your client has established real connections with you and your team.

✔️ A strong foundation of trust has been built.

✔️ Efficient workflow processes are established, and followed, by everyone involved.

✔️ Core values, behaviours and a healthy working relationship has been established and is being respected and nurtured.

✔️ Your value, skills, ability to deliver on the job as proposed, has been proven, and their decision to go with you over a competitor has been vindicated.

✔️ There is a clear understanding of expectations, lines of responsibilities, approval chains and workflows.

✔️ Any immediate or urgent compliance work has been completed.

✔️ Client procedures have been mapped out and documented, so that anyone in your team could pick them up and run with them.

✔️ Your client provides valuable feedback and generates referrals / leads so you can go after your next dream client!

Creating a Client Procedure Manual

The Client Procedure Manual deserves its own little heading as it often overlooked, or not even considered to be part of the Onboarding process, though it is so important.

It is so important, in fact, that you should start documenting Client Procedures from Day 1. I swear by my Client Procedures and they have gotten me out of a pickle on more than one occasion. Every workflow, every report, and every task, for every Client, is documented in the same consistent, easy to follow format. The procedures are so thorough and predictable that anyone in my team can pick up any client at any time without missing a beat, even if they have never worked on that client before (and we have put that to the test more than once!).

I actually consider Client Procedures to be the backbone of my business, and I encourage you to do the same.

Bookwiz Academy Members this month received a Client Procedure Template as a Bonus resource.

Surely There's An Easier Way

Over the years, integrated management tools, online platforms, apps and a host of awesome technological advances have made a lot of bookkeeping and accounting processes a lot easier, more efficient and more accurate, including Onboarding. Though, these options can be expensive (at least when starting out), and it is important to have the foundations in place first.

If you have a small team, using a documented checklist or internal tracking process is probably fine, so long as you can keep track of it and keep yourself and others accountable to it. For larger teams, I would definitely recommend looking at tools to help with this process. There are a lot of platforms out there, Karbon, ClickUp, Jetpack to name a few.

Introducing a Workflow Software into my own practice was a game changer! But, when it comes to client procedures, we still use my tried and tested templates.

Want to Level Up Your Onboarding Process

Become an Academy Member to access the tools and templates you need to create a Client Onboarding process that will add value to both your client's and your own business. Our Client Onboarding module includes the very tools I rely on each and every time I welcome a new client to my business, including my:

• Client Onboarding Checklist
• Client Procedure Manual Template
• Q&A video, where I walk you through the process
• My personal insights and tips to creating a bullet proof onboarding experience.

Keep thriving 🔥

Martine