client-onboarding

Skill: Client Onboarding

The moment a client signs is not the end of sales — it's the beginning of the relationship that determines whether they become a repeat client, a referral source, or someone who leaves a lukewarm review. A structured 7-step onboarding sequence makes a profound first impression and prevents the most common early-project failures.

The 7-Step Onboarding Sequence

Step 1: The Welcome Package (Day 0 — send within 2 hours of signing)

Immediate touchpoint that signals professionalism and organization.

What to create:

• Welcome email (from references/welcome-email-template.md)
• Project brief one-pager (summary of what you're building together)
• "Working With Me" guide (from references/working-with-me-guide.md)

Welcome email content:

• Confirm what was agreed (project, timeline, investment)
• Name the specific first milestone and its date
• Explain how to reach you and expected response time
• Name the one thing you need from them to get started
• Express genuine enthusiasm (specific to them — reference something from discovery)

Step 2: Access & Tools Setup (Day 0–1)

Prevent the most common early delay: waiting for logins.

Create a shared access checklist:

Tool	Purpose	Access Level	Status
[Project management tool]	Milestone tracking	Client view	⬜ Pending
[Shared folder]	File delivery	Full access	⬜ Pending
[Communication channel]	Day-to-day messages	Full access	⬜ Pending
[Feedback tool]	Review and annotations	Full access	⬜ Pending

Log the checklist in the client's card: data/1-Projets/clients/[client].md

Send a "Please send me" message — don't wait for them to guess:

"To get started, I need from you: [1] [2] [3]. Could you send these by [date]? Once I have them, I'll immediately begin [first deliverable]."

Step 3: Kickoff Call (Day 1–3)

30-45 minute structured call. Use the kickoff agenda from references/kickoff-agenda-template.md.

Agenda structure:

1. Realign on the goal (5 min) — Why are they doing this? What does success look like in 6 months?
2. Review scope (10 min) — Walk through the proposal together. Confirm what's in and explicitly name what's out.
3. Define deliverables (10 min) — Make each deliverable concrete and countable.
4. Set communication norms (5 min) — How, when, where. See Step 4.
5. Identify risks (5 min) — What could slow this down? What do you need from them and when?
6. Confirm next milestone (5 min) — First deliverable, date, format it will arrive in.

Kickoff call output:

• Save notes to data/1-Projets/clients/[client].md under Meeting Notes
• Update project milestones in data/1-Projets/[project]/README.md
• Send a kickoff summary within 24 hours (see Step 5)

Step 4: Communication Norms (Document During Kickoff)

Prevents the "why didn't you reply instantly" problem and the "I sent feedback to the wrong place" problem.

Norms to establish:

Topic	Your Standard	Document in
Primary channel	[Slack / Email / WhatsApp]	Client card
Response time	Within [24h / same business day]	Client card
Meeting cadence	[Weekly / Bi-weekly / On demand]	Project file
Feedback process	[Via [tool] / track changes / annotated PDF]	Project file
Emergency contact	[Phone / Urgent Slack channel]	Client card
Scope changes	Always via formal change request	Contract

Step 5: Kickoff Summary (Day 2–4)

Send a written summary within 24 hours of the kickoff call. This is not a thank-you email — it's a binding reference document.

Summary structure:

Subject: [Project Name] Kickoff Summary

Hi [Name],

Great call! Here's a summary of what we agreed:

**Project Goal:**
[One sentence on the desired outcome]

**Scope (what we're building):**
- [Deliverable 1] by [date]
- [Deliverable 2] by [date]
- [Deliverable 3] by [date]

**Not in scope:**
- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]

**First deliverable:** [Description] — arriving [date]

**I need from you:** [List any outstanding inputs]

**How we communicate:**
- Day-to-day: [channel]
- Feedback: [method]
- Meetings: [cadence]

Excited to get started!
[Your name]

Save to data/1-Projets/clients/[client]/kickoff-summary-[date].md

Step 6: Early Win Delivery (First Milestone)

The first deliverable is disproportionately important for trust. It sets the template for the entire relationship.

Standards for first delivery:

• Deliver 1–2 days before the agreed date (never late on the first milestone)
• Deliver more than expected: add a short note explaining your thinking, a bonus observation, or a small extra
• Make the handoff easy: clear format, named files, brief explanation of what you're delivering and what you need back

First delivery email structure:

Subject: [Project Name] — [Milestone Name] ✅

Hi [Name],

Here's [milestone description] — a couple of days early!

**What I'm sending:**
[Brief description of what's attached / linked]

**What I'd love feedback on:**
1. [Specific question 1]
2. [Specific question 2]

**What happens next:**
Once you've reviewed, I'll [next step].

**How to give feedback:**
[Via [tool] / reply with comments / use the annotation feature]

Please review by [date] so I can keep the project on schedule.

[Your name]

Step 7: Week 2 Check-In (Day 10–14)

Most client relationships deteriorate in silence. A proactive check-in before problems surface is always better than reacting after.

Check-in trigger: 10–14 days after kickoff.

Check-in message:

Hi [Name],

Just checking in as we close out our first two weeks together.

How's the collaboration feeling so far? Anything about the process you'd like to adjust?

I'm particularly curious if:
- The communication channel and cadence is working for you
- The feedback process makes sense
- The pacing feels right

If anything needs tweaking, much easier to adjust now than later.

Looking forward to [next milestone] on [date]!

[Your name]

Log response in client card under Meeting Notes.

Onboarding Checklist

Save to data/1-Projets/[project]/onboarding-checklist.md:

# Onboarding Checklist — [Client Name]

## Day 0
- [ ] Welcome package sent
- [ ] Access checklist created
- [ ] "What I need from you" email sent

## Day 1–3
- [ ] Kickoff call scheduled
- [ ] Tool access confirmed (or chased)

## Day 2–4
- [ ] Kickoff call completed
- [ ] Kickoff summary sent
- [ ] Communication norms documented in client card

## Week 2
- [ ] First milestone delivered (target: [date])
- [ ] First delivery email sent with feedback request
- [ ] Week 2 check-in sent
- [ ] Check-in response logged

Onboarding Health Score

During client-lifecycle-agent runs, assess onboarding completion:

Step	Complete?	Risk if Missing
Welcome package sent same day	✅/❌	First impression miss
Tool access confirmed	✅/❌	Delays first milestone
Kickoff call completed	✅/❌	Scope misalignment risk
Kickoff summary sent	✅/❌	No written reference for disputes
Communication norms set	✅/❌	Boundary violations likely
First milestone on-time	✅/❌	Trust takes 3× longer to rebuild
Week 2 check-in done	✅/❌	Issues fester in silence

If score < 5/7 for a current active client: flag to user with recommendation to address gaps.

Integration Points

• client-management: Onboarding steps logged to client card
• project-management: Project milestones initialized from kickoff
• contract-templates: Scope references the signed agreement
• proposal-generator: Deliverables pulled from accepted proposal
• client-lifecycle-agent: Monitors onboarding completion and triggers check-ins

Key References

• references/welcome-email-template.md: The welcome message for Day 0
• references/working-with-me-guide.md: How-I-work document for new clients
• references/kickoff-agenda-template.md: 45-minute kickoff call structure