How can you develop a client onboarding program to ensure a smooth transition?

I’ll add a few more key questions I like to think about when kicking off: What business and technical outcomes is the customer trying to achieve? How will those outcomes be measured? Who are the exec stakeholders that are invested in the project and what are they trying to achieve? How do those outcomes tie to broader business goals for the customer’s CEO, board, etc.?

It helps to think through the following aspects: - What do we already know about the client's aspirations from the sales process? A detailed hand-off from sales to delivery creates a seamless journey for the customer, where it feels like onboarding is picking up from where sales left off! - Ask clients about the organisational goals, and how the goals of the specific initiative you are enabling for them aligns with the wider company. - Try to understand the "why" behind any specific requirements the customer comes up with during onboarding. Challenge them to learn about how their stated needs actually tie back to goals. - Ask questions that help you understand the client's environment, and any dependencies that may impact the onboarding.

Excellent. Myself, when performing needs analysis I use much of this is great advice but I like to provide a framework/scaffolding for focus. I do this by starting by asking them how/what will be measured. And because people tend to filter their answers based on things like their knowledge/belief of what *can* or what they are able to measure, I next ask them to now answer as if anything could be measured. This exercise often reveals things the customer wishes for but *knows* not to ask. But as solution experts we can sometimes measure things indirectly or by secondary or tertiary means.

To create a client onboarding program for a smooth transition, start by understanding the client's needs and expectations. Develop a clear and structured onboarding process that outlines key milestones, responsibilities, and timelines. Provide a dedicated point of contact for the client, offer comprehensive training and educational resources, and establish regular communication to address questions and concerns. Gather client feedback to continuously improve the program and ensure a positive experience throughout the transition.

Start by understanding your clients' needs, goals, and expectations. Conduct surveys, interviews, or assessments to gather this information. Create a detailed plan that outlines the entire onboarding process, including key milestones, timelines, and responsibilities. Determine the primary communication channels for onboarding, such as email, phone, video conferencing, or in-person meetings. Communicate the expected outcomes and milestones of the onboarding process to clients. Transparency is essential. Ensure clients have easy access to customer support and know how to reach out for assistance.

I would like to add my perspective here: 1. It is so very important to document or have a written contract which outlines all the services customer is entitled to get with the package. 2. Then after the documentation it's very important to set the customer expectations and what area you can help them out. It's super critical otherwise at a later stage it may even lead to bad relationship with customer. 3. Even If you are doing something going out of the way to help out customer, it's very important to highlight them that it may not happen always and was just maybe a one off thing due to its critical nature.

- Ask customers what "success" should look like, and help them quantify this success for you. - Tying goals to numbers in the form of KPIs and ROI helps the team see the big picture, and align on the key initiatives to get the onboarding completed on priority - Teams often don't want to change status quo - even when there are tradeoffs that make sense for their companies. So use ROI and numbers to help the team on both sides prioritise right, when negotiating on any items in the defined scope. - Understand and align on very clear priorities with leadership on the engagement, so any decisions along the way can be made keeping those priorities in mind

A pre kick-off questionnaire and package for the client helps both sides come prepared, with a clear understanding of the motivations and priorities. It also ensures that things move faster from the kick-off, and the teams have already thought through and aligned around key priorities and decisions that impact the onboarding.

Feedback at each milestone along the journey helps detect CX lapses early, and also get granular data on areas of improvement for the team as a whole, as well as individuals. It also serves as a great way to identify what you are doing well that should be standardized across the team and client projects.

A value orientation throughout the client onboarding journey - from discovery to kick off to every stage of the engagement ensures priorities align for both parties and customers find success with your teams and offerings.