What are the most common misunderstandings during client onboarding and how can you prevent them?

Clarity of expectations and avoid to discuss the delivery module. Better if we can record the same on a mutual consent. Sign a SOW to keep reviewing the same month on month.

When dealing with a competitive bid situations on roofing projects, it's imperative to come up with a specific scope of work that each bidder will follow, "apples to apples" as we say. There's numerous different ways a roof can be repaired, replaced, and/or restored, and different price points that coincide with each option. Sometimes pricing on large projects can vary wildly, often due to discrepancies in scope, material or both. It is critical to consider the scope of work included when comparing pricing to ensure the playing field is level and no short cuts are being taken.

In the office furniture industry, the 3 most common misunderstandings with clients are due to lack of education. Our Sales teams need to start an initial meeting by educating the client on how our industry works. Especially around 1) unclear timelines. 2) Budget misalignment. 3) Incomplete information gathering

Unclear Expectations: Ensure expectations about deliverables and timelines are clear. Miscommunication about Service Scope: Communicate the scope of services offered. Confusion over Processes: Simplify and clarify processes using jargon-free language. Transparent Communication: Maintain open, detailed communication from the beginning. Onboarding Materials: Provide comprehensive guides or FAQs for reference. Regular Check-ins: Schedule check-ins to address any questions or concerns. Structured Onboarding Process: Establish a clear, structured onboarding procedure.

The signing on process with new customers. This often requires credit checks that can be lengthy and take longer than expected.

As in my comment to the point above, in complex sales roles and responsibilities should be discussed and agreed prior to any deal being signed. Failure to do this will result in delays and reduced margins for the seller, at best! At worst the deal will unravel within weeks.

I call it "Flying Start" rather than onboarding. Think about how you can give your new client the best start they have ever had from a service provider. If you want to move to "Valued Partner Status" it is less about you and them, and more about a partnership, working with them, as part of their team, a valued advisor. There should be no start stop from your sales meetings to work. Instead it should be a seamless transition, a continuation of the same great discussion they were having with you. Finally, make sure you get a win for them in the first few month. This helps them see they made the right decision to work with you.

If you do not outline the client needs and match those with people who can build on them, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Account management is a strategic approach to managing and nurturing business relationships with key customers or clients. It involves identifying and understanding customer needs, developing customized solutions and communicating regularly to build customer loyalty. The goal of account management is to maximize ongoing value for the customer while also driving revenue growth and profitability for the business.

Some projects are of such nature that the consultant might need to rely in some way on the work of a third party who is an independent professional, this should be communicated to the client and both parties should come to a consensus about the introduction of a third party at a particular stage of the project

The effective way to control and monitor the communication and feedback is conducting meetings with minutes and deciding the actions for the concerned stakeholder with timeline and keep following. The message should be clear and transparent with result oriented actions.

This can either make or break a deal. I personally believe that the client and agency should have fortnightly calls to assess the project and their expectations. This helps both the parties to understand where the project is heading and they can make necessary changes to the document. Agreed pointers should be signed by both the parties and documented. After every 90 days both the parties should check the ROI numbers as this will give them an idea about the success of the project. Neither of them should skip this pointer.

This is HUGE! Regular communication (feedback loop) with clients and teams is critical. The minute lapses in communication or missed requirements start, issues will begin to compound.

Communication is key to successful client onboarding. You need to establish a rapport with the client and understand their expectations and needs. You also need to educate them about your product or service and how it can help them achieve their goals. You need to use various channels and methods to communicate with the client, such as emails, phone calls, video conferences, demos, tutorials, etc. You need to keep the client informed of the progress and status of the project or service and address any issues or concerns they may have along the way.

Offer resources or sessions to educate clients about your processes, so they have a realistic understanding of the project's scope and your role.

Misalignment on outcomes is a huge area of misunderstanding. Before you start any engagement there should be a conversation around the desired outcomes of the engagement and what success looks like. That way you know what you are aiming at.

3. Poor communication. If you and your client do not communicate effectively, you may miss important details, misunderstand each other, or create confusion. To prevent this, you should use clear and concise language, avoid jargon or acronyms, and confirm your understanding by summarizing or paraphrasing what the client said. You should also use the preferred communication method and frequency of your client, and respond promptly and politely to their inquiries or concerns.

A good checklist with clear outcomes should be embedded in the communication .This is a means to demonstrate the areas of importance and emphasises the stages which need critical attention as work on the project progresses

Align with the customer the value of your service and the measurement method. Present your achievements in form of agreed values and respective KPIs

Value =ROI. CXO wants project outcomes to be conveyed in $ terms. If your result does not convert into savings or additional value which in turn shows positive return on investment, it’s a no-go. Focus on this aspect from day 0. For example, a $100 investment TCO to achieve a project shall result in process efficiency in saving a staff performance of a particular task from 1 hour to 30 mins. Convert this into $ by converting saved time multiplied by hourly rate of the staff over a year. Let’s see how many months it takes to break even and anything beyond is profit on the investment.

Being a new employee in the workplace, surrounded by new people isn't simple. Put yourself in their shoes and you will identify the pressure of being a new someone in an environment where everybody knows one another and already shares a bond. Simple activities like finding the bathroom or coffee machine can all of a sudden become awkward

Get to know your customer first: - the nature of their business - restrictions and possibilities - local requirements - company history - local customs Adjust your approach towards your client based on the findings.

4. Lack of engagement. If your client is not engaged or invested in the project, they may delay or ignore your requests, provide vague or incomplete feedback, or lose interest or motivation. To prevent this, you should involve your client in the project planning and decision making, and ask for their input and approval at key milestones. You should also educate your client on the benefits and value of your work, and celebrate the achievements and results. (These are some of the most common misunderstandings while client onboarding)

Enshrining an introductory statement of neutrality that disclaims association but highlight that there is entertainment of cultural and other backgrounds for mutual benefit is a good practice.

You could summarise this a bit more within one acronym: SLA (Service Level Agreement) this should determine the scope of expectation, responsibilities of the party delivering the product or service, an idea of the culture and trust behind the business delivering it and the values behind the organisation that are serving you. It's very easy to get lost in excessively unnecessary business language when most of us just need a simple bottom line.

Great salespeople never celebrate a deal at the signature stage. They know that the appropriate time to celebrate is when the client is 100% happy with the product or service sold, and it is performing as expected.