# The 10-step client onboarding checklist every business needs

Learn how to start your projects perfectly with this 10-step client onboarding checklist. Plus, meet a tool that simplifies the process.

## What is client onboarding?

Client onboarding is the process of providing each new client with the guidance and resources they need to start using your product or service. The goal of onboarding is to provide a positive customer experience from the start and quickly [demonstrate the value](https://www.rocketlane.com/blogs/uk-office-hours-all-about-customer-value) of your offering. This is crucial for ensuring client retention.

It involves:

1. Exchanging essential information with the client.
2. Establishing internal and external workflows.
3. Setting up collaboration tools.
4. Outlining the next steps and setting clear expectations.

Still, you should know these three essential types of onboarding models:

1. **Low-touch onboarding** is when you let clients take a self-service approach with little involvement from your onboarding team. You can provide resources like a knowledge base of how-to guides and FAQs, along with customer service and support via email or phone.

2. **Medium-touch onboarding** combines self-service with elements of human communication — e.g., training webinars and 1-on-1 customer support — for products and services with a steeper learning curve.

3. **High-touch onboarding** is a human-centric approach that offers a bespoke, personalized walk-through experience, usually for enterprise clients. This is beneficial for service-based offerings (e.g., content marketing agencies) or products that require extensive training.

That’s where this checklist comes into play.

## Why do you need a client onboarding checklist?

Having an airtight client onboarding process in place can help you:

1. Establish a great working relationship with the client and improve customer experience and customer retention.
2. Ensure you agree on the scope of work early on.
3. Improve your rate of conversions, upsells, and cross-sells.
4. Protect yourself from compliance issues.
5. Ensure everyone in your team knows their responsibilities.
6. Lighten the burden on your customer service team.

## The ultimate client onboarding checklist

We’ve organized this 10-step checklist under two broad categories based on the nature of the activities involved: administration and project execution activities.

### Part 1: The 3-step administration phase

1. **Welcoming the client**  
   - Send a welcome email with onboarding documents to introduce your company, team, and processes, as well as answer any common questions.  
   - Attach a client intake form or an onboarding questionnaire to the welcome email to gather information about the client.  
   - Schedule an onboarding call to build rapport and trust between the client and your team.

2. **Legal processes**  
   - Presenting a contract or NDA for the client to sign.  
   - Carefully reviewing and signing any contract or NDA the client might require from you.  
   - Saving copies of the NDAs and contracts and keeping them accessible to stakeholders concerned.

3. **Financial admin**  
   - Add the client to your accounting software.  
   - Set up your billable rates in the relevant apps.  
   - Send invoices for upfront payments or deposits.  
   - Share the required tax documents with your client.

### Part 2: The 7-step project execution phase

1. **Scope, requirements, resources**  
   - Ensure that key stakeholders have understood and formally agreed on project goals.  
   - Align on and freeze the project scope and requirements.  
   - Communicate with the client on whether the solution and technical architecture align with their goals and internal practices.  
   - Acquire compliance clearance and sign-offs from the customer’s infosec and IT teams.  
   - Get the client's formal written commitment on resource availability as per the scoping timelines.
   
2. **Project management**  
   - Set the client up in your time tracking and project management software.  
   - Outline workflows and roles for project execution and feedback.  
   - Establish any known due dates.  
   - Decide on a file-sharing sharing system.
   
3. **Stakeholder engagement and management**  
   - Define the path and schedule for communication with each key stakeholder.  
   - Identify communication channels for each stakeholder type and group.  
   - Establish a protocol for conversations, clarifications, status updates, troubleshooting, and escalations.  
   - Create built-in feedback mechanisms throughout your communication and engagement strategy.
   
4. **Value realization**  
   - Map project goals to ROI.  
   - Create a framework to capture and showcase ROI at different onboarding stages.  
   - Establish a baseline scenario for all the above.
   
5. **Preparing your team**  
   - Define a process for project execution that is mindful of timelines and milestones.  
   - Consider and prepare for tool migrations, integrations, configurations, customizations, and setups.  
   - Ensure your team is trained and familiar with the tools and requirements for the project.
   
6. **Documentation and project tracking**  
   - Ensure you have all your essential documents saved and centrally available:  
     1. Statement of work (SOW)  
     2. Scope and requirements  
     3. Project plan  
     4. Kickoff deck  
     5. Goal outline  
     6. Test plan  
     7. Customer FAQs

- Finalize how you will provide visibility into task progress, risks, and blockers.

7. **Reviewing and improving the process**  
   - Observing and making note of changes in the client’s usage of your product or service.  
   - Scheduling a check-in call with the client after 30 days to receive and share feedback.

## 3 FAQs about onboarding checklists

### 1. How regularly should you update your new client onboarding checklist?
Your onboarding team should consider updating your onboarding checklist template after onboarding every new customer, but only if you spot an opportunity for improvement.

### 2. What are the most common client onboarding mistakes?
1. **Confusing handoffs:** Ensure clear communication on expectations and goals.  
2. **Not involving stakeholders:** Plan communication with stakeholders to keep all parties informed.  
3. **Communication breakdowns:** Agree on channels and cadences of communication.

### 3. How can you make client onboarding easier for your clients and staff?
Consider using dedicated onboarding software to improve communication, collaboration, and project management during the client onboarding process.