# How to build an effective customer onboarding playbook

Discover everything about what a customer onboarding playbook is, why you need one, and six critical onboarding plays to include.

## What is a customer onboarding playbook?

A customer onboarding playbook is a comprehensive reference guide that clearly outlines the protocols, phases, and requirements of the onboarding process for all stakeholders. It’s sometimes referred to as a customer success playbook.

It defines each step of the onboarding process and offers detailed guidelines for teams to follow.

It also helps teams identify best practices for refining and improving client onboarding processes.

## Why is a customer onboarding playbook important?

Customer onboarding is the most critical step in the customer lifecycle. The goal of onboarding is simple: To get the customer set up with your product/service and accelerate their time-to-value.

But its execution is complex.

Why?

Drawing up an onboarding process tailored to each customer's unique needs is an uphill task. That’s where playbooks can help.

Including a playbook as part of your onboarding success plan can help ensure customers get off to a great start with your solution.

They’re an ultimate guide and best practice manual, helping teams navigate the onboarding process smoothly and delivering a consistent customer experience.

### Benefits of a Customer Onboarding Playbook:
1. Establish accountability
2. Drive and scale product adoption
3. Easily track success with specific metrics (e.g., [customer health score](https://rocketlane.com/glossary/customer-health-score))
4. Improve overall customer service
5. Reduce customer churn
6. Drive account expansion

## How to build your own customer onboarding playbook

When creating a customer onboarding playbook, remember that teams must tailor the playbook to suit each customer, and there is no [one-size-fits-all methodology](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/08/30/one-size-fits-none-the-importance-of-adaptive-onboarding/?sh=ce3c6c37c268).

### Determine the best onboarding playbook for the customer

First, you’ll need to decide on the type of playbook your customer needs:

1. **High-touch onboarding:** This approach relies heavily on human interactions.
2. **Low-touch onboarding:** This includes minimal involvement from the onboarding team.
3. **Tech-touch onboarding:** This is a self-serve approach.

### Top 6 plays for your customer onboarding playbook

Here’s a list of 6 top plays to include in your customer onboarding playbook.

#### Play #1: Facilitating seamless handoffs

After the Sales Team has finalized the contract, collaborative planning for the customer onboarding process is essential. Your handoff document should:
1. Detail the customer’s onboarding and implementation process.
2. Outline the customer’s tech stack, pain points, and use cases.

#### Play #2: Nailing kickoffs

Kickoff meetings involve:
1. Drafting a project charter
2. Defining roles of attendees
3. Creating a clear agenda

#### Play #3: Drawing plans

Post-kickoff, set up the customer's account, creating a tailored onboarding plan based on their expectations.

#### Play #4: Ensuring solid implementation

Help customers configure detailed settings for product setups, emphasizing partnership over vendor-client relationships.

#### Play #5: Planning smooth go-lives

Prepare a go-live plan to involve stakeholders and ensure all User Acceptance Testing (UAT) items are addressed before launch.

#### Play #6: Driving adoption

End the onboarding process by celebrating milestones with an ‘Onboarding Day’ to drive excitement among users.

## Customer onboarding playbook: FAQs

### 1. Who needs a customer onboarding playbook?

Primarily useful in SaaS and professional services, playbooks facilitate the onboarding experience for new customers.

### 2. What makes a good customer onboarding playbook?

A successful onboarding playbook should include:
1. Standard operating procedures
2. Adaptability to different customer needs
3. Clearly defined phases and milestones

### 3. Do you need multiple customer onboarding playbooks?

No, a customizable playbook can be adapted to suit each customer's unique needs.