How to Create a Welcome Guide for Client Onboarding
When working with new clients, it’s crucial to give them a smooth and welcoming onboarding experience. After all, these initial communications are your first impression on your clients. Those count for a lot! Starting the client-business relationship on a warm and inviting note helps your client know they’re in the right place and that you’re committed to building a strong partnership. When it comes to establishing this friendly tone, there’s no better tool than a “Welcome Guide” during your client’s onboarding process. Want to know more about why you need a “Welcome Guide” and what that looks like? Read below for the full scoop!
What is a “Welcome Guide”?
This is typically a packet of information, often in PDF format, that helps new clients get oriented to your business, team, and work process. The guide should be visually appealing and user-friendly, serving as a roadmap for people new to your business to understand what you’re all about. In general, “Welcome Guides” are sent to clients by email once they’ve signed a contract and are all set to start working with you. The idea is to provide a warm welcome to the business, while also giving clients energy and enthusiasm right from the get-go!
We recommend including a separate page or document that deals with company policies and expectations. Getting this taken care of upfront will help establish boundaries with the client and ensure a smooth working relationship.
Who needs a “Welcome Guide”?
If you’re a service-based business or professional service provider, we’d strongly recommend you create a “Welcome Guide” for new clients. This includes coaches, consultants, designers, writers, editors, architects, interior designers, midwives, CPAs, private chefs, photographers, wedding professionals, and more. Since these types of businesses are built on close working relationships with individual clients, it’s important to start communication on the right foot. Product-based businesses can benefit from Welcome Guides too, particularly consumer subscription services and high-end luxury products.
How can a “Welcome Guide” help my business?
Officially welcome clients. While you’ve either met with your client in-person or virtually, a “Welcome Guide” provides a more in-depth introduction to your business, and reminds clients of why they decided to work with you. You might also consider adding a welcome letter from you to the client, with your signature embedded for a more personal touch.
Set the tone for your project and working relationship. The “Welcome Guide” allows you to adopt a friendly, accessible tone, giving the client reassurance that you’re here to help every step of the way. It also emphasizes the close working relationship you hope to have with clients. It solidifies your relationship as meaningful, rather than purely transactional.
Help build enthusiasm. Once you’ve made the sale, it’s time to turn your attention to how to get your client engaged in the working process. An enthusiastic client is a happy client, and one who is much easier and more enjoyable to work with! The “Welcome Guide” helps create excitement around your business and the work you’ll do together.
Provide reassurance that they made the right choice. Hearing about your team members and the important work that you do will help reassure clients that they’ve made a good decision. Seeing your business’s full array of offerings and star-studded team will instill a vote of confidence in any new client.
Answer outstanding questions. Including an FAQ page and easy-to-access contact information can help new clients get any lingering questions answered, all in an accessible and user-friendly format. This can also serve as a useful reference document for any questions or confusion that arise throughout the project.
What content should I include in my “Welcome Guide”?
Contact information and office hours. Include ways for your client to reach you and other team members, including your business’s hours of operation.
Valuable links & resources. If there are any supplementary websites or resources that will help add to your client’s experience, this is a great place to embed those.
Information about how to access a client portal. If you’re using a client portal to manage client materials and communications, be sure to include instructions on how the client can access it. Also be sure to walk clients through how they can access their invoices or contracts for upcoming projects.
Information about your team. Introduce new clients to who they’ll be working with by including bios of your team members, including photos if possible.
An overview of the process. Give clients insight into what to expect when they begin working with you, including graphics that make each step feel accessible and visually appealing.
An FAQ page. Get ahead of any questions by addressing some of the most common inquiries you get from clients. This helps to put new clients immediately at ease and minimizes confusion.
Referral gift. This can be a nice way to say “thank you” to a new client who takes the time to recommend you to a friend. You might consider offering a gift card, credit, or affiliate discount.
Bonus: Offboarding Guide. Consider making an offboarding guide as well to wish your clients well and/or to share more ways you can work together in the future.
What should my “Welcome Guide” look and feel like?
Infuse it with your brand’s personality. Be sure the voice and tone of your “Welcome Guide” is consistent with your website and the rest of your business.
Keep it concise. Only include the most helpful information, and be careful about overwhelming the client with superfluous content.
Make it beautiful. The guide should be visually appealing and designed with your customer and brand aesthetic in mind. Make sure it looks professional, cohesive, and consistent, and that the information is displayed in an easy-to-read and convenient format.
Need help with writing and designing your “Welcome Guide”? Reach out to our experts here. We’d love to create an on-brand “Welcome Guide” to elevate your client onboarding experience!
