Learn
A client says yes. Then come the scattered messages: where to send the logo, which version of the brief to use and whether work has started yet.
Onboarding connects the decision to hire you with the beginning of the project. A useful process tells the client what happens next and gives you the information needed to do the work.
You can create a first version with a checklist, an intake form and one welcome message.
1. Define the starting point
Decide which agreed steps need to be complete before onboarding begins. That might include an accepted scope and any initial payment required by your project terms.
Keep those steps consistent with what the client was told when booking. If you need their materials before scheduling production, explain that early.
Record the client’s project name, contact details and agreed deliverables in one place so you are not reconstructing the agreement from several messages.
2. Ask for the information the project needs
Build a short intake form or document around the work you are doing. A design project might need the audience, intended use, brand files, approved wording and feedback contact.
Keep questions specific. “What should the graphic help someone understand?” is easier to answer than a broad request to explain the entire business.
Remove questions that do not change your work. An elaborate questionnaire can delay a simple project before it begins.
3. Choose a home for shared materials
Provide one agreed place for files and a clear way to name them. Ask clients to identify the approved version of their text and images.
Set permissions deliberately. Request only the access your task needs, and use the relevant platform’s access-sharing features rather than asking for passwords in an intake form.
Tell the client where finished files and feedback will live, too. One destination is easier to maintain than several competing threads.
4. Send a short welcome message
Include the project name, what you need from the client, the next milestone and how to contact you.
For example:
Thank you for choosing us for your Pinterest graphics. Please complete the project brief and add your approved materials to the shared folder. Once everything is received, we’ll confirm the draft delivery date. Send project questions in this email thread so the details stay together.
Adapt the wording to your own service and the timing you have agreed. The message should help the client act without searching the original sales page.
5. Confirm that you are ready to begin
Check the intake information and files before starting production. If something is missing, name it specifically and explain which step depends on it.
Confirm the brief and the next date with the client. Keep a simple internal status such as Awaiting Materials, Ready to Begin or In Progress.
6. Improve the checklist after each project
Notice repeated questions and add the missing instruction. Remove requests you never use.
Good onboarding gives both people a clearer beginning. Start with the few details that prevent confusion, then refine the process through ordinary work.
Your next step
List everything you need before starting your next client project, then turn the list into one clear request. Onboarding works best when the package itself is clear, so pair this with How to Turn Your Skills Into a Clear Service Package, and borrow ideas for the welcome message from How to Create a Welcome Email for Your First Subscribers. After a few projects, document the process so it’s easy to repeat.
Fresh reads, useful tools and a little inspiration for your home and working life. Join The Letter to stay in the fold.
Keep reading
