[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":651},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guides-navigation":3,"\u002Fguides\u002Fclient-onboarding-checklist":59,"\u002Fguides\u002Fclient-onboarding-checklist-surround":646},[4,9,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49,54],{"title":5,"path":6,"stem":7,"icon":8},"Customer Segmentation","\u002Fguides\u002Fcustomer-segmentation","guides\u002F10.customer-segmentation","ph:funnel",{"title":10,"path":11,"stem":12,"icon":13},"Sales Forecasting","\u002Fguides\u002Fsales-forecasting","guides\u002F11.sales-forecasting","ph:chart-line-up",{"title":15,"path":16,"stem":17,"icon":18},"CRM Implementation Checklist","\u002Fguides\u002Fcrm-implementation-checklist","guides\u002F12.crm-implementation-checklist","ph:list-checks",{"title":20,"path":21,"stem":22,"icon":23},"CRM Tags","\u002Fguides\u002Ftags","guides\u002F2.tags","ph:tag",{"title":25,"path":26,"stem":27,"icon":28},"Smart Lists","\u002Fguides\u002Fsmart-lists","guides\u002F3.smart-lists","ph:list-magnifying-glass",{"title":30,"path":31,"stem":32,"icon":33},"Automations","\u002Fguides\u002Fautomations","guides\u002F4.automations","ph:lightning",{"title":35,"path":36,"stem":37,"icon":38},"CRM for Marketing Agencies","\u002Fguides\u002Fcrm-for-marketing-agencies","guides\u002F5.crm-for-marketing-agencies","ph:buildings",{"title":40,"path":41,"stem":42,"icon":43},"Lead Management Process","\u002Fguides\u002Flead-management-process","guides\u002F6.lead-management-process","ph:user-focus",{"title":45,"path":46,"stem":47,"icon":48},"Sales Pipeline Stages","\u002Fguides\u002Fsales-pipeline-stages","guides\u002F7.sales-pipeline-stages","ph:kanban",{"title":50,"path":51,"stem":52,"icon":53},"Client Onboarding Checklist","\u002Fguides\u002Fclient-onboarding-checklist","guides\u002F8.client-onboarding-checklist","ph:check-square",{"title":55,"path":56,"stem":57,"icon":58},"CRM Data Cleanup","\u002Fguides\u002Fcrm-data-cleanup","guides\u002F9.crm-data-cleanup","ph:broom",{"id":60,"title":50,"body":61,"dateModified":636,"datePublished":636,"description":637,"extension":638,"links":639,"meta":640,"navigation":641,"path":51,"seo":642,"stem":52,"__hash__":645},"guides_en\u002Fguides\u002F8.client-onboarding-checklist.md",{"type":62,"value":63,"toc":605},"minimark",[64,68,71,76,123,126,129,132,155,158,161,164,169,172,195,198,202,205,307,310,313,316,319,343,346,349,352,356,359,363,366,370,373,377,380,383,386,389,412,432,435,439,471,475,508,512,539,543,570,573,577,580,584,587,591,594,598],[65,66,67],"p",{},"Client onboarding turns a signed agreement into a working relationship. The goal is not to send more forms. It is to remove uncertainty about access, ownership, scope, communication, and the first measurable outcome.",[65,69,70],{},"This checklist is written for marketing agencies, but the structure works for consultants and other recurring service businesses.",[72,73,75],"h2",{"id":74},"on-this-page","On this page",[77,78,79,87,93,99,105,111,117],"ul",{},[80,81,82],"li",{},[83,84,86],"a",{"href":85},"#before-the-kickoff","Before the kickoff",[80,88,89],{},[83,90,92],{"href":91},"#information-and-access-to-collect","Information and access to collect",[80,94,95],{},[83,96,98],{"href":97},"#run-the-kickoff-meeting","Run the kickoff meeting",[80,100,101],{},[83,102,104],{"href":103},"#build-the-first-30-day-plan","Build the first 30-day plan",[80,106,107],{},[83,108,110],{"href":109},"#set-up-the-crm-record","Set up the CRM record",[80,112,113],{},[83,114,116],{"href":115},"#client-onboarding-checklist","Client onboarding checklist",[80,118,119],{},[83,120,122],{"href":121},"#frequently-asked-questions","Frequently asked questions",[72,124,86],{"id":125},"before-the-kickoff",[65,127,128],{},"The first onboarding work starts before the meeting. Review what sales promised, identify gaps, and decide who owns each part of delivery.",[65,130,131],{},"Prepare:",[77,133,134,137,140,143,146,149,152],{},[80,135,136],{},"Signed scope and commercial terms",[80,138,139],{},"Services included and explicitly excluded",[80,141,142],{},"Named agency owner and delivery leads",[80,144,145],{},"Client decision-maker and day-to-day contact",[80,147,148],{},"Target launch date or first milestone",[80,150,151],{},"Known dependencies and risks",[80,153,154],{},"Open questions carried over from sales",[65,156,157],{},"Do not make the client repeat information already collected during sales. Transfer it into the onboarding record and ask only for confirmation or missing details.",[72,159,92],{"id":160},"information-and-access-to-collect",[65,162,163],{},"Separate business context from technical access. The people who know the goals may not be the people who administer the tools.",[165,166,168],"h3",{"id":167},"business-context","Business context",[65,170,171],{},"Ask for:",[77,173,174,177,180,183,186,189,192],{},[80,175,176],{},"Primary business objective",[80,178,179],{},"Target customer and priority offers",[80,181,182],{},"Current performance baseline",[80,184,185],{},"Previous work and lessons learned",[80,187,188],{},"Approval process",[80,190,191],{},"Legal or brand restrictions",[80,193,194],{},"Reporting audience and cadence",[65,196,197],{},"A useful objective contains a number, audience, and time period. “Improve leads” is too vague. “Increase qualified demo requests from UK companies over the next quarter” can guide channel, creative, and reporting choices.",[165,199,201],{"id":200},"access-inventory","Access inventory",[65,203,204],{},"Create an inventory rather than requesting passwords in email.",[206,207,208,230],"table",{},[209,210,211],"thead",{},[212,213,214,218,221,224,227],"tr",{},[215,216,217],"th",{},"System",[215,219,220],{},"Access needed",[215,222,223],{},"Client owner",[215,225,226],{},"Agency owner",[215,228,229],{},"Status",[231,232,233,250,265,279,293],"tbody",{},[212,234,235,239,242,245,247],{},[236,237,238],"td",{},"Analytics",[236,240,241],{},"Read or analyst",[236,243,244],{},"Name",[236,246,244],{},[236,248,249],{},"Pending",[212,251,252,255,258,260,262],{},[236,253,254],{},"Advertising account",[236,256,257],{},"Campaign management",[236,259,244],{},[236,261,244],{},[236,263,264],{},"Granted",[212,266,267,270,273,275,277],{},[236,268,269],{},"Website or CMS",[236,271,272],{},"Scoped publishing",[236,274,244],{},[236,276,244],{},[236,278,249],{},[212,280,281,284,286,288,290],{},[236,282,283],{},"Email platform",[236,285,257],{},[236,287,244],{},[236,289,244],{},[236,291,292],{},"Not needed",[212,294,295,298,301,303,305],{},[236,296,297],{},"CRM",[236,299,300],{},"Required records and reporting",[236,302,244],{},[236,304,244],{},[236,306,264],{},[65,308,309],{},"Use each platform's user and role controls. Shared credentials make revocation and audit harder.",[72,311,98],{"id":312},"run-the-kickoff-meeting",[65,314,315],{},"A kickoff should resolve decisions, not merely introduce everyone.",[65,317,318],{},"Cover these topics:",[320,321,322,325,328,331,334,337,340],"ol",{},[80,323,324],{},"Restate the outcome and scope.",[80,326,327],{},"Confirm the target audience and priority offer.",[80,329,330],{},"Agree on success measures and current baselines.",[80,332,333],{},"Review responsibilities and approval owners.",[80,335,336],{},"Confirm the communication channel and meeting cadence.",[80,338,339],{},"Surface dependencies, risks, and unavailable access.",[80,341,342],{},"Agree on the first milestone and next actions.",[65,344,345],{},"End with named owners and dates. “The client will send assets” is incomplete. “Jordan will send the approved brand assets by Thursday” is actionable.",[72,347,104],{"id":348},"build-the-first-30-day-plan",[65,350,351],{},"The first month should produce evidence that the engagement is moving, even when the final business result takes longer.",[165,353,355],{"id":354},"week-1-establish-the-baseline","Week 1: establish the baseline",[65,357,358],{},"Confirm access, validate tracking, review existing assets, and record baseline performance. If data is incomplete, document the gap rather than treating missing data as zero.",[165,360,362],{"id":361},"week-2-agree-on-direction","Week 2: agree on direction",[65,364,365],{},"Present the strategy, priorities, or initial findings. Resolve approval requirements before production begins.",[165,367,369],{"id":368},"week-3-launch-the-first-work","Week 3: launch the first work",[65,371,372],{},"Ship the smallest meaningful unit: a campaign, landing-page revision, measurement fix, or content brief. Avoid waiting for every future detail before producing anything observable.",[165,374,376],{"id":375},"week-4-review-and-adjust","Week 4: review and adjust",[65,378,379],{},"Compare the work against the baseline, record what changed, and confirm priorities for the next cycle.",[72,381,110],{"id":382},"set-up-the-crm-record",[65,384,385],{},"The CRM should preserve the commercial and relationship context around delivery.",[65,387,388],{},"Create or update:",[77,390,391,394,397,400,403,406,409],{},[80,392,393],{},"The client account and key contacts",[80,395,396],{},"Contact roles such as decision-maker, billing contact, and technical contact",[80,398,399],{},"Contract value, start date, renewal date, and services",[80,401,402],{},"Agency owner and delivery stakeholders",[80,404,405],{},"Communication preferences",[80,407,408],{},"Important risks and commitments from sales",[80,410,411],{},"A note summarizing kickoff decisions",[65,413,414,415,418,419,423,424,427,428,431],{},"Use ",[83,416,417],{"href":21},"tags"," for visible states such as ",[420,421,422],"code",{},"onboarding"," or ",[420,425,426],{},"access-blocked",". Use structured fields for dates, values, and named options. When a recurring review needs the same audience, create a ",[83,429,430],{"href":26},"smart list",".",[72,433,116],{"id":434},"client-onboarding-checklist",[165,436,438],{"id":437},"commercial-handoff","Commercial handoff",[77,440,443,453,459,465],{"className":441},[442],"contains-task-list",[80,444,447,452],{"className":445},[446],"task-list-item",[448,449],"input",{"disabled":450,"type":451},true,"checkbox"," Signed scope is attached or linked",[80,454,456,458],{"className":455},[446],[448,457],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Services and exclusions are understood",[80,460,462,464],{"className":461},[446],[448,463],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Billing contact and terms are confirmed",[80,466,468,470],{"className":467},[446],[448,469],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Sales commitments are recorded",[165,472,474],{"id":473},"people-and-communication","People and communication",[77,476,478,484,490,496,502],{"className":477},[442],[80,479,481,483],{"className":480},[446],[448,482],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Agency owner is named",[80,485,487,489],{"className":486},[446],[448,488],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Client decision-maker is named",[80,491,493,495],{"className":492},[446],[448,494],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Day-to-day contacts are identified",[80,497,499,501],{"className":498},[446],[448,500],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Approval process is documented",[80,503,505,507],{"className":504},[446],[448,506],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Meeting and reporting cadence is agreed",[165,509,511],{"id":510},"strategy-and-measurement","Strategy and measurement",[77,513,515,521,527,533],{"className":514},[442],[80,516,518,520],{"className":517},[446],[448,519],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Primary objective is specific",[80,522,524,526],{"className":523},[446],[448,525],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Target audience and offer are confirmed",[80,528,530,532],{"className":529},[446],[448,531],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Baseline metrics are recorded",[80,534,536,538],{"className":535},[446],[448,537],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Success measures have owners and sources",[165,540,542],{"id":541},"access-and-delivery","Access and delivery",[77,544,546,552,558,564],{"className":545},[442],[80,547,549,551],{"className":548},[446],[448,550],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Required systems are listed",[80,553,555,557],{"className":554},[446],[448,556],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Access uses individual accounts where possible",[80,559,561,563],{"className":560},[446],[448,562],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," Missing access has an owner and due date",[80,565,567,569],{"className":566},[446],[448,568],{"disabled":450,"type":451}," First milestone and next actions are dated",[72,571,122],{"id":572},"frequently-asked-questions",[165,574,576],{"id":575},"how-long-should-client-onboarding-take","How long should client onboarding take?",[65,578,579],{},"The duration depends on service complexity and access requirements. Define a target for reaching the first useful milestone, then track blockers separately. A ten-day onboarding delayed by missing analytics access is different from ten days of internal inactivity.",[165,581,583],{"id":582},"who-should-own-onboarding","Who should own onboarding?",[65,585,586],{},"Name one accountable owner on the agency side. Specialists can own individual tasks, but the client should know who coordinates the whole process.",[165,588,590],{"id":589},"what-should-be-stored-in-the-crm","What should be stored in the CRM?",[65,592,593],{},"Store relationship context, stakeholders, commercial dates, ownership, commitments, and important decisions. Delivery files can remain in their specialist tools with links from the relevant record.",[165,595,597],{"id":596},"how-do-i-reduce-onboarding-delays","How do I reduce onboarding delays?",[65,599,600,601,604],{},"Request access early, assign every request to a person, set due dates, and review outstanding dependencies at each check-in. Use the ",[83,602,603],{"href":36},"CRM data organization guide"," to keep account records consistent.",{"title":606,"searchDepth":607,"depth":607,"links":608},"",2,[609,610,611,616,617,623,624,630],{"id":74,"depth":607,"text":75},{"id":125,"depth":607,"text":86},{"id":160,"depth":607,"text":92,"children":612},[613,615],{"id":167,"depth":614,"text":168},3,{"id":200,"depth":614,"text":201},{"id":312,"depth":607,"text":98},{"id":348,"depth":607,"text":104,"children":618},[619,620,621,622],{"id":354,"depth":614,"text":355},{"id":361,"depth":614,"text":362},{"id":368,"depth":614,"text":369},{"id":375,"depth":614,"text":376},{"id":382,"depth":607,"text":110},{"id":434,"depth":607,"text":116,"children":625},[626,627,628,629],{"id":437,"depth":614,"text":438},{"id":473,"depth":614,"text":474},{"id":510,"depth":614,"text":511},{"id":541,"depth":614,"text":542},{"id":572,"depth":607,"text":122,"children":631},[632,633,634,635],{"id":575,"depth":614,"text":576},{"id":582,"depth":614,"text":583},{"id":589,"depth":614,"text":590},{"id":596,"depth":614,"text":597},"2026-09-25","A reusable client onboarding process for agencies, from signed agreement to the first review.","md",null,{},{"icon":53},{"title":643,"description":644},"Client Onboarding Checklist for Marketing Agencies","Use this client onboarding checklist to collect access, confirm scope, assign owners, set communication rules, establish baselines, and run a strong kickoff.","5Q6XmxsU7SSUaDdrLhSeQfzLgX1CVovL-kz5A_Xyd90",[647,649],{"title":45,"path":46,"stem":47,"description":648,"icon":48},"Design pipeline stages that reflect buyer progress and produce a forecast your team can trust.",{"title":55,"path":56,"stem":57,"description":650,"icon":58},"Clean duplicate, incomplete, stale, and inconsistent CRM records without losing useful history.",1793830132770]