Customer onboarding is a practical and sustainable way of growing a business, so let’s take a look at some of the best practices.
Customer onboarding is defined as having a customer that has experienced ‘initial success’ with a product, and who can see the real value potential in their relationship with the brand.
The six best practices for customer onboarding are as follows: set milestones and define expectations, customise the experience, onboard your team, gather data, focus the relationship and communicate…
Survey
Ask the customer what they want to achieve, what success looks like and ultimately what they want out of their engagement with a particular brand or product. Using this information brands should then set goals and deadlines within which they should reach ‘success’ for that particular customer.
Inspiration
Take inspiration from the way that you would treat a valuable new employee, and treat customers in the same way. Consider customers as partners, and tailor their onboarding experience to their needs. Individualise each account, and ensure that the customer’s experience with your brand is valuable, useful, desirable and accessible.
Solicited or unsolicited check-ins with customers can be helpful to both parties – ask if the customer has any questions, how the onboarding process has been so far, and if there is anything that could be improved…
Team Alignment
Ensure that everyone in your team knows what they need to – from the customer story, background and pain points to their future needs and feedback so far. An onboarding brief aligns the team so that they can work in a more efficient and productive way.
Big Data
Gathering data on customers is essential in providing them with what they want. Data will also make it easier to understand which areas are working and which aren’t, so make sure to gather as much data as possible during the onboarding process as it can be used long after…
Cultivate
In the pursuit of a partnership with each customer it is important to create a strong relationship. Assign an account manager to each customer; make sure to check in on a fairly regular basis; follow, like and comment on their social media accounts.
Each of these small actions is a way to build a relationship and continue the communication.
Finally, a reminder that communication is key. Consistent, high-quality communication with a customer is essential in the onboarding process, so be engaging, enthusiastic and available throughout.
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