Episode 93: Building a Seamless Onboarding System for Your Clients
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Conquering Workflows & Systems for Bookkeepers & Accountants podcast with Alyssa Lang, founder of Workflow Queen and Magnetic Bookkeeping & Consulting. Episode topic: Building a Seamless Onboarding System for Your Clients.
In this solo episode, Alyssa Lang dives into the critical aspects of client onboarding for bookkeepers and accountants, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Alyssa walks you through the process of mapping out the onboarding journey, utilizing automation tools, and setting timelines that distinguish onboarding from sales or cleanup, setting your practice on a path to success with streamlined systems!
In this episode you’ll hear:
How to map out an efficient onboarding process
How to separate your sales process, onboarding and clean up process for best success
Why proper onboarding is crucial for cultivating positive client relationships and retention
How automation tools can enhance the onboarding experience
Who can handle onboarding tasks within your firm
Resources mentioned in this episode:
💻 Breakthrough for Bookkeepers & Accountants
⚙️ Miro
⚙️ Dubsado
⚙️ Asana
💻 All our programs and courses at Workflow Queen
⚙️ Notion
💻 Kickoff with Asana for Bookkeepers & Accountants
💻 The Motherload of Email & Form Swipe File
💻 Effortless Client Requests for Bookkeepers & Accountants
☎️ Book a 15 minute consult call to discuss what program is the right fit for you and your firm
Listen to the Full Episode here 👇🏼
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Are you tired of juggling endless emails, chasing down missing documents, and feeling overwhelmed every time you onboard a new client? Onboarding is often an overlooked process in bookkeeping and accounting firms, yet it’s one of the most critical steps to retaining clients and running a profitable business.
When done right, onboarding transforms chaos into clarity, sets the stage for positive client relationships, and saves you countless hours.
In this blog, we’ll dive into:
How to map out an efficient onboarding process.
Why separating sales, onboarding, and cleanup is key to success.
How automation tools like Asana, Dubsado, and Content Snare can save time.
Who should handle onboarding tasks (spoiler: it doesn’t have to be you).
If you’re ready to create a client onboarding system that’s smooth, stress-free, and scalable, keep reading!
The Importance of Onboarding in Accounting Firms
Onboarding isn’t just about ticking off a checklist, it’s your first opportunity to wow your clients. A seamless onboarding process:
Builds trust and confidence from day one.
Reduces frustration for you, your clients, and your team.
Sets the tone for a long-term, positive relationship.
The bottom line? Proper onboarding improves client retention, keeps your firm organized, and prevents headaches down the road.
Step 1: Map Out Your Onboarding Process
The first step to creating a seamless onboarding system is mapping out your process. This means looking at the big picture instead of getting lost in the details.
Here’s how to do it:
Start with a high-level view: Use a tool like Miro to map out the major steps in your onboarding process (e.g., creating a Google Drive folder, setting up project management tasks).
Use sticky notes for brainstorming: Write each step on a sticky note and arrange them in order on a wall. Seeing everything laid out can spark clarity.
Avoid getting stuck in the weeds: Focus on the main steps before worrying about every tiny detail.
Pro Tip: Inside Breakthrough for Bookkeepers & Accountants, we teach you how to map your processes step-by-step, making it easy to create scalable systems.
Step 2: Separate Sales, Onboarding, and Cleanup
One of the biggest mistakes firms make is lumping sales, onboarding, and cleanup into one messy process. Here’s why that’s a problem:
Sales: Involves converting a lead into a paying client (think contracts and invoices).
Onboarding: Focuses on collecting the tools and information you need to serve the client.
Cleanup: Tackles fixing past bookkeeping issues or organizing their financials.
By separating these processes, you’ll create clarity and reduce overwhelm—for both your team and your clients.
Step 3: Automate to Save Time
Let’s face it…manual onboarding is a time suck. Luckily, there are tools to help you streamline and automate almost every step!
Top Tools for Automation:
Dubsado: Automatically triggers onboarding tasks once a client signs and pays.
Content Snare: Simplifies document collection with automated reminders and approvals.
Zapier: Connects your favorite tools, like creating Slack channels or tagging clients in Clockify.
Automation isn’t about removing the personal touch. It’s about eliminating repetitive tasks so you can focus on delivering a great client experience.
Step 4: Delegate Onboarding Tasks
Good news: you don’t have to handle onboarding all by yourself. Most onboarding tasks are admin-focused, meaning they don’t require bookkeeping expertise.
Who Can Handle Onboarding?
Admins or operations associates: Perfect for managing tasks like creating folders, sending requests, and setting up tools.
Automation tools: Let software handle repetitive tasks like document collection or email follow-ups.
In my firm, we use Asana to assign tasks and track progress. Our SOPs and scripts are stored in Notion, giving our team everything they need to execute onboarding without my constant oversight.
Need help setting this up? Kickoff with Asana for Bookkeepers & Accountants includes templates to streamline onboarding (and your whole firm!).
Step 5: Set a Clear Onboarding Timeline
Onboarding doesn’t need to drag on for weeks. In our firm, onboarding takes just two weeks. Here’s how we make it happen:
Set clear expectations during the sales process.
Use project management tools like Asana to keep tasks on track.
Automate client reminders through Content Snare.
A defined timeline not only keeps you organized but also reassures clients that you’re running a professional operation.
Common Onboarding Challenges (and How to Overcome Them)
“I don’t have time to build a system.”
I get it—building an onboarding process takes time upfront. But once it’s in place, you’ll save countless hours and headaches.
“My clients want a custom experience.”
Automation and templates don’t have to feel robotic. Tools like Content Snare allow you to customize client communications while keeping things efficient.
“I don’t have a team to help.”
Even solo bookkeepers can benefit from automating tasks and using tools like Dubsado or Asana.
Final Thoughts
A seamless onboarding system isn’t just nice to have, it’s a must-have for growing your bookkeeping or accounting firm. By mapping out your process, automating repetitive tasks, and delegating effectively, you can create an onboarding experience that wows your clients and saves you time.
Take the first step today. Whether you’re ready to dive into Kickoff with Asana or just need a quick consult call, we’re here to help. Let’s make your onboarding process stress-free and scalable!
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