Your Client Onboarding Process Isn’t Just a Process It’s a First Impression

Let’s talk about onboarding, not the tick-box kind, but the kind that makes a client go yes, I’ve made the right decision.

Most firms spend hours crafting their investment strategies, building compliant workflows, refining fee models... but when it comes to onboarding your clients, it’s often treated like admin. It’s not. Onboarding is where trust either starts to grow or slowly unravels.

A great onboarding experience says, we see you, we’ve got you, and we’re ready for this journey together. It sets the tone for the whole client relationship. And crucially, it can help calm that post-sign-up anxiety clients might feel after making a big financial commitment. You know the feeling - Have I chosen the right adviser? Did I rush this?

Static Processes Don't Work With Dynamic People

Let’s get real. Your clients are people. Different goals, different personalities, different ways of making decisions. A rigid onboarding process that works brilliantly for one client might completely alienate another.

Some clients want to dive in headfirst, one meeting, all systems go. Others need time to reflect, ask questions, sleep on it. Your onboarding needs to flex to both.

The best processes are dynamic. They’re built to be tweaked, reviewed, and personalised. Yes, you need consistency, but you also need a bit of room to breathe.

Think Like a Client

When was the last time you put yourself in your client’s shoes? Because I did, and here’s what I’d want from an onboarding experience:

A warm welcomeI want a warm welcome, not just a templated email. I would feel better if knew what to expect when I visit for my first meeting. Send me a short video or brochure showing me around your office, introduce me to your team, explain how the client journey works. Let me put faces to names. Tell me who my main contact is. Tell me where to park and how much it costs. Tell me how long the meeting will take, so I know how long to pay for parking!. Help me feel part of something. Help me feel important.

Clear, consistent communicationSilence breeds anxiety. So does inconsistency. After my meeting, I want to know when I’ll hear from you next, how you’ll communicate, and what to expect. If it’s going to take six weeks for a pension switch, before I hear from you again, say so. If things change, keep me updated.

Clarity around tech and dataIf you need me to use a portal or sign documents digitally, tell me how. Even better show me how. This could be a standard loom video or a one-page pdf. Reassure me about data security. I’ll feel a lot better knowing my sensitive information is only accessed by a small, trusted team, and that I’m not emailing my National Insurance number into the abyss.

Less repetition Please don’t make me repeat my address three times. If you’ve already got my details, use them.

It’s Not About Being Fancy - It’s About Being Human

This isn’t about spending loads of money on onboarding software or branding. It’s about mindset. About seeing onboarding as the first step in your client relationship, not just the prelude to “the real work”.

So, if it’s been a while since you reviewed your onboarding process - or if it’s something you’ve been meaning to “sort out eventually” -now’s a good time.

Start small. Change one thing and test it out. Ask your clients what they think. And remember onboarding isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection.