So, you’ve won the business of a new client. Congrats! And so begins the critical onboarding process for a new client that can set the tone for the entire working relationship. Starting off on the right foot is crucial in order to set realistic expectations and standards on how to communicate and to build goodwill. The next step is for your team to get prepared so you can hit the ground running to drive meaningful results.
Onboarding new clients is a valuable process. Getting yourself and your team up to speed on your client’s immediate objectives is essential to laying a solid foundation for the partnership.
Below is a guide to creating a strong onboarding experience that sets your team up for long-term success.
- Monitor industry trends. Set up Google alerts to monitor your client’s key competitors and stay abreast of other vital news impacting your client.
- Conduct a media audit. If you didn’t do this as part of your new business pitch, it’s a good idea to review and analyze your client’s and its competitors’ editorial coverage. This will help you understand how your client’s coverage differs from its competitors. This analysis may also inform the ideas and strategies you recommend and serve as a baseline for tracking results.
- Know your client’s priorities. It’s critical to understand your client’s priorities, short and long-term goals, key competitors and perspectives. This is vital in defining the right strategies and knowing where to focus your resources and energy.
- Align on KPIs. Establish shared expectations around the measurement of results. Specifically, know how your client defines success, the KPIs that are important to them and how often they want progress reports or results recaps.
- Develop foundational materials. Begin developing the materials you will leverage throughout the partnership. For instance, create a story arc, develop key messages, and identify the supporting data that will be used to guide future campaigns.
Winning the business of a new client is an exciting time. However, it’s crucial that you put the time and resources into onboarding that will pave the way to success for both you and your client. Creating a strong foundation from the start will guarantee that your team won’t need to go back and execute these steps later on, leading you to successful PR campaigns from the get-go.