Dearest MSP, You did it. Another new account to add to your customer base! But of course, they’re more than just a number, now the relationship truly begins. The next step? Give them the best onboarding experience possible. Beyond getting them familiar with software or new IT environments, you’ll need to get a deeper understanding of your client’s challenges.Â
Did you know MSPs spend about 40 to 80 hours manually gathering information from existing systems and databases to onboard each client? An onboarding framework simplifies knowledge-sharing and sets expectations for both sides.Â
Communication and customer experience, it’s the foundation of a great client relationship.
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Below, we've outlined what the client onboarding checklist should look like.Â
Every client is unique, however, you can use the recommendations in this blog as a baseline for creating your own checklist, or you can download ours, here. Make sure to tailor the components to meet the specific needs of your client.‍‍
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Collect any information you didn’t get through the sales process. Fill in the gaps in your understanding of the client. Also, discover how you can achieve their goals. The questionnaire can bring multiple stakeholders together to answer specific queries.Â
Survey Monkey, TypeForm, and Google Forms are great tools to create a survey. If you’re using a customer relationship management platform, you can use a built-in form to build the survey. Sync the answers directly to your client’s account in the CRM. You can also schedule a meeting to cover the questionnaire over a call.Â
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Depending on the company size and the nature of the services you’ll provide, assign the appropriate team members to your client.Â
The account manager will play a significant role and be responsible for most of your client onboarding process steps. When assigning team members to the account, brief them on any client details you picked up during the sales process.
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One of the more important msp client onboarding best practices is to share helpful product guides, in-depth case studies, and comprehensive knowledge base articles to highlight the several use cases of your offering. What will working with you look like? Reiterate the terms of your contract in the Welcome Packet and highlight the working process.Â
You may choose to share your welcome packet via email or jazz things up by creating a branded PDF.
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After getting through the initial steps, your account manager can reach out to the client and schedule a kick-off meeting. Make sure to include a detailed meeting agenda in your invite. Essential to msp client onboarding process, do the following:
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Many tools require clients to import their data (or connect data sources) to use them. It's an essential step in the onboarding process because clients will generally not see any value until they complete this step.
There are a few ways you can approach data import, including:Â
Importing data is complex. It requires a smooth transition of information through different workflows. Conduct a security assessment, and implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). You can also layout a Data import point security. To enhance the security model, ensure a separate security configuration for each data integration and entry mode.Â
Automating the entire process can reduce manual errors and avoid any unnecessary hiccups. Â
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Now that you have your client onboarded on paper, it’s time to sync their systems. This is also one of the most important steps while onboarding your client. Perform activities to synchronize the client's new system with the data on their existing system. Synchronization requires careful planning and monitoring. It also requires a good understanding of client's applications and the library structure of their system. Further, running two systems in parallel also requires change-control best practices.Â
If possible, you should carefully limit other changes on the client's existing system during the synchronization period, such as adding or changing user profiles or changing the system distribution directory.Â
1. Set up the client in your Professional Services Automation (PSA) toolÂ
2. Set up the client in your accounting and billing systems
3. Set up the SLA agreement in your PSA tool
4. Send an announcement email introducing the new client to your companyÂ
5. Obtain all contracts and warranties for hardware and software, including:Â
6. Enter the emergency support information into your PSA
7. Change administrative passwords wherever relevant. This may include:Â
8. Discover all client, service, and backdoor accounts and troubleshoot as neededÂ
9. Identify all admin and domain admin group members and troubleshoot as neededÂ
10. Identify all groups and membership for remote accessÂ
11. Review PCs for local admin and service accountsÂ
12. Scan the network’s internal LAN for IP-enabled devices and reviewÂ
13. Register for web properties and DNSÂ
14. Review firewall rules and modify as neededÂ
Remote monitoring and management (RMM) is crucial for keeping an eye on your client’s infrastructure and responding proactively. So, have the RMM setup included in your MSP onboarding checklist process, too.Â
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1. Install RMM agents on the client’s servers, workstations, and mobile devices.
2. Make sure your RMM tool is compatible with any applicable antivirus programs and backup routines.Â
3. Test the monitoring and alerts to ensure they work.
4. Install antivirus on the systems, servers, and mobile devices.Â
The project launch and the work leading up to it can be an exciting time for your development team. Nevertheless, don't take your eye off the ball now.
Cover aspects of the project management, ranging from implementation to security. In some cases, tests may involve external stakeholders such as consultants and system penetration testers, equipped with ethical hacking capabilities. Any issues raised during this phase should be broken into tasks. Assign them to team members who can resolve them. Â
With all final issues ironed out, transfer control of the project management to relevant teams. It involves a degree of complexity, so create dedicated tasks for finer details. Develop a complete report for the project and analyze shortcomings that still exist. Â
Set up a monthly and quarterly progress review after the project launch. After the initial kickoff call, schedule check-in after two weeks to verify everything is working smoothly. Chase down any prior permissions or other essentials needed and then proceed with the regular monthly and quarterly reviews. The reviews will:Â Â
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I Never assume your client knows what to expect, bring them through a brief summary after making the sale and keep re-stating what will happen next. Make onboarding your differentiator— set them up for success and then make good on the promises you pitched during the sales process.
To learn more about how Zomentum’s Sales Automation Platform, with powerful sales automation capabilities, can help you guide your clients through your MSP onboarding checklist steps, check out our ready-made template for a few ideas.