Why does nobody talk about client onboarding checklists

I run a small design agency out of Denver and about 6 months ago I saw a massive difference in how smoothly projects started. Before I was just winging it with a quick email intro, and projects were a mess with scope creep and missed deadlines. Then I built out a simple 10 step checklist for new clients with a kickoff call template and clear milestones. Now first projects finish a solid 2 weeks faster on average. Anyone else use a formal onboarding process or do you just figure it out as you go?

2 comments

2 Comments

miller.paul15h ago

Gotta push back a little on the timeline. In my experience that 2 week faster finish might be more about catching problems early rather than actually speeding up the work itself. The checklist probably helps you spot scope creep before it gets out of hand, so you're not spending weeks redoing stuff that wasn't nailed down upfront. Your mileage may vary of course, but I'd look at how many change orders you're avoiding now versus before the checklist. That's probably the real win.

fiona_nelson5114h agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, change orders are a good metric, but avoiding rework is probably the bigger time saver there.