Setting Engagements Up For Success

First impressions aren’t everything, but I do believe that they’re important.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been lucky enough to have a few conversations with potential new clients. That got me thinking about what my kickoff and onboarding process looks like.

During the course of my agency career, and my solo work, I’ve had the opportunity to start new engagements with a variety of different clients. As a result, I’ve learned a thing or two, and have been able to refine my process along the way.

My process definitely isn’t perfect, and still a work in progress, but I’m sharing a few practices that I’ve found to be helpful at the beginning of new engagements.

Make Communication Convenient and Organized

This may seem simple and obvious, but making it easy for clients to get in touch with you is still an underrated component of a working relationship. Believe it or not, I’ve seen that this isn’t always the case.

I’m not recommending giving clients your personal phone number and encouraging them to call you at any time of the day. However, clearly outlining that a client can reach you via Slack, email, PM tool, etc… and expect a response within a certain time frame is helpful. I think it’s safe to say no one wants to feel that they have to wait around for a response from someone they’re paying.

Additionally, setting up a system to keep communication organized can make or break a project, despite all of the other facets of a working relationship.

Losing conversations, approvals, deadlines, etc… in chat or email can derail progress quickly. I recommend facilitating most communication through a PM tool.

My tool of choice is Basecamp, but I’ve worked in others like Monday, Asana, and Jira.

Templatize What The First 90 Days Look Like

This recommendation is meant to be taken with a grain of salt.

In my own experience, no two projects are alike. Even when working with companies in similar industries. However, having a templatized kickoff process has made my life much easier at the beginning of new projects.

Yes, I customize each plan to fit that client’s specific needs, but having a starting point that outlines which deliverables I usually prioritize first helps to get me moving quickly. These deliverables are also templatized, so I can work through them fast, and start building momentum.

Align On Goals and Expectations

I’m sure that this concept certainly isn’t a revelation, but I wanted to include it in my set of recommendations regardless.

I’ve seen that engagements can become convoluted when a client simply signs on looking for “paid media help.”

That’s why I like to understand business goals before officially starting a new project. Otherwise “paid media help” can quickly evolve into something neither party was expecting.

Simply defining what that “help” looks like with a few more details can keep both parties on the same track. For example, I’m working with one client to “improve paid media performance so that we’re less reliant on seasonality.” This is a much more clear and tangible goal with a clear focus.

Wrapping Up

The first few days and weeks of a new engagement can be both exciting and stressful.

That’s why I’ve put in some effort over the years to refine my kickoff process so that I can reduce my level of critical thinking around the process itself, and focus more on getting to know my client’s business, their customers, and developing paid media strategy.

Setting up easy and organized communication channels, templatized kickoff deliverables, and clearly defined goals are a few simple practices that have made a big difference for me.

Have questions, considerations, or critiques? I’d love to hear them! If you’re reading this via email, just hit respond. Otherwise, you can find me on LinkedIn.