Congratulations! You hired a new team member! Or maybe you’re looking to hire someone soon. What an exciting time! Your business is growing, and you’re ready to get the help you need to support that growth. With all the excitement though, you may be feeling overwhelmed. You took the first step, but onboarding a new team member may feel like a daunting task at the moment. I think I know why.
You know your business inside and out; but do you have your processes well documented? Chances are you don’t; and this new hire will be interacting directly or indirectly with your clients shortly after day one on your team. You want the confidence in knowing that nothing gets missed and there are no interruptions in the process for your clients.
While getting a new team member familiar with your mission, values, and goals are all important, let’s talk about the tools you need to introduce your new hire to your client experience process. Having these on hand will make onboarding much smoother for them.
(These tools are super important for you as a business owner as well. In a later post, I’ll share how these tools help with your overall business success.)
A Client Journey Map is a visual representation of your client’s time with you – from inquiry to offboarding. It includes the actions your client takes to complete the steps in each phase of your process. It also highlights all of the touchpoints in your client experience. Having a Client Journey Map on hand gives your new hire a quick way to understand those interactions with your clients. Plus, it’s a tool they can refer to at any time.
Your Client Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) document holds all of the tasks in your client experience workflow. It notes actions that are manual vs. automated, and identifies the person responsible for each task. This file will be your new team member’s guide for carrying out those routine operations. The benefits? Your SOP Document helps your new hire maintain consistency in your business and reduce errors. This way, client satisfaction is not compromised as you transition tasks to them.
One quick note before we continue….
All of the tools mentioned here are included in the custom Client Experience Business Toolkit that I provide my Dubsado System Setup and Design clients. If you use Dubsado for your CRM software and are in need of a refresh, check out my Dubsado System Setup and Design service. You’ll walk away with a robust system AND tools on hand to introduce a new team member to your client experience process. I’ve got you covered! Click here to learn more.
Okay, back to the tools – here are two more you should have ready before onboarding a new team member.
Preparing emails in advance for all of your client communication will help your new hire grasp your brand messaging and brand voice. As you create these templates, make sure the naming convention is easy to follow. It should also flow in the order in which you engage with your clients. Not sure where to start? Download my Client Emails Checklist for a list of all the canned emails you need for a stellar client experience.
Sometimes, it helps to talk things out or demonstrate a process with a walkthrough video. Using a video messaging tool like Loom, share your screen and walk your new hire through the steps in your client process. Make the videos short and quick so they’re easy to digest. These videos will be a great complement to the other tools mentioned above.
Having these tools ready in advance will make onboarding a new team member much easier for you. Also, these tools will serve as a great introduction to your client experience process. Your new team member will be able to step in and deliver the same great level of service you provide.
ps. Always make copies of your documents to share with new team members to keep your master files secure.