Bringing on a new client is an exciting time.

It’s the start of a new relationship and an opportunity to help make a real difference in someone’s life.

But from a new client’s perspective, particularly one that hasn’t used an adviser before, it can be a time filled with uncertainty, uncomfortable conversations and a whole lot of paperwork.

So thinking carefully about how best to guide and control your new client through the process, using systems that facilitate the desired outcomes and experience, for both your client and your business, is incredibly important.

And that’s where onboarding comes in.

Because it’s those first experiences that set the tone for the entire relationship.

Onboarding is the process, path and the touchpoints that take your client from “newbie” to “established”, in a way that has them feeling confident and in control.

Done right, it helps them make the decision to keep going – with you!

The key is to ensure each step focuses on achieving the next success milestone for your client, and an opportunity for them to feel and see progress.

Your onboarding process doesn’t have to be all meetings, ‘thud-factor’ documents and boring emails.

It can be a combination of events and experiences – both big and small – that are self-directed or guided by you.

And video can be one way to add a little spice to the process and turn a forgettable client experience into a memorable lasting one.

Send an interactive first appointment confirmation message

When confirming the all-important first appointment, why not do more than just send a standard ‘text’ only email.

You could introduce a little bit of ‘wow’, and take some of the stress and fear away from the first meeting experience.

Using an email template and a pre-recorded video, you can quite literally show your new clients what to expect.

Your video can show the outside of your office and surrounds to help people get their bearings.

It can show your reception area, introduce your staff, and get clients familiar with what to expect in your meeting rooms.

And if parking or access is a bit tricky, you can also show people the best spots or any little tips to make getting to your office easy.

Explain your process

The financial planning or mortgage broking process can be overwhelming if you haven’t been through it before.

So being able to explain the steps to a new client in a quick, clear and simple way, can help set their expectations.

But let’s face it.

You probably don’t want to be having the same conversation over and over again with each new client.

And that’s where animated videos can help.

They’re short and scripted so you hit all the important points.

They hold people’s attention and are a little more engaging than your typical process flow-chart.

Summarise your meeting action steps

One of the challenges of providing effective financial advice is being able to demonstrate and lead clients towards the kind of behaviours that will help them achieve their goals.

And sometimes that means leaving clients with a couple of things they need to do, after a meeting.

Some clients will love the simplicity of a checklist, while others will respond to something more creative.

Try recording a quick, personalised, “what to do next and why” video on your smartphone, upload it to YouTube using the Capture app, and set it to private so it’s only accessible via direct link.

It will help reinforce what you’ve discussed in your meeting and encourage clients to take action and start making progress.

Educate clients about the basics

New clients will often be introduced to concepts and technical terms that they aren’t familiar with or have never given much thought to before.

And while most advisers try hard to avoid jargon and keep things simple, having a library of explainer videos on hand, can be a big help.

Whether it’s explaining what an income protection policy is, the risk-return trade-off or fixed versus variable loans, explainer videos can help support your conversations and face-to-face explanations.

Don’t think just because you’ve explained something in a meeting the client will instantly “get” it or even remember it.

Providing a snappy little video summary can be the trick to embedding that knowledge long-term.

Walkthrough technology

Many financial advisers make use of software like Moneysoft or Pocketbook, to help their clients manage their own budgets.

And while the software is pretty simple at face value, being able to show your clients a few quick wins to get them up and running quickly and reaping the rewards is worth the effort.

Using a tool like LOOM, you can easily record a simple video showing the first few vital steps.

Of course, the software tools themselves will have their own support systems, but by recording your own videos, you can emphasise the features and rationale that complements your own process and philosophy.

Designing a consistent onboarding process that’s engaging, sets expectations and creates a positive experience that is a win for both you and your clients.

And it can also lead to more referrals as news of your tiny ‘wow’ moments, gets around.

So tell me, what’s one step you can take towards improving your client onboarding process this week?