Mastering the Art of Onboarding: Why Even Small CPA Firms Should Invest

“At the end of the day, it's first impressions. If you get a flat tire those first couple of weeks, it’s just going to really resonate through the entire relationship. You're never going to be able to win back that trust." -Adam Hale

The finer details of this episode:

● Importance of onboarding for CPA firms

● Setting clear expectations and creating a process for onboarding

● Activities involved in the onboarding process (accounting discovery, advisory discovery)

● Role of project management and client success managers in onboarding

● Significance of ongoing evaluation and improvement of the onboarding process

● Impact of successful onboarding on long-term client relationships

Episode resources:

● Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website: https://www.summitcpa.net/

● If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at mcpasuccessshow@anderscpa.com

● Check out the Virtual CFO Playbook Course: https://vcfoplaybook.summitcpa.net/

Timestamps:

The importance of onboarding (00:01:07)

Adam discusses the importance of onboarding and setting expectations for new clients, emphasizing the need for a structured process.

Discovery meetings and setting client expectations (00:02:21)

Tom explains the process of accounting and advisory discovery meetings, setting specific dates for deliverables, and aligning on priorities with the client.

Organizing work and project management (00:05:51)

Adam suggests organizing the team to focus on one area together, emphasizing the need for a solid process and project management for effective onboarding.

Client communication and feedback (00:08:04)

The importance of setting communication policies and feedback loops with clients during the onboarding process is discussed, ensuring clear expectations are established.

Role of a project manager and client success manager (00:11:02)

The role of a project manager in organizing the onboarding process and the importance of a client success manager for communication and issue resolution are highlighted.

Continual improvement of onboarding process (00:15:59)

The discussion emphasizes the continual evolution and improvement of the onboarding process to ensure a positive initial impression for clients.