Creating a client onboarding checklist is a careful task as different individual plans are tailored to different needs. It is the goal of every accountant and CPA to provide maximum satisfaction and a pleasant customer experience for their clients. This goal can only be realized by creating a personalized asset and wealth management scheme that matches the client’s business model.

As an agency that is aspiring to become a registered investment advisor, creating a detailed new client bookkeeping questionnaire might be confusing, as you are scared of missing out on the important questions to ask them.

This makes the use of a client onboarding checklist template an important tool. A client onboarding template is structured to cover all necessary aspects of a client’s onboarding process.

Onboarding is a familiarization stage with a client which is solely based on interaction, to study the client’s business and how to improve it. A good onboarding process grants you higher chances of retaining your clients, gaining referrals, and promoting your services.

However, a good client onboarding checklist template must be pre-planned, defined, well-structured, and customized to address each client according to their industry or business model.

At AFO, we are concerned about helping accountants and CPAs design a new customer onboarding checklist, form, template, or questionnaire that builds a lasting long-term relationship with your clients while providing the desired service.

What is client onboarding?

Client onboarding is the strategic method of teaching new clients about your business, building trust and partnership with them, and giving them wholesome reasons why you are the right choice for them.

Client onboarding is the time when agencies get to have a full understanding of the client’s expectation, dish out value to meet client’s needs, build relationships, and address their concerns. It is at this stage that every agency has the opportunity to put out their best foot in every project.

How do you do customer onboarding?

Customer Onboarding is done to cover all specific areas of the client’s business. Before starting an accounting client onboarding, or drafting a bookkeeping checklist for clients, there are necessary questions that you must have at the back of your mind as an investment or wealth management agency.
Covering these questions will enable you to draft a Client Onboarding checklist template for each customer.
The process of creating a new client bookkeeping questionnaire for your potential customers must include:

• Client’s Details
• Goals and expectations
• Limitations and Challenges
• Business Model, Growth Stats, Competition Analysis, and Audience
• Project Deadline
• Financial Budget
•  Work Ethics and Familiarization

A new client bookkeeping questionnaire must present clients with all necessary details they need to know about the financial management plan, avoiding future conflicts between clients and agencies.

Client Onboarding does not leave the whole responsibility for the accounting agency. Clients and customers are inquisitive and will love to gain full information about your organization.

Topics you should expect clients to have include:

• Mode of Communication Between Client and the Agency
• Financial Packages Involved
• Performance, Reputation, and Growth of the Investment Brand and Company
•  Bills and Charges
• Account Management and Reconciliation

However, onboarding a new bookkeeping client requires careful steps that must be followed accordingly. You can onboard new clients to your accounting firm by creating a bookkeeping checklist for clients.
Here are few ways of carrying out a client onboarding process.
Decide your technique, methods, required tools, and technology for the task.

• Build a cordial relationship.
• Enlighten your clients on why they are here and how you can be of great help to them
• State your plans and make them easy to understand.
• List responsibilities and activities.
• Decide when to begin a campaign.

What are the first steps in the client onboarding workflow?

First five steps in creating an amazing client onboarding process include:

• Understand your client’s financial agenda, income, and assets.
• Build a wealth plan that aligns with their business model.
• Intimate your clients with the process.
• Communicate frequently.
•  Assign the best team to your client.

How would you design a new client onboarding checklist template?

While designing a new client onboarding checklist template, there are important things to do. This includes collecting necessary details and documents from the client and considering a plan that suits the client’s specifications.
Important documents to collect from a client before designing a client onboarding checklist are:

• Personal Details (Phone numbers, emails address, contact address, etc)
• Access to Electronic and Digital Bank Accounts.
• Account Reconciliations
• Tax Returns
• Organization Documents

To design a new client onboarding checklist template, you must do the following:

Create a team for the task and assign a leader.

• Schedule a meeting with your client and the team.
• Intimate both parties on what should be realized.
• Run analysis on the client’s business and competitors.
• Create a plan.

Client Onboarding is an amazing business process but its optimization is where the real work lies. It is advisable to make use of a client onboarding checklist template to achieve total coverage of all necessary information.

It is essential to tailor each onboarding process to each client. The client onboarding process must be unique to each customer’s needs. Creating a feasible client onboarding checklist template can be achieved if proper guides are offered.

AFO Wealth Management Forward is a detailed course tailored to offer assistance to accountants and CPAs to help them achieve a great career in the accounting industry. Dominance in the industry translates into the relationship built with existing customers and the assurance of these customers to trust your accounting firm with referrals.

With AFO, your accounting team will be trained on how to design powerful onboarding templates and checklists, trained on the implementation of wealth management services. Our broad training scheme covers financial planning, investment advisory, estate planning, and life assurance.

AFO wealth management forward is structured to meet recent trends in the accounting firms, equipping accountants with advanced technologies and methodologies of handling clients and exploring the industry.
A well-trained team is a huge income channel for your accounting firm. Get the course here!