Securing a new client is an achievement in itself, but is it the end of your work?
Not even close.
Although first impressions matter, consistent follow-through is what turns new clients into loyal advocates. In this post, we’ll explore some of the best practices and real-life examples of how to impress new clients.
Let’s take a look!
1. It starts with onboarding

The way you handle onboarding greatly influences clients’ perception of your professionalism, and our first suggestion is to create a structured onboarding plan for each client. This should include an initial consultation to discuss:
- Problems they’re facing
- A timeline of deliverables
- An introduction to key team members who will be involved in their account
This process can be overwhelming for both sides, so you might think about creating a detailed onboarding checklist. It’s a tested method — surveys reveal that nearly 50% of clients say checklists are a helpful piece of the onboarding puzzle.
Pro tip: Streamline the process with a dedicated client onboarding tool
Client onboarding tools drastically improve the onboarding process. For instance, they automate routine tasks, manage document collection, and keep client-related communications organized.
Content Snare is a great example of a professional onboarding platform as it helps businesses gather information with ease. For example, accounting firms use it to create custom onboarding forms that clients can fill out at their convenience:

Content Snare sends automated reminders to the respondent to reduce information bottlenecks. On the other hand, your clients will love the auto-saving feature that helps them complete the form in more than one sitting.
Such features keep the onboarding process on track and reduce back-and-forth communication to free up more time for your team. More importantly, your clients will appreciate this frictionless data-gathering solution.
Solidify client onboarding with Content Snare
Impress clients and save plenty of time with the most advanced onboarding system.Â
Help yourself by helping your clients.
2. Start with a small but impressive win
Our second tip is to start with a small win that's easy for you to deliver but makes the client go "Wow these guys are awesome!" Nothing builds confidence faster than an early success that leaves your client impressed right out of the gate.
For example, an IT service provider could quickly conduct a complimentary security check on the client’s existing systems and share a report with easy-to-implement suggestions for immediate improvements.
Such quick wins help you establish trust and set the stage for a positive long-term relationship right from the start.
3. Give clients exactly what they want
Strong client relationships are built on trust, and the best way to earn that trust is by meeting their expectations. Make sure to understand the client’s starting position and specific requirements at the beginning of your relationship.
This is not the time to beat around the bush or push additional services.
Just focus on providing the core services they’ve requested and doing so with excellence.
This is another benefit of making a detailed onboarding checklist — it helps you figure out what your new client really wants. For example, law firms can quickly learn about the nature of legal services their clients require:

Once you’ve established a track record of delivering high-quality results, clients will naturally be more open to discussing additional services. But first, it’s essential to demonstrate that you can provide exactly what they want, exactly as they need it.
4. Personalize the experience whenever suitable
Personalization makes each client feel like your most important client. It’s an easy way to show that you value them as individuals, not just as business transactions.
But here’s the trick — personalization can take many forms.
One option is to simply address clients by their names to establish a more personal connection. Another solution is to offer services that focus on specific client challenges. It’s also possible to customize your reports to analyze the metrics that matter most to a particular client.
In each case, the goal of personalization is to go beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.
Pro tip: Personalize onboarding with a welcome video
Reports show that 97% of people believe video is an effective tool to welcome and educate new customers. This is particularly the case with personalized introductions tailored to individual clients.
Vidyard, a video platform for businesses, is a great example of this tactic.

This company uses personalized video introductions as a key part of their client engagement strategy. When welcoming new clients, Vidyard creates customized video messages that address the client by name and introduces them to the main contact points.
Similar to Vidyard, personalized videos can help you stand out by offering a unique human touch that resonates with clients on a personal level.
5. Small surprises make the difference
Going above and beyond what’s expected — whether through small gestures or unexpected perks — tends to increase client engagement.
The best part is that over-delivering doesn’t always mean grand gestures. On the contrary, it’s often as simple as adding a little extra value to your service.
For example, if you’re delivering a report, you might include an additional section with insights or recommendations that the client didn’t ask for but would find useful. Such small but thoughtful surprises prove that you’re not just doing the bare minimum.
6. Be there when they need you
Responsiveness is key to building successful client relationships. Being there when your clients need you makes all the difference in how they perceive your service. It doesn’t matter what they want you to do — provide guidance or answer a question — your job is to respond as quickly as possible.
This is one of the critical aspects of modern business since 86% of people claim they are willing to pay more for a better customer experience.
Bear in mind that good customer service isn’t just about having all the answers. Even if you don’t have the solution immediately, a quick acknowledgment goes a long way — let them know you’re on it and provide a realistic timeframe for when they can expect a response.
Pro tip: Be proactive to prevent possible issues
Nearly 70% of people prefer self-service over talking to a company representative. In other words, client-facing companies can prevent many issues by creating a well-structured online help center.
Take Ignition, a popular accounting tool, as an example. The company has exceptional customer service (with superior ratings across user review websites), but most of their clients don’t get that far because they find answers via the Help Center:

With more than 200 support articles for all types of instructions and troubleshooting guides, Ignition proactively manages a large portion of client inquiries.
7. Beware of clients’ feedback
Client feedback is one of the most valuable tools you have for improving your services and strengthening relationships. Although it requires extra effort, it pays off to actively seek out and pay attention to what your clients are saying.
If a client points out something that could be better, acknowledge their concern and outline the steps you’ll take to address it. Even if the feedback is tough to hear, it’s a chance to make adjustments that will benefit both your business and your clients in the long run.
The same goes for positive feedback — you should dedicate a minute or two to thanking your clients and making them feel acknowledged. Here’s what it looks like in practice:

8. Build a strong online community
Creating a strong online community around your business can be a shortcut to engaging new clients and building a sense of belonging. More importantly, it gives you the chance to showcase your personality and make the business feel more human.
The best part is that you have a lot of channels to choose from.
For instance, many client-oriented companies do it through social networks such as LinkedIn or X, but the decision depends on where your target audience is spending most of their time.
Example: Rocket Lawyer On Call program
The law firm Rocket Lawyer has successfully built an online community through its On Call Lawyer program. This is where clients and members can connect with legal professionals, ask questions, and share experiences in a supportive and accessible environment.
The community also offers legal documents, webinars, and Q&A sessions. This is how Rocket Lawyer provides additional value to its clients while strengthening its brand as a trusted and approachable legal resource.
9. Find time (and resources) for in-person gatherings
Almost all companies show a tendency to automate tasks and digitize client interactions, but let’s not forget the power of in-person gatherings. Although it’s clear that virtual meetings are convenient, nothing beats the personal touch of face-to-face interactions.
They provide an opportunity to build deeper connections with new clients through memorable experiences. That’s why we encourage you to find some time (and resources) to organize in-person events:
- Conferences
- Workshops
- Casual networking meet-ups
All of these allow you to engage with new (and old) clients on a more personal level.
For instance, a cloud-based accounting software company Xero is famous for its Xerocon annual conferences:

This event brings together accountants, bookkeepers, finance professionals, and small business owners from around the world. It helps the Xero crew get to know their clients and engage with them through lectures, product demos, industry news, and networking opportunities.
Note: It doesn’t have to be as exclusive as Xerocon Your events don’t have to be this exclusive or expensive to be effective. Even smaller, local gatherings or informal meet-ups can have a major impact on your clients — the key is to create an environment that makes people feel valued and connected. |
Bonus tip: Think of something special that works for your clients
The last piece of advice is to come up with unique perks that your clients will truly appreciate.
This depends on the nature of your work, so feel free to get creative and combine your approach with the tips discussed above. That way, you’ll quickly impress clients and turn at least some of them into long-term partners.
Related posts: