Client onboarding email: Templates and best practices

The client onboarding process marks the start of the customer journey. It sets the stage for your future client relations. So it’s critical that you get it right.

Those initial interactions impact your client’s perception of your business, determining how motivated and engaged they are to work with you going forward. 

A client onboarding email is the primary form of communication during this process. It outlines everything new customers need to know, covering the steps they should follow and what lies ahead. In short, it lays the foundations for customer success.

In this article, we’ll show you how to consistently create engaging and informative onboarding emails. We’ll cover:

• Why customer onboarding email templates are so important
• The key components you should include on them
• 5 copy & paste-able client onboarding email templates
• Best practices for creating effective templates
• The best tools for improving this process

Ready? Let’s dive in.

Note: Jump straight to the client onboarding email templates section if you don’t want to read the entire post.

Why are customer onboarding email templates so important?

Your new customers expect your onboarding process to be slick, personalized, and professional. But as your business grows, how do you ensure an outstanding onboarding experience at scale? 

A client onboarding email template can help standardize and systematize the onboarding process, allowing you to:

• Provide a consistently professional experience across clients
• Offer clear communication and expectations from the outset
• Build a more efficient and streamlined process
• Improve the customer experience
• Improve customer loyalty and satisfaction

The key components of client onboarding email templates

So what information should you include in an onboarding email template? In this section, we’ll run through the key elements to consider.

1. A personalized greeting

While it’s possible to repeat a lot of information from client to client, it’s also critical that your onboarding email feels personal. Always kick off onboarding emails with a personalized greeting, using the contact person’s name. 

2. Introduction and warm welcome

Next, it’s time for a welcome message and introduction. This part needn’t be generic. If possible and appropriate, you can add a personal touch and refer to something specific that relates to their business or your discussions so far.

3. Onboarding timeline and process overview

Now we dive into the practical information. Be sure to outline the onboarding process step by step, so your client knows exactly what to expect and when. This section should preempt a lot of the questions they might have about what lies ahead.

4. Expectations and deliverables

Next up, it’s time to outline what your client can expect from you, including project outcomes and deliverables. You should already have discussed this with your client, but putting it in writing helps to solidify and align expectations going forward. It also makes you accountable, so make sure you don’t overpromise and underdeliver.  

5. Additional resources, links, and documentation

Be sure to attach or link to any important resources. These might include welcome packs, user manuals, webinars, video tutorials, community forums, or a self-service knowledge base.

6. Call to action and next steps

End your email by outlining the next steps. If you want your new customer to actively do something, don’t forget to wrap up with a snappy call to action.

5 client onboarding email templates

Now let’s take a look at what this information might look like when put together. The examples below give you a feel for how you can make an onboarding email consistent and repeatable at scale while still making it look and feel personal. 

Onboarding email template #1: Introducing your services

Your welcome email is an opportunity to demonstrate how your product or service works and clear up any confusion. This first template is actually our very own template. 

We use our onboarding email to:

• Express our gratitude to our new customers for choosing us.  
• Give clear instructions on the first steps they can take to start using our tool immediately. 
• Highlight a few key things they need to know to have a great customer experience.
• Let them know where they can get support if they get stuck.

Our onboarding email also includes a video of our founder giving an overview of how Content Snare works. We highly recommend adding a video like this into your email too for better engagement and to give your customers the option to watch vs. read.

Onboarding email template #2: Sharing a personal story 

If you run a coaching practice, for example, you might want to use your client onboarding email to tell your story and make a personal connection your new customers can relate to. 

Here’s an example of a client onboarding email that gives a personal touch, It’s both vulnerable and motivating all at once! 

Onboarding email template #3: Highlighting the benefits 

There are so many different ways you can tailor your onboarding email. This one is written to remind new customers of the benefits they’re about to experience now that they’ve signed up for the product.

What’s great about this one is that it also includes a link to a survey to help the company assess how the customer found them.

Onboarding email template #4: First in a series

Let’s say your product or service is something a lot more complex like a CRM. If it feels impossible to highlight just a few things the customer needs to know as we saw in template #1, then you’re better off writing a series of shorter onboarding emails to break up your instructions and guidance. 

If this sounds more up your alley, you’ll want to use your first email in the series as a welcome email that lets the customer know what’s about to come down the pipeline. Keep it short and sweet like this: 

Onboarding email template #5: Social media follows

If one of your goals is to keep growing your online presence and foster strong engagement online, then you can use your onboarding to push your social media platforms. 

This onboarding template will work well for you if your company is inspiring a movement of some sort, or if your customers share a big passion in common. 

Best practices for writing a client onboarding email template

Now that we’ve covered the kind of information you should be including in your welcome email template, let’s take a look at some general tips for writing the perfect onboarding email.

Understand your target audience

The more you know about your average customer, the better. By understanding their pain points and motivations, you’ll be in a better position to reassure and connect with them. In some cases, you may know your client’s specific pain points from pre-sales calls. In which case, reference to these shows that you have listened to their concerns. 

But if you can’t always reference client-specific concerns, having a solid understanding of the audience you serve and what they generally need will help you craft better onboarding emails.

Write a clear subject line

It’s easy to overlook email subject lines, but they are often the key to your email being read in the first place. Be specific when writing a subject line. The best subject lines convey the purpose of the email in a compelling way. 

Here’s an example: “Welcome to XXX: Your Client Onboarding Journey Starts Here”

Nail the tone of voice

Tone of voice is always important in client communications, but when it comes to your client onboarding email, it’s particularly crucial to get it right. 

You should certainly be guided by your official style guide and brand tone of voice when preparing a welcome email. But remember that a welcoming email isn't a sales copy. Make sure you keep the tone polite and friendly yet professional.

Keep it concise 

As with all client communications, keep it to the point. You might have a lot of information to share, and that’s fine. But share it as concisely as possible. You need your client to read every word, so make their life easier and cut out the waffle.

Format for clarity

When it comes to readability, formatting is your friend. Don’t submit your client to a wall of text. Instead, make liberal use of short paragraphs, headers, numbered lists, and bullet points.

Include visual elements 

Email templates don’t have to be 100% text-based. Try mixing things up by including visual elements where appropriate. Whether it’s images, infographics, screenshots, videos, or animations, visuals are a great way to boost engagement and get information across. 

Personalize wherever possible

We’ve touched on this already, but it’s worth mentioning again. While email templates are designed to standardize and streamline the way you communicate with clients, that doesn’t mean there’s no room for personalization. 

Adding personalized comments and referencing things you’ve previously discussed with your client is an excellent way to show them you care. It also yields real-world results, with companies that invest in personalization earning 40% more than those that don’t.

Test, optimize, and iterate

To maximize the impact of your email template, you can experiment with A/B testing, trying out different subject lines, formatting styles, and messaging until you hit a combination that works. Even then, it’s worth listening to — and acting upon — client feedback on an ongoing basis. 

Tools to help you streamline the onboarding process

When it comes to systematizing processes, technology is your best friend. In this section, we’ll look at some different tools you can use to streamline the process of creating, testing, and sending client onboarding emails.

Email marketing platforms

Email marketing platforms offer a comprehensive set of tools and features designed to streamline email creation, customization, and delivery. For example:

• Drag-and-drop email builders
• Pre-designed templates
• Automated email scheduling 
• Analytics and reporting 

Examples: Mailchimp, HubSpot, MailerLite

Customer relationship management (CRM) software

CRMs are another useful tool when it comes to streamlining client onboarding emails. By seamlessly integrating with your email marketing platform, they allow you to: 

• Populate templates with up-to-date customer data
• Manage client information
• Track the onboarding process
• Automate email workflows

Examples: Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive

Content collection tools

Gathering information and documents from your clients is a big part of the onboarding process. Your onboarding email will likely include instructions on what clients need to submit in order to work with you, so it makes sense to use the right tool to facilitate that process. 

The best content collection tools allow you to:

• Create custom questionnaires and forms
• Streamline information gathering
• Collect sensitive information and documents securely
• Automate reminders
• Improve the customer experience

Examples: Content Snare, Google Forms, Jotform