We can probably all agree that new employees need to be onboarded correctly in order to succeed at a company for the long term. But I've also found while running my PR firm that the same goes for clients. If you want to be successful, long term partnership – and believe me, I learned this the hard way – you and your customer need to be on the same page.

You might ask, why would you or the client agree to work together and sign contracts if you didn't think you were proper business fit? Well, I liken it to dating (go with me on this one). A mutual acquaintance can make you think you'd be a good match (ie, a business referral) and you have that first date (ie, a discovery call). Both of you put your best foot forward and try to find the commonalities that mutual recognition suggests. On the surface, you may be the perfect couple and agree to continue the relationship (ie, sign contracts), but over time, differences will inevitably arise. Will this be the end?

Not necessarily, if you work, and for clients, that's where you come on board – during that honeymoon phase after you've agreed to see where this goes, but before any problems arise. Here are some key things to include in your process.

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1. Discuss communication style

It's such a simple thing, but it starts so many relationships off on the wrong foot. Raised hand here! I am a messenger and my The PR team is used to getting a quick message from me here or there to address a high-priority issue that I don't want to lose in an inbox. While some customers are perfectly fine with this, others never want to receive messages. Some prefer calls, some like Slack, and others like Bat-Signal.

Either way, it's better to know this before than after the fact and with a lot of irritation. For employees, communication style is often addressed in orientation meetings with those you will work with most closely. I now make this front and center in our onboarding process for clients as well.

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2. Set clear expectations

It has been my experience that results and expectations are often confused for the same thing. For example, the contract may specify the number of press releases and mailings we will send, what press assets we will create, the type of media we will work with on behalf of the client, and so on. These are data. Expectations include your client's definition of success, communication cadence, action points from each of you, their internal processes and yours, and key points.

Of course, some of these things will be discussed in some shape or form before contracts are signed. However, after working through detailed expectations only to have the client back out at the last minute, I've learned to save extended discussions for client onboarding.

3. Identify the touch points

Again, from the organizational chart to your specific chain of command, who they should stay away from until they've had their first cup of coffee in the morning is standard for employee onboarding to cover these bases. With customers, not so much. And this can be for a number of reasons. A client might start out with a great rapport with a particular team member, and you might just go with it, even if it's not your typical process. You may not want to overwhelm them with too many “do this, do that” instructions at first. Or (gasp!) you can assume this article was covered somewhere along the way.

But from personal experience, you'll look a lot more professional if you eliminate touchpoints through customer onboarding and save yourself, your team, and the customer time and frustration along the way.

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What a typical customer onboarding process looks like

At my PR firm, we try not to do that customer login process overly complicated or time-consuming, but has essential elements for every customer. Once the contract is signed, we send an email thanking the client for choosing us and expressing how excited we are to partner with them. (Side note: you can never be too grateful for your customer's trust in you.) Within that email, we share an overview of our onboarding process, which includes the following:

• Contact points and roles (on our end, and we ask the customer to provide the same on their end)
• Communication and dating preferences
• How we will work with the client and their team
• Expectations for the first two weeks, the first months and beyond
• Items the customer needs to fill out like bios, brand summary, etc.

We will then schedule our first group call to review these articles in depth and introduce the team to each other.

Yes, customer onboarding takes time, just like with employees, but like with anything else successful relationship, the effort is worth it. Not only will you be more likely to meet and exceed the client's expectations, but you'll also be far more productive, enjoy the partnership even more, and have laid the groundwork for a long-term commitment. And for an entrepreneur like me, this is a dream come true!