Client Onboarding Workflow in HubSpot for Agencies or SaaS

Start strong, stay smooth—because first impressions impact lifetime value.

Whether you're onboarding a new SaaS customer or a retainer client at your agency, that first week is critical.

Clients want clarity.
Your team needs structure.
And no one wants to chase emails, missed tasks, or dropped handoffs.

That’s why we use HubSpot to automate and manage our onboarding workflow—so every client gets a consistent, professional experience from day one.

Here’s the exact onboarding process we follow (and set up for clients as well).

Step 1: Trigger Workflow at Deal Closed

Once a deal is marked Closed – Won, the onboarding workflow starts:

• Internal notification goes to the delivery team
• Contact lifecycle stage updates to “Customer”
• Client is added to the onboarding pipeline or project board

Optional: Add a short delay to build in a buffer for invoicing or kickoff planning.

Step 2: Send Welcome Email to Client

Automatically send a branded welcome email that includes:

• Thank-you message
• Introduction to the onboarding manager
• Link to book a kickoff call (via HubSpot meetings tool)
• Checklist or onboarding guide PDF

Step 3: Create Internal Tasks & Assign Owners

HubSpot workflows auto-create tasks for your internal team, like:

• Set up internal Slack/Asana/Notion space
• Prepare the client folder or credentials
• Review contract scope
• Set up the tools or access needed

Each task is assigned a due date, owner, and context, ensuring that nothing is missed.

Step 4: Post-Call Follow-Up

After the kickoff call is completed (tracked via calendar or manually), trigger:

• Thank-you email with summary notes
• Link to shared project dashboard or folder
• Introduction to a support or success rep
• Invite to Slack channel or shared comms

Step 5: Timeline Check-Ins

Use workflows to schedule follow-ups:

• Day 7: How’s everything going so far?
• Day 30: We’d love to receive your early feedback.
• Day 60–90: Trigger CSAT or NPS survey

Step 6: Track It All in One Place

We use a custom Onboarding Pipeline or Project Tracker in HubSpot with stages like:

• Kickoff Scheduled
• Setup In Progress
• Access Complete
• Training Done
• Go Live
• Ready for Handoff

It’s visible to sales, delivery, and success, so everyone knows where the client stands.

Final Thought

A smooth onboarding isn’t just about being polite, it’s how you reduce churn, increase referrals, and set clients up for long-term success.

With HubSpot, you can build a scalable onboarding machine that works just as well for your 5th client as it does for your 50th.