Sales and Onboarding

Onboarding Day One — Kickoff Call SOP

What

The kickoff call is the first impression after the contract is signed. It sets expectations, collects access, aligns on communication norms, and creates a quick win in the first week. A poor kickoff call leads to confused clients, slow access collection, and a rocky first 30 days. A great kickoff call creates immediate confidence that they made the right decision.

Guiding principle: The client should leave this call knowing exactly what happens next, who to contact, and what they can expect to see in Week 1.

Who Owns It

Account Manager — the person who will be the client’s primary day-to-day contact. They run this call. The Account Executive who closed the deal should attend for the first 5 minutes to make the introduction, then hand off.

Pre-Kickoff: 24 Hours Before the Call

Send a welcome email to the client no later than 24 hours before the kickoff. The email must include:

The agenda for the kickoff call (paste the agenda below into the email — no surprises)
The access checklist link — a shareable form or Google Doc they can start filling out before the call (see Access Checklist SOP)
A short Loom video (2–3 minutes) from the account manager who will be running the call. The video should:
- Introduce themselves by name and face
- Express genuine excitement about working with the client
- Preview what the kickoff call will cover
- Ask them to click the access checklist link and start collecting the items before the call

Subject line for welcome email:

Your kickoff call is [Day, Date] at [Time] — here’s what to expect

Do not skip the Loom video. Clients who receive a personal video before the kickoff show up more engaged, more prepared, and more trusting. It takes 5 minutes to record and pays off the entire relationship.

Steps: Kickoff Call Agenda (60 Minutes)

1. Celebrate the Decision (2 minutes)

Open with energy. This is not a project meeting — it is the beginning of a partnership.

“Before we dive into logistics, I just want to say — we’re genuinely excited to work on this with you. We have seen what’s possible for [niche] businesses when the right strategy is in place, and based on what [Account Executive] shared from your discovery call, I think we’re going to do great work together.”

Then introduce yourself briefly: your name, your role, and one sentence on your background. Keep it short — this isn’t your time.

2. Review the 90-Day Plan (15 minutes)

Pull up the 90-day plan that was built from the discovery call notes and the proposal. Walk through it screen-share style.

Cover:

Month 1: What you’re building (foundations — access, setup, audits, initial campaigns)
Month 2: What you’re optimizing (early data → adjustments, first reporting cycle, review generation live)
Month 3: What you’re scaling (proven campaigns scaled, organic beginning to show, QBR scheduled)

For each milestone, state what success looks like in plain language — not agency terms.

Invite questions: “Before we move on, does this feel like it matches what you were expecting, or is there anything you want to adjust?“

3. Access Collection — Run Through the Checklist Live (20 minutes)

Share your screen and open the Access Checklist (see Access Checklist SOP). Go through every item together.

For each item:

Confirm whether they have access to give
Walk them through exactly how to grant it if they don’t know (screen-share or walk them verbally)
Check the box live as each item is confirmed

Platforms to cover:

Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console
Google Business Profile
Meta Business Manager (ad account + page)
Website CMS
Domain registrar (if DNS changes needed)
Email marketing platform
Call tracking platform (if applicable)
[YOUR CRM] contact record (confirm their preferred email and phone are correct)

Do not leave this call without a clear plan for any access that couldn’t be granted live. Assign a specific follow-up date for outstanding items: “Can you send that over by Thursday? I’ll send you a reminder email tonight.”

4. Communication Norms (10 minutes)

Clients who don’t know how to reach you become anxious clients. Anxious clients churn. Cover every question they might have:

How often will they hear from you?

“You’ll receive a written report every Monday morning by 9am with everything we shipped that week, the key numbers, and what’s coming next. You’ll never have to wonder what we’re working on.”

What is the primary communication channel?

“Your main point of contact is [Account Manager name]. The fastest way to reach them is [email / Slack / text — whichever you use]. Expect a response within [X hours] during business days.”

What if something is urgent?

“If something is time-sensitive — an ad gets flagged, a competitor does something weird, or you need a same-day answer — call [Account Manager] directly at [phone number]. If they’re unavailable, call [backup contact].”

What is the monthly/bi-weekly call cadence?

“We have a [monthly/bi-weekly] strategy call on the calendar. I’ll be sending a recurring invite today. These are 30-minute calls — you’ll always have an agenda in advance so you’re not walking in blind.”

What do we need from them on an ongoing basis?

“Occasionally we’ll need your approval on ad copy, a photo from a recent job, or a quick decision. We’ll flag those clearly and give you a deadline so nothing gets held up. We won’t ask for things that aren’t necessary.”

5. Quick Win Identification (10 minutes)

Identify one thing you can ship or complete before the end of Week 1 that will make the client feel the relationship is already paying off.

Ask:

“Is there one thing that’s been bugging you about your online presence that you’d love to just have fixed? Even something small?”

Common quick wins:

Fully update and optimize their Google Business Profile (hours, photos, services, description)
Fix an obvious website error or broken contact form
Claim an unclaimed profile on a major directory
Delete duplicate Google listings
Post their first GBP update post

Commit to it out loud: “We’ll have that done by [specific day]. I’ll confirm via email when it’s live.”

Quick wins are not about doing work for free — they are about building the evidence of competence early, before the 90-day results are in.

6. Confirm Next Touchpoint (3 minutes)

Before ending the call, confirm:

When will they receive their first weekly report? (Next Monday by 9am)
What is the date of the first strategy call?
What are the outstanding access items and who is responsible for each?
Is there anything else they need before you get started?

Close with:

“We’re going to get started today. You’ll hear from me by [specific day] with a confirmation that [quick win item] is live and access setup is complete. Looking forward to this.”

Definition of Done

Welcome email with agenda, access checklist link, and Loom video sent 24 hours before kickoff
90-day plan reviewed and client confirmed understanding
All access items resolved or assigned with clear follow-up dates
Communication norms confirmed and documented in [YOUR CRM]
Quick win identified and committed to with a delivery date
First weekly report date confirmed
First strategy call scheduled with recurring invite sent
Kickoff call notes logged in [YOUR CRM] client record within 2 hours of the call