39. The Client Experience Starts Before They Pay—and Sticks Long After

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If you think client experience begins with your first coaching call… think again. In this episode, we’re diving into the real backbone of a thriving, referral-fueled business: your onboarding and offboarding systems. This isn’t just about being “professional”—it’s about building trust, managing expectations, and turning one happy client into ten more.

From contracts and welcome emails to testimonials and referral asks, I’ll walk you through the exact elements to include (and what to ditch) so your clients feel taken care of from the moment they say “I’m in” to long after the final call. 

I’ll also share how to set expectations and protect your business from day one—because your client experience starts the moment they say yes, not when the first Zoom link goes out.

Whether you’re onboarding private clients or wrapping up a group program, there’s a way to make the experience feel seamless, intentional, and high-touch—without creating more work for yourself in the process.

What We Cover:

• Why onboarding is more than just a confirmation email
• The role of contracts in building trust (and where to get a solid one)
• How to simplify intake forms without sacrificing strategy
• Offboarding mistakes that leave money (and goodwill) on the table
• Smart ways to automate the admin so you can personalize what matters most

Thrive in 5: Your Onboarding & Offboarding Checklist

1. Add clear terms or a contract to your checkout process—don’t skip the fine print just because you’re a small business. And this isn't a place you want to wing it—here are the legal templates I recommend (think mad-libs, legal protection style!)
2. Trim your intake form to just what you’ll actually use
3. Write a welcome email that answers the questions they haven’t asked yet (but you know they will!)
4. Set up a testimonial form that helps them focus on results
5. Ask for referrals—bonus points if you make it easy or incentivized!

Want Support Designing a Wow-Worthy Client Journey?

This episode is part of my 5-part series on foundational systems—and if you’re nodding along thinking “I want this done right,” The Shortcut is where that happens. We map and build a client experience that feels seamless for you and unforgettable for them—contracts, communications, touchpoints, systems, and all that jazz

👉 Learn more about The Shortcut here: https://www.marcirossi.com/shortcut

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