“Your Spidey sense has to be high during onboarding. If you start to sense frustration from the client, there might be something else that you need to dig into. I might send them a quick note and say, ‘hey, do you mind if we talk tonight?’ and I offer up my cell phone number. I've never had a client abuse it. In fact, as you start to build those relationships, they'll text you just like your friends; they don't talk business. It's really important that you establish that relationship and that connection.” – Adam Hale

The finer details of this episode:

• Importance of formalized onboarding processes
• Building strong client relationships
• Leveraging support resources for successful onboarding
• Significance of discovery in the onboarding process
• Building relationships with clients and internal team members
• Leadership and collaboration in ancillary roles
• Leveraging resources and coaching relationships for career progression
• Effective communication and collaboration within the team and with clients
• Tailoring services to meet specific client needs
• Utilizing available resources for ongoing success

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website: https://www.summitcpa.net/
• If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at mcpasuccessshow@anderscpa.com
• Check out the Virtual CFO Playbook Course: https://vcfoplaybook.summitcpa.net/
• Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vcfobyanders/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhalecpa/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-kinney-cpa-60658188/

Timestamps:

Welcome to the Modern CPA Success Show (00:00:00)

Introduction to the podcast and its mission to provide insights on accounting innovations.

Background of Onboarding (00:00:58)

Discussion on the formalization of the onboarding process and its importance for client success.

Discovery Process in Onboarding (00:04:28)

Importance of the discovery process in understanding client's financial status and needs.

Elevate Your Firm with a Virtual CFO Playbook (00:05:08)

Promotion of a comprehensive online series for providing scalable CFO services.

CFO's Perspective on Discovery (00:06:19)

Insight into the CFO's perspective on client discovery and understanding their business goals.

Building Relationships in Onboarding (00:09:26)

Tips for building relationships with clients and internal team members during the onboarding process.

Client Relationship and Engagement (00:13:45)

Importance of establishing trust and personal connections with clients during the onboarding process.

Support Resources in Onboarding (00:17:33)

Discussion on the role of support resources, including project managers and financial support, in the onboarding process.

Architecting and Leading Engagement (00:18:32)

Discussion on the role of CFOs in leading engagements and leveraging resources effectively.

Coaching Expectations (00:19:39)

Exploration of the coaching structure and the expectations for individuals seeking coaching.

Utilizing Resources and Collaboration (00:20:57)

Importance of utilizing resources, seeking help, and collaborating for successful outcomes.

Expectations and Collaboration (00:22:29)

Emphasizing the importance of understanding and articulating expectations, collaboration, and managing up within the team.

Success and Relationship Building (00:27:09)

Defining success in terms of utilizing the team's capabilities, building relationships, and collaborating with clients and internal teams.

Onboarding and Client Relationships (00:25:48)

Discussion on the importance of understanding client needs, building rapport, and setting up successful advisory relationships.

Standardizing vs. Tailoring (00:28:33)

Balancing standardization with tailoring to meet the unique needs of each client during onboarding.

Conclusion and Future Training (00:29:22)

Acknowledgment of the importance of onboarding, overview of training, and setting expectations for success.