Financial Advisors have access to a variety of channels to find potential prospects. But with growing competition and limited time to focus on marketing, many Advisors are unsure which channels will deliver the best results for their business.
That’s why RFG Advisory created the Advisor Growth Study Club. It offers the Advisors who partner with RFG a regular opportunity to discuss their growth strategies, share insights about specific channels, and learn from their peers’ success. Each monthly session, hosted by Chief Behavioral Officer Brendan Frazier, features a different guest speaker exploring their most impactful growth channel.
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Most Advisors see onboarding as a box to check: paperwork, signatures, transfers, phone calls. But as Advisor business coach and author Libby Greiwe shared during our recent Advisor Growth Study Club session, the first 100 days offer a strategic window of opportunity to set the foundation for long-term client loyalty. Done intentionally, onboarding can be one of your most powerful tools for driving long-term client retention and referral growth.
Here’s how to transform those early days into something unforgettable.
Related: 5 Client Retention Strategies for Financial Advisors
6 Steps to a More Intentional New Client Onboarding Process
1. Treat the First 100 Days as a Relationship Accelerator
The moment a prospect becomes a client, the clock starts ticking, not just on paperwork, but on perception.
This window is loaded with emotion, ranging from excitement to hesitation, overwhelm, and doubt. And while you might be celebrating the new relationship, your client may be asking, “Did I make the right choice?”
When you show up with precision and care during this high-stakes window, you can establish trust, build advocacy, and set the tone for the entire relationship. Here’s how:
- Acknowledge the transition: Start onboarding with a call that recognizes the emotional weight of their decision.
- Set the tone immediately: Within 24 hours of becoming a client, send a branded, personalized welcome email outlining the upcoming milestones. Include contact information for who and how they can reach out should they have questions.
- Reduce their mental load: Don’t just hand them a checklist; walk them through it. Clients shouldn’t have to wonder about what’s next.
2. Build Around the Three Layers of a Great Process
A standout onboarding process includes a few essential layers:
| The Paperwork This is your operational baseline. The paperwork layer could include transfers, authorizations, logins, DocuSigns, and more. Aim to move everything smoothly and without errors. |
| The Expectations Set clear expectations early: Define your communication rhythm, service calendar, deliverables, and what’s in or out of scope. Clarify team roles, response times, and escalation paths. |
| The Remarkable This is what turns your process into a story worth sharing. Capture personal insights from day one (hobbies, key dates, family names) so you can make memorable touchpoints early on. Pro tip: Make sure to log these in your CRM for future use! |
The goal isn’t just to complete tasks; it’s to create alignment from the very beginning.
3. Remove Friction Like a Concierge, not a Coordinator
Your job is to eliminate confusion before it ever surfaces. Think like a hospitality brand: anticipate needs, simplify steps, and guide them through every touchpoint.
Go further by pre-empting emotional roadblocks. For example, breaking up with a previous Advisor can feel awkward. Make it easier by providing a pre-written email they can customize and send. It can showcase your leadership (and save them from an uncomfortable guessing game).
The result? Clients walk away from the first meeting thinking, “They’ve thought of everything.”
4. Design Your First 30 Days to Feel Seamless and Smart
Start strong with a live onboarding session where you walk clients through forms, transfers, and timelines in real time. Don’t leave them to figure it out alone.
Then, consider sending a simple “tracker” email each week in the first month showing what’s done, what’s pending, and what’s next.
Clients don’t expect perfection; they expect clarity, consistency, and a sense that you’ve done this a hundred times. Deliver that in the first 30 days, and they’re more likely to stop wondering if they made the right move and start talking about why they did.
5. Offer an In-Person Touchpoint Mid-Way
After the paperwork clears and transfers land, many Advisors go quiet. That’s where the client experience often breaks. Instead, use this moment to reinforce value and transition smoothly into your long-term service rhythm.
Host a 30-minute check-in to confirm everything is in place and help clients feel fully “settled in.” Key elements to cover:
- Portal walkthrough: Check that logins work, beneficiaries are accurate, and delivery preferences are set.
- Review authorizations: Confirm CPA, attorney, and third-party permissions are active.
- Preview the service calendar: Explain how and when you’ll engage going forward.
- Flag key next steps: Keep momentum by setting expectations for what’s coming in months 2–3.
This meeting signals: “You’re not on your own now that the money moved.” It’s your opportunity to prevent post-onboarding drop-off and replace it with clarity, connection, and continuity.
6. Create Moments That Feel Personalized, Not Processed
The last phase of onboarding isn’t just about tying up loose ends; it’s about deepening the relationship.
In days 60–100, use the client intel you gathered early on (favorite restaurants, family milestones, hobbies) and turn it into a meaningful gesture.
Ideas to implement:
- Send a handwritten note referencing a recent life event or accomplishment.
- Schedule a dinner reservation for their anniversary or retirement date.
- Deliver a small, relevant gift tied to something they care about.
These touches don’t need to be expensive. They just need to be intentional.
Build an Intentional Client Onboarding Process With RFG Advisory
Every Advisor has an onboarding process. The question is: Does yours build trust, inspire referrals, and reflect the caliber of service you deliver?
From the first interaction to the final follow-up, onboarding can be a defining client experience and a powerful differentiator.
At RFG Advisory, we help growth-minded Advisors design onboarding that feels personal, seamless, and scalable. Through operational support, client experience consulting, and technology designed to remove friction, we partner with Advisors ready to make every first impression count.
Ready to rethink onboarding as a strategic growth tool? Let’s build it together.