User Onboarding Best Practices

Onboarding a new team member? Here's how to set clear expectations from day one 📅 When we onboard new team members, the first meeting is all about expectations (theirs and ours). I book a 90-minute catch-up on their first day, and break the conversation into 3 parts: ⁠ Part 1: What they can expect from me as a manager: 👉 Positive and constructive feedback 👉 Support through weekly 1:1s 👉 Coaching and mentoring 👉 High trust and high care factor (for them and for the business) ⁠ Part 2: What I expect from them: ⁠ 👉 Honest feedback (they've got fresh eyes and we need their input). ⁠ 👉 Ownership over their work ⁠ 👉 Imperfect action (it's ok to mess up). 👉 Desire to grow⁠ and learn. Part 3: Preferences and pet peeves (my fave part): Preferences 👉 What do they value at work? 👉 How do they like to receive feedback? 👉 What helps them to do their best work? Pet peeves: 👉 What things annoy them on a team? 👉 What do they find distracting at work? 👉 What behaviours drain their energy? By doing this upfront and answering the preferences and pet peeves questions early, you'll be clear on how to work well together from day one. Big wins all round. #HR #leadership #culture #peopleandculture

After analyzing 1,000s of first impressions it’s clear: A first impression is made before you say a single word. And there are 3 mistakes costing you opportunities: For context, most people (especially introverts) want to believe their first impression starts when they start speaking. The science says otherwise: Someone decides if they like you, trust you or want to work with you, the moment they first see you - when you walk into a room, open a door, or even when someone looks at your profile picture. After analyzing thousands of first encounters, I've identified what I call the 'triple threat' of first impression mistakes that people unknowingly make: 1. Making yourself small: Tucking your arms close to your sides and hunching your shoulders signals low confidence and submissiveness. The less space you take up, the less powerful you appear. This is why waiting for your job interview or date while checking your phone is sabotaging you before you've said hello. Every time you look down at your device, you accidentally adopt what scientists call the 'universal defeat posture': - chin tucked - shoulders hunched - making yourself small In evolutionary terms, you literally look like a loser. (Yikes!) 2. Hiding your hands: When your hands are in pockets, under the table, or out of sight, it creates subconscious distrust. Evolutionarily, we need to see hands to feel safe and assess intentions. 3. Avoiding eye contact: We experience a chemical burst of oxytocin during direct eye contact, which increases trust and connection. Avoiding eye contact in those first few seconds prevents this critical bonding opportunity. Research shows these first impressions are lasting. If you've made a bad one, recovery is difficult - but not impossible if you practice the right body language. Instead, adopt the confident alternative: - keep your hands visible and expressive - take up appropriate space with good posture - make deliberate eye contact in the first few seconds Master these 3 elements and you'll create positive, accurate first impressions that open doors rather than close them.

If your interviewer judges you in the first few seconds and you feel powerless… you really are not. Science says those seconds define you. Here’s the formula experts & neuroscience research agree on and how to make sure those first 7 seconds land you in the “liked + credible” bucket, not “meh, passable”. ✔️ The 7-Second First Impression Formula: 👉 Visual Readiness Dress sharply, maintain upright posture immediately, and adopt open gestures. 👉 Face & Micro-Expression Calibration Smile genuinely. A slight smile that reaches the eyes creates authenticity. Facial asymmetry or unnatural expressions immediately drop “trustworthiness score.” 👉 Voice & Tone Control Speak with clarity. Begin with your natural pitch. Avoid rising pitch at the end (“upspeak”). Even one word (“Hello”) can influence how dominant or trustworthy you are judged. 👉 Eye Contact & Gaze Pattern Maintain steady, appropriate eye contact of about 60-70% of time. Let your gaze move naturally but avoid darting. This signals confidence and attentiveness. 👉 Open Body Posture & Movement Uncross arms; lean slightly forward; nod at small cues. Mirror, but subtly. The brain’s mirror neurons respond positively to subtle synchrony. Body posture influences likability & perceived competence. 👉 Rapport & Familiarity Drop-Ins Within those seconds, drop something familiar or shared if possible: “I see you’re from ___ / you went to ___ / you worked on ___” something in common. It primes social trust. Similarity is one of the strongest drivers in first impressions. 👉 Authentic Energy + Breathing Prep Before entering, take 3 deep, controlled breaths to regulate the nervous system. Let that settle into your voice and your face. Research in neuroscience shows that emotional regulation (via breathing) reduces "amygdala hijack" and improves control over expressions. Use that calm energy. If you execute all 7 elements deliberately, the chances are high that you’ll start the interview in “liked + credible” zone — which gives you three huge advantages: ✔️ You get more leeway when you make small errors. ✔️ Your words will be interpreted positively by default. ✔️ Your stress gets buffered by positive feedback even in micro cues (smiles, nods, tone). 👉 Repost this to help someone nail their first impression. And if you want personal help crafting yours → DM me. #firstimpressions #interviewtips #selfpresentation #careerdevelopment #interviewcoach

Everyone has experienced a BAD new job onboarding - It doesn't have to be that way: Here are 10 Rules for a Great Onboarding: 1. Onboarding starts before day 1. Send them reading materials, helpful guides. Give them a week 1 plan. Show them the same attention you want them to pay to their work. 2. In person. I don't care if you're hybrid - do the onboarding in person. 3. Have the new laptop and welcome pack ready on the desk for the new joiner. 4. Appoint a "buddy" to help new joiner out. 5. Sit down and describe to them in graphic detail what a successful team member in your business looks like. Actually tell them - they aren't mind readers. Set them up for success. 6. Give them time to set up equipment and meet people. Don't expect them to be delivering on day 1. 7. Don't give them too much time. Do expect them to be delivering by week 1. You learn most by doing - not reading or talking. 8. Correct any misalignments very quickly. They are stumbling around like a cultural toddler - you will have to handhold them or they will fall. 9. Actively introduce them to others in the team - and quickly. They shouldn't feel the odd one out or excluded. 10. Ask for their feedback on the onboarding and improve for next time. Experienced a great or terrible onboarding? I'd love to hear what happened!

How often do we receive a notification or an alert from a company about an issue before we even realize there’s a problem? Whether it’s a bank flagging suspicious activity, a delivery service notifying us of a delay, or a telecom provider offering compensation for downtime, proactive engagement is reshaping the customer experience landscape. Here’s an interesting fact: 67% of customers globally have a more favorable view of brands that offer or contact them with proactive customer service notifications. Yet, many businesses still focus solely on reactive support, missing the opportunity to elevate customer loyalty through preemptive action. In my opinion, the most impactful customer experiences don’t happen when customers reach out for help. They happen when businesses anticipate their needs and address them before they even ask. How, then, can businesses transform their CX strategies to embrace proactive engagement? Here are three essential strategies to lead the way: 1. Anticipate Customer Needs with Data and Insights The first step in proactive engagement is understanding your customers on a deeper level. Businesses can predict potential issues by analyzing behavioral patterns, feedback, and usage trends and offer solutions in advance. For example, monitoring a subscription service’s usage data could reveal customers at risk of disengagement, prompting a personalized offer to re-engage them. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Institute Barometer, Saudi Arabia ranks first globally in trust in government leadership at 86%. The Kingdom is a clear example of how data-driven policies can foster trust. Businesses can follow this model by leveraging data insights to predict and address customer needs proactively. 2. Personalization: Beyond Generic Engagement Proactive engagement is most effective when tailored to individual preferences. Personalization goes beyond addressing customers by name; it involves delivering messages that resonate with their unique journeys. For instance, an e-commerce platform could recommend products based on browsing history or alert customers about restocks of their favorite items. 3. Solve Problems Before They Arise The ultimate goal of proactive engagement is to reduce friction. Offering solutions before customers encounter issues—like sending reminders for payments or proactively addressing service disruptions—can turn potential frustrations into positive experiences. At X-Shift, we’re committed to proactive engagement strategies that mirror these principles. While technology like AI is opening doors to automation, the human element—listening, anticipating, and personalizing—remains irreplaceable. The future of CX is proactive. Let’s lead the way! #Vision2030 #CustomerExperience #CX #Personalization #DigitalTransformation #SaudiArabia #CXTrends #CustomerLoyalty

I was just talking to a client about top trends in customer service for 2025. One of the top trends this year is Proactive Customer Service. Don't wait for problems to arise. Proactive customer service is about anticipating needs and providing solutions before customers even realize they have an issue. Think helpful resources, preemptive outreach, and personalized tips. Here's why proactive service matters: It shows you care 💖 You're not waiting for customers to come to you with issues. It builds trust 🤝 Customers feel you're looking out for their best interests. It reduces support volume 📉 Fewer problems mean fewer support tickets. It improves customer satisfaction 😊 Who doesn't love a company that anticipates their needs? Ready to get proactive? Try these strategies: -Analyze customer data to spot potential pain points -Create knowledge base articles for common questions -Send helpful tips via email before customers even reach out -Use AI to predict and address issues early For example, if you notice many customers struggle with a particular feature, why not send out a "Tips & Tricks" email before they get frustrated? Remember, the goal isn't just to fix problems - it's to create such a smooth experience that problems rarely arise in the first place! What's your favorite way to be proactive in customer service? Share your ideas below! 👇

Explaining your "value proposition" is probably doing more harm than good with your prospects.  Value propositions are meaningless to prospects when they don't connect the dots between what your product does and what problems it eliminates. Here's an example: If I were selling cookware, pitching "titanium-plated non-stick pans" would not resonate with my prospects, especially if they liked their current cookware. In order for "titanium-plated non-stick pans" to mean anything of value to my prospect, I would need to remind them of the gnarly egg crust that they had scrub away when doing the dishes last week and then explain that the "features" of my product are what would eliminate their egg-scrubbing problem. ___ Expecting your prospect to infer what problems your "value proposition" solves for them dumps all the work on your prospect. Do the work for them and put 2 and 2 together so they don't have to. You make it far easier for them to understand why your "Automated Billing Workflows" or "Unified Data Platform" or "Titanium-Plated Pan" is valuable when you ALSO tell them what that means for them. It's YOUR responsibility to remind your prospect of the egg stuck to their pan. 

When onboarding a new team member, a recent experience with asynchronous collaboration brought a humbling revelation. As I was onboarding her to our tech stack, I uncovered a blind spot in communications within our project management software, Asana. 📝 In the meticulous notes I left for myself a while ago in one of the Asana projects, I had cut and pasted some language from an email to a client that included the word "YOU". 🤔 I failed to consider the potential confusion for my new team member. It hadn't occurred to me that she would interpret that "YOU" to be referencing her. ⚠️ What I had put in Asana as notes became unintended directives for the new Virtual Work Insider team member! The result? 📉 A cascade of actions on her end, each based on a misinterpretation of my notes. ⏳ This was an inefficient use of her time and effort that were invested in tasks that weren't needed or intended. The fix? 🔄 Once I realized what had happened we had a great discussion about how I would change my note-taking behavior in shared Asana projects to make the async communication clearer and we refined on our norms for how new requests would come through to her. My aha moment made we want to share some actionable insights for seamless onboarding in asynchronous settings. ✅ Precision in Messaging: Avoid vague language and ensure that your notes are explicitly for personal use and directives to others are clearly marked as tasks. ✅ Establish Communication Norms: Kickstart the collaboration by setting expectations on how tools like Asana are used. Establish a shared understanding of communication conventions to avoid misinterpretations. ✅ Feedback Loop: Create an open channel for feedback. Encourage your team to seek clarification if something seems ambiguous. This proactive approach can avoid potential misunderstandings. What would you add to this list? 👇 #virtualleadership #hybridleadership #hybridwork #async

Your first 90 days with a customer can make or break the entire relationship. I've seen it happen too many times: - Great sales process - Solid product demo - Strong contract value - Excited stakeholders Then onboarding happens. And everything falls apart. Why? Most companies treat onboarding like a checklist: - Setup call ✓ - Product training ✓ - Technical integration ✓ - Documentation shared ✓ But here's the truth about onboarding: It's not about your process. It's about their success. After managing hundreds of onboarding sessions, here's what I've learned: The best onboarding isn't standard. It's personalized. Think about it: - Every customer has different goals - Every team has different challenges - Every organization has different paces - Every stakeholder has different priorities Your onboarding needs to reflect this. Here's what works: 1. Start with clear expectations - Define success metrics upfront - Set realistic timelines - Map out key milestones - Align on responsibilities 2. Build a dedicated team - Assign specialists who understand their industry - Create cross-functional support - Have clear escalation paths - Enable quick problem-solving 3. Monitor health signals - Track early usage patterns - Watch engagement levels - Note stakeholder participation - Measure progress velocity 4. Automate the right things - Regular check-in reminders - Progress updates - Resource sharing - Usage alerts But here's where most companies fail: They don't plan for challenges: - Low customer engagement - Complex technical integrations - Unclear success metrics - Resource constraints - Scalability issues The solution? Build feedback loops: - Collect input at every stage - Adjust plans based on signals - Iterate on materials - Improve processes continuously Remember: Onboarding isn't about getting customers to use your product. It's about helping them achieve their goals through your product. The first 90 days set the tone for everything that follows. Make them count. What's your approach to customer onboarding? What challenges have you faced? ------------------ ▶️ Want to see more content like this and also connect with other CS & SaaS enthusiasts? You should join Tidbits. We do short round-ups a few times a week to help you learn what it takes to be a top-notch customer success professional. Join 1993+ community members! 💥 [link in the comments section]

I've helped 20+ VC-backed startups drive profitable growth. One core element of that is messaging uplifts. If you're a B2B startup, here’s how to nail yours: But first, let’s unpack why startups do such a bad job with their messaging especially on websites. They try to cram everything onto it, thinking it's their most important page. But here's the reality: 🦗 Your homepage gets little traffic initially 🎯 Most visitors land on campaign landing pages instead 🕵️ Those who do visit your homepage are often referrals The solution: Reframe your homepage as a referral and navigation tool. Think of it as a one-page pitch with clear pathways to other crucial information. Here's how to structure it: 1. ABOVE THE FOLD ↳ Value prop headline - benefit led statement (under 10 words) Example: "Pay the world." ↳ 25-word max product description - what the product allows you to do  Example: "Your business and customers can send payments to—and accept payments in—every corner of the world. Instantly." ↳ CTA to "Why us" page TIP: This section gets the most attention. Make it count! 2. JUST UNDER THE FOLD ↳ Social proof (customer logos, ratings, press coverage) ↳ CTA to case studies WHY: Build trust quickly with recognizable names and success stories. 3. FURTHER DOWN ↳ 3 lead benefits (not features!) ↳ Key product distinctive capabilities  ↳ CTA to product page REMEMBER: Benefits solve problems. Features are just tools. 4. WRAP UP ↳ Final CTA (e.g., book a demo) PRO TIP: Make this CTA stand out. It's your last chance to convert! This blueprint helps your homepage quickly answer: ↳ What do you do? ↳ Who do you serve? ↳ Why should they care? Key components to include: 🎯 Clear value proposition 🤝 Social proof  💡 Benefits and capabilities  🧭 Intuitive navigation If you follow the above plan, you should get a vastly superior UI/UX and double-digit growth in conversions. What's your biggest homepage challenge? AMA in the comments 👇