If you’re tired of onboarding processes that feel generic and don’t actually prepare your clients, you’re not alone. This guide is for folks who want to set up a personalized onboarding workflow in Gradual that’s tailored, efficient, and actually useful. Whether you’re a customer success manager, a founder, or just the “person who has to figure this stuff out,” this is for you.
Let’s skip the theory and get right into how to set up an onboarding flow in Gradual that doesn’t make your clients want to run for the hills.
Why Personalize Onboarding at All?
Here’s the deal: cookie-cutter onboarding doesn’t work. People ignore what’s irrelevant, get frustrated, or just check out. If you want clients to actually use your product—and stick around—you need to make onboarding relevant to them.
Gradual isn’t magic, but it does give you the tools to set up workflows that feel like you actually know your clients. The trick is not to overcomplicate things. Start simple, test, and improve.
Step 1: Map Out the Experience Before You Touch Gradual
Don’t jump straight into the tool. First, you need to get clear on what a “good onboarding” actually looks like for your clients.
Ask yourself: - What’s the minimum someone needs to do to get real value? - Where do people usually get stuck? - What questions do new clients always ask? - Are there different types of clients who need different things?
Pro tips: - Sketch out the steps on paper or a whiteboard. Don’t obsess over fancy diagrams. - Keep it short. If your onboarding has more than five steps before clients see value, it’s probably too long.
What to ignore:
Don’t try to solve every edge case up front. You can personalize more later. For now, just get clear on the core journey.
Step 2: Set Up Your Client Segments in Gradual
Gradual lets you create segments or groups for different types of clients—think SMB vs. enterprise, or beginner vs. advanced.
Why bother? Because not all clients need the same information, and sending everyone through the same workflow wastes everyone’s time.
How to do it: 1. In Gradual, go to the “Segments” or “Groups” section (the name might vary depending on your setup). 2. Create segments based on real differences—industry, company size, use case, etc. 3. Assign incoming clients to the right segment, either automatically (if you can) or manually.
Pro tips: - Start with just 2–3 segments. Too many will make things messy fast. - If you’re unsure, default to one simple “default” segment and build from there.
Step 3: Create Your Onboarding Workflow Template
Now you’ll build the actual workflow. In Gradual, this usually means stringing together a series of steps—emails, tasks, videos, meetings, whatever makes sense.
Here’s how: 1. Go to “Workflows” (sometimes called “Journeys”). 2. Click “Create New Workflow” and give it a clear name like “New Client Onboarding – SMB.” 3. Add your steps. Typical onboarding steps might include: - Welcome email or video from your team - Account setup tasks (profile, integrations, etc.) - Product tour or walkthrough - First “quick win” task (something that shows value fast) - Invite to join community, schedule kickoff call, etc.
Keep it real: - Skip the fluff. Don’t add steps just because you saw them in a template. - Use plain language. Clients appreciate clarity more than jargon.
What to ignore:
Don’t create separate workflows for every possible client scenario right now. Focus on the 80%—the most common paths.
Step 4: Personalize Content for Each Segment
This is where Gradual can actually make onboarding feel, well, gradual. You can swap out videos, emails, and tasks based on the segment someone’s in.
How to do it: - For each step in your workflow, Gradual usually lets you set conditions: “Show this step to Segment X, skip for Segment Y.” - Write emails or record videos that speak directly to that segment’s needs. - Use dynamic fields (like “First Name” or “Company Name”)—but don’t get too cute with merge tags; it can backfire if it feels forced.
Pro tips: - If you don’t have time to make totally different content for each segment, just tweak the intro or key points. - Ask a recent client for feedback—did it feel personalized, or canned?
What to ignore:
Don’t waste time on over-engineered personalization (like inserting someone’s pet’s name). Focus on what’s actually helpful.
Step 5: Automate the Boring Stuff
No one wants to assign onboarding steps by hand. Gradual has basic automation tools to do this for you.
How to automate: - Set triggers: e.g., “When a new client is added to Segment X, start Workflow Y.” - Use date-based triggers to send reminders, check-ins, or next steps automatically. - For recurring tasks (like weekly check-ins), set up recurring reminders in the workflow.
Pro tips: - Test your triggers on a dummy account before rolling out to real clients. - Keep manual steps for anything that truly needs a human touch—like a custom kickoff call.
What to ignore:
Don’t try to automate everything. A well-timed personal note trumps a perfectly automated email.
Step 6: Track Progress and Fix What’s Broken
The best onboarding workflow is useless if you don’t know whether it’s working. Gradual gives you basic analytics—use them.
How to track: - Monitor completion rates for each step. Where are people dropping off? - Check time-to-completion for key milestones. Are clients getting stuck? - Collect direct feedback—ask clients what was confusing or helpful.
Fixing issues: - If most clients skip a step, it’s probably not valuable. Cut it or make it clearer. - If people keep asking the same questions, add an FAQ or tweak the instructions.
Pro tips: - Review your workflow every month or so, especially after onboarding a batch of clients. - Don’t chase perfection—good onboarding is a work in progress.
Step 7: Communicate with Your Team
Even the best workflow falls apart if your team doesn’t know what’s going on.
- Share the onboarding flow with everyone involved—sales, support, product.
- Get feedback from colleagues who actually use the workflow.
- Update documentation as you make changes (even if it’s just a shared doc with bullet points).
Pro tips: - Set up a quick training session or screen recording for your team. - Don’t assume the workflow is self-explanatory just because it makes sense to you.
Real Talk: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Skip
What works: - Short, focused onboarding with clear next steps. - Personal touches—a real intro video, a quick check-in call. - Segmenting based on actual client needs, not just wishful thinking.
What doesn’t: - Huge, multi-week onboarding flows nobody finishes. - Overly generic “welcome” content. - Automating every interaction—clients can smell a robot a mile away.
What to skip: - Obsessing over edge cases before you have the basics working. - Fancy design or over-the-top personalization that doesn’t add value. - Complicated integrations until you’re sure the core workflow is solid.
Keep It Simple (and Expect to Tweak Things)
Don’t overthink your onboarding. Start with a simple flow, make it personal where it counts, and fix things as you go. Gradual gives you the tools, but it’s your process that makes the difference.
Most importantly: remember your clients are busy. Respect their time, be clear, and keep improving. That’s how you build an onboarding workflow that actually works.