Best Resources for Customer Onboarding Managers

Whether you’re looking to deepen your expertise, stay updated with industry trends, or find practical tools to enhance your workflow, the right resources are essential for continuous growth and success.

This guide will introduce you to the best resources available for customer onboarding managers, providing you with a curated selection of valuable materials to enhance your skills and knowledge.

What is a customer onboarding manager?

A customer onboarding manager is the person behind developing and implementing onboarding strategies to help SaaS customers move seamlessly from sign-up to effective product use.

In the SaaS industry, this role involves understanding customer needs, providing tailored training, and offering ongoing support to maximize product utilization and satisfaction.

Key tasks include configuring the software, conducting training sessions, monitoring user engagement, and addressing any issues that arise during the onboarding phase. Their ultimate goal is to enhance customer satisfaction and drive long-term product usage.

What does a customer onboarding manager do?

Customer onboarding managers are the architects of a positive first impression for SaaS companies. They oversee the entire new customer experience, from account setup and user training to ongoing communication and engagement. This ensures users not only understand the product’s features but also see its value and become successful users.

Customer onboarding manager’s main responsibilities

Here are the main responsibilities and duties of a Customer Onboarding Manager, particularly in a SaaS (Software as a Service) environment:

Crafting the Onboarding Journey:

Designing and Implementing the Program: This involves developing a comprehensive onboarding process that guides new customers from signup to product mastery. It might include elements like account setup workflows, personalized training modules, and interactive tutorials.
Content Creation: They might create or curate onboarding content like knowledge base articles, video tutorials, and email drip campaigns to educate customers on product features and best practices.
Streamlining Account Setup: They ensure a smooth and efficient account setup process, minimizing friction for new users.

Guiding and Supporting New Customers:

User Training and Education: Customer onboarding managers deliver user training sessions, workshops, or one-on-one coaching to help customers understand the product’s functionalities and value proposition.
Communication Champion: They maintain clear communication with new customers throughout the onboarding process, addressing questions promptly and fostering a sense of engagement. This might involve using various communication channels like email, phone calls, or live chat.
Troubleshooting and Support: They provide initial troubleshooting support to new customers, resolving any technical issues or roadblocks they encounter during the onboarding phase.

Optimizing for Success:

Metrics and Analytics: Customer onboarding managers track key onboarding metrics such as completion rates, time-to-value, and customer satisfaction. They analyze this data to identify areas for improvement and optimize the onboarding process for better user adoption and retention.
Continuous Improvement: Based on data and customer feedback, they refine the onboarding program to ensure it remains effective and scalable as the product evolves.

Collaboration and Teamwork:

Bridge Between Teams: They work closely with various teams within the organization, including sales, marketing, and customer success, to ensure a seamless handoff from initial acquisition to ongoing customer support.
Alignment with Sales and Marketing: They collaborate with sales and marketing teams to ensure the onboarding experience aligns with the messaging and promises made during the pre-sales process.
Providing Feedback: They provide valuable feedback to product development teams about user needs and challenges identified during the onboarding process.

In essence, customer onboarding managers are the orchestra conductors of the onboarding experience. They ensure all the elements work together to create a smooth and successful transition for new customers, ultimately driving product adoption and retention.

Navigating the vast world of resources can be overwhelming, but worry not! We’ve curated a list of the best books, webinars, podcasts, blogs, and certifications tailored for Customer Onboarding Managers.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your knowledge, stay updated with industry trends, or boost your career, these resources have got you covered.

Best books for customer onboarding managers

“Onboarding Matters” by Donna Weber – This book provides a detailed framework for building an onboarding program that drives customer success and retention, with actionable insights and real-world examples.
“The Customer Success Professional’s Handbook” by Ashvin Vaidyanathan and Ruben Rabago – A comprehensive guide to building customer success teams and strategies, including onboarding best practices, with tips on measuring success and optimizing processes.
“The Effortless Experience” by Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, and Rick DeLisi – Learn how to create a seamless and low-effort customer experience from onboarding to ongoing support, featuring case studies from leading companies.
“Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue” by Nick Mehta, Dan Steinman, and Lincoln Murphy – This book delves into strategies for managing customer relationships, including effective onboarding techniques, with a focus on reducing churn and driving growth.
“Nailing It: How to Build a Customer Onboarding Process That Ensures High Adoption Rates” by Donna Weber – Focuses specifically on the onboarding process and how to ensure customers reach their first value quickly, with step-by-step guidance and best practices.

Best webinars for customer onboarding managers

Userpilot Webinar Series – A series of webinars focusing on product adoption, user onboarding, and customer success strategies, featuring industry experts and practical advice.
“Onboarding New Customers: The First 90 Days” by Gainsight – Insights into the critical first 90 days of customer onboarding and how to set up for success, including metrics to track and common pitfalls to avoid.
“Effective Customer Onboarding Strategies” by ChurnZero – Learn about different strategies and tools to enhance your customer onboarding process, with a focus on improving user engagement and satisfaction.
“Customer Onboarding: Best Practices and Pitfalls” by Totango – Practical advice on what to do and what to avoid in customer onboarding, featuring case studies and real-world examples.
“Scaling Customer Onboarding” by SuccessHACKER – Strategies to scale your onboarding process as your customer base grows, with tips on automating processes and maintaining a personal touch.

Best blogs for customer onboarding managers

Userpilot Blog – Features articles on user onboarding, product adoption, and customer success, with practical tips and industry insights.
Gainsight Blog – Offers insights into customer success strategies, including onboarding best practices, with contributions from thought leaders and practitioners.
ChurnZero Blog – Covers a wide range of topics related to customer success and onboarding, with actionable advice and success stories from the field.
SuccessCOACHING Blog – Provides tips and strategies for customer success managers, including onboarding techniques, with a focus on professional development and best practices.
Customer Success Box Blog – Insights and best practices for onboarding and retaining customers, with a mix of how-to guides, case studies, and expert opinions.

Best podcasts for customer onboarding managers

“Customer Success Leader” by Gainsight – Discusses various aspects of customer success, including onboarding, with industry leaders sharing their experiences and insights.
“Helping Sells Radio” by ServiceRocket – Explores how to help customers be successful, with episodes on onboarding strategies and tips from customer success professionals.
“The Customer Success Podcast” by Totango – Features conversations with CS leaders on building and scaling customer success, including onboarding, with a focus on practical advice and best practices.
“The Onboarding Show” by Rocketlane – Focuses specifically on onboarding and implementation strategies for SaaS companies, with interviews and case studies from industry experts.
“Customer Success Conversations” by Customer Success Network – Engaging discussions on various CS topics, including effective onboarding practices, with a mix of solo episodes and guest interviews.

Best certifications for customer onboarding managers

Customer Success Certification by Gainsight – A comprehensive certification program covering various aspects of customer success, including onboarding, with a focus on practical skills and knowledge.
Certified Customer Success Manager (CCSM) by SuccessCOACHING – Focuses on the skills needed to be an effective customer success manager, including onboarding strategies, with a mix of online courses and practical exercises.
Customer Success Leader by LinkedIn Learning – Offers courses on leading customer success initiatives, with modules on onboarding, designed for professionals looking to advance their careers.
Customer Onboarding Specialist Certification by Udemy – Specializes in the onboarding process, from initial setup to customer education, with video lectures, quizzes, and hands-on projects.
Practical CSM by Practical CSM Academy – Provides practical training and certification for customer success managers, including onboarding, with a focus on real-world applications and best practices.

Best tools for customer onboarding managers

Equipping yourself with the right tools is essential for streamlining your customer onboarding process and creating a smooth, positive experience for new users.

Here’s a list of 10 top-rated options to consider:

Interactive Product Tours & User Onboarding (incl. Automation & Personalization): Userpilot – Create interactive tours, walkthroughs, feature spotlights, and personalized onboarding flows – all within one platform. Guide users, increase adoption, reduce tickets, and tailor experiences.
Project Management for Onboarding Workflows: Monday.com – Manage onboarding tasks, track progress, and collaborate with different teams for seamless customer handoffs through a user-friendly visual interface.
Customer Success Platform: Zendesk – Offer a comprehensive platform with ticketing systems, knowledge base creation tools, and live chat functionalities for effective communication and support throughout the onboarding journey.
Design & Prototype Onboarding Experiences: Figma – Design high-fidelity mockups and prototypes of onboarding screens and user interfaces to ensure a smooth and intuitive user experience.
Data Analysis & User Insights: Tableau- Transform onboarding metrics into clear and actionable insights with data visualization tools. Identify improvement areas and optimize your program for better results.
User Experience Research & Feedback: Hotjar – Gather user feedback through heatmaps, recordings, and surveys. Understand user pain points and refine your onboarding experience based on their insights.
Knowledge Base & Content Management: Notion – Create and organize onboarding content (text guides, video tutorials, FAQs) within a flexible workspace. Facilitate collaboration and version control.
Task Management & Team Communication: Trello – Manage onboarding tasks, assign them to team members and track progress collaboratively using visual Kanban boards. Foster transparent and efficient workflows.
Alternative User Onboarding Automation Tool (if needed): WalkMe – Create automated in-app walkthroughs and feature spotlights to guide users and answer questions within the application.
Alternative Personalization Tool (if needed): Pendo – Create targeted onboarding flows and in-app messages for different user segments, ensuring they receive the most relevant and valuable information.

By leveraging these tools strategically, you can create a best-in-class customer onboarding experience that drives user adoption, reduces churn, and sets your customers up for long-term success.

Remember, Userpilot can be a powerful one-stop shop for many of your onboarding needs, including automation and personalization. However, the additional options provide a well-rounded toolbox for specific areas you might want to explore further.

Conclusion

Professional growth is a continuous journey, and investing in your development is key to staying competitive in the field.

We hope this guide has equipped you with the tools and knowledge needed to excel in your role.

Looking into tools for customer onboarding managers? Userpilot is an all-in-one product platform with engagement features and powerful analytics capabilities. Book a demo to see it in action!

Best Resources for Customer Onboarding Managers

What is a customer onboarding manager?

What does a customer onboarding manager do?

Customer onboarding manager’s main responsibilities