Creating a smooth experience from sales to onboarding is critical. Let’s not sugar coat it.

If this first experience is painful, frustrating, or even mildly irritating for the customer then the proverbial onboarding hill becomes a mountain.

But, if the flow from sales to onboarding is seamless then the positive impact is felt throughout the customer lifecycle.

Advocacy, referrals, upsells, expansions, renewals - these all become much smoother.

So how do we create that seamless experience?

SaaS companies can do it by aiming to increase trust early on in the lifecycle. They just need to lean on the expertise and relationship-building qualities of customer onboarding managers.

This week we're going to look at the idea of The Messenger Effect and a 4-step project to bridge the gap between the sales and onboarding experiences.

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🧠 The Theory: The Messenger Effect

It’s a psychological phenomenon where the perceived credibility, expertise, or likability of the person delivering information influences how we receive, interpret, and act on it.

The concept has roots in persuasion research and social influence psychology, but the term "messenger effect" gained traction in behavioural economics.

This idea shows that the way we perceive information often depends more on who is delivering the message rather than the content of the message itself.

Even if the information is good, if the person delivering it seems untrustworthy, we might dismiss it entirely.

It’s a powerful reminder that how information is communicated can be just as important as what is said.

👀 The Example: The Apple Genius

What is synonymous with Apple Stores? Those blue t-shirts worn by Apple Geniuses.

These employees aren't just salespeople. They're product experts who guide customers post-purchase.

Can you already see the correlation to SaaS?

An Apple Genius will listen attentively and then walk you through the right features for your needs. They will translate tech specs into easy to understand ideas and suggest the next steps.

Their expertise and friendly demeanour instils confidence. You feel like you're making an informed decision.

This is the messenger effect.

SaaS companies can harness this power in their customer onboarding process. By introducing the onboarding manager into the sales cycle, you establish trust and credibility around onboarding expectations.

This creates a seamless transition from sales to onboarding.

🧪 The Project: Bridge the Gap

This project brings a customer onboarding representative into the pre-sales process for smooth and trusted transitions. This is how to do it.

Step 1: Define the entry point

Determine at which stage of the sales process the onboarding manager should be introduced. This could be after the initial demo, during the trial period, or when the deal is near closing.

This will be specific to your company but don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works best.

Step 2: Establish the talk tracks

It’s important not to overwhelm the customer right at the end of the sales cycle. Establish the best topics for the onboarding manager to cover. These should be specific to the optimal customer experience for your product.

Sales teams will be cautious of any conversation that may derail or delay the deal closing. Collaborate to make sure this doesn’t happen. Highlight why certain onboarding points need to be made for the benefit of the customer.

Things to think about:

• Are the stakeholders and main users on the customer side aware of their roles with this new software?

• Has a champion been identified on the customer’s side?

• Do we know their expectations for the product solution?

Step 3: Make the introductions

How will the sales rep introduce the onboarding manager? Be strategic about this. Position the onboarding as an important step in achieving their goals. Get the sales rep to position the onboarding manager as an expert with authority.

“Sarah has been with us for 3 years and has done hundreds of onboardings with clients in your industry. Their successes are due to their onboarding with her. She’s an expert. You’re in good hands.”

The onboarding manager can share their expertise, explain their role in ensuring the customer's success, and start building rapport.

Step 4: Show them what to expect in onboarding

Following on from the talk tracks in Step 2, use the time with the customer to highlight what’s coming. This helps to manage expectations. Give the customer clear instructions to align the team on their side.

Emphasise that this is to allow the onboarding to kick off smoothly and help them get results more quickly. This should give the customer energy to get moving.

What you could include:

• an onboarding timeline overview specific to them

• a list of tasks for the customer to complete

Keep it concise. The real detail will come in the kick off call. The aim is to prepare them. Once the deal is closed you’ll be able to hit the ground running.

🤓 The Analysis: Take a leaf out of Apple’s playbook

Apple’s commitment to their customer's success by placing recognisable experts at the forefront is something to replicate.

The customer onboarding manager can establish a strong presence during the sales process by being the right “messenger” at the right time.

It sets the stage for a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship.

What will you notice if you implement this project?

• Fewer false starts

• Accelerated time to value

• Stronger relationships between teams

• Smoother customer transitions from sales to onboarding