Here’s a question for you - when someone says "great job!" in a professional setting, does it feel patronising?
I ask because even though we know recognition matters during onboarding, you probably could be using it more strategically.
Customers need encouragement as they navigate change, learn new systems, and convince their teams to adopt new processes.
And in B2B onboarding, we're often working with people who have plenty of industry experience.
There's a fine line between recognition that builds momentum and praise that makes experienced professionals feel like children receiving a gold star. 😬
The fact you are reading this, shows you are investing in your own success. So, let’s give you the tools to follow through. ↓
(Yes, I just used strategic praise. How did it feel?)
🧪 The Project: Recognition Repertoire
We're going to build a recognition approach that motivates customers to keep progressing, without making them feel like they're back at school.
Each step gives you a specific technique you can implement in your next customer interaction.
Step 1: Recognise the thinking, not just the doing
Most praise focuses on completion: "Congratulations, you've finished the training!"
That's surface level.
Instead, call out the quality of their approach.
"The questions you asked about user permissions show you're thinking about security from the start. That's going to save your IT team headaches later."
Doing this shows you recognise their expertise and foresight.
This also demonstrates that you were paying attention during your interactions, which builds trust.
🔍 Note: To make it even easier for yourself, jot down these moments when customers demonstrate strategic thinking throughout onboarding so that you have details to refer to at praise milestones.
Step 2: Connect recognition to their goals
Generic praise falls flat because it's not personalised.
Make your recognition specific to what they told you matters at the beginning of your relationship.
"You mentioned wanting to get your team using this within 30 days. Completing the integration setup this week puts you well ahead of that timeline. That’s excellent progress towards future goals."
This shows you listened to their objectives and you're tracking their progress against what actually matters to them.
It transforms recognition from a nice-to-have into a progress marker.
This is why understanding and digging into customer goals in your first conversations is so important.
It strengthens everything you work on by referring back to them with the client throughout onboarding.
Step 3: Use contrast framing
It’s even more impactful to show them what they've avoided or overcome.
"Most teams struggle with getting stakeholder buy-in at this stage. The fact you've already got sign-off means you've cleared one of the biggest hurdles early."
OR
"This integration usually takes teams three attempts to configure properly. You got it implemented first time, which puts us well ahead of the planned timeline."
This works because you're providing context that makes their achievement meaningful and positions you as someone with broader perspective who can benchmark their progress.
Step 4: Spotlight the ripple effect
Connect their actions to future outcomes.
"By setting up those automated reports now, you're creating visibility for your leadership team. That's going to make it much easier to get budget approval for expanding usage next quarter."
This type of recognition shows you understand their bigger picture.
It also subtly reinforces the long-term value of the actions they're taking now, which helps with sustained engagement beyond onboarding.
Look for opportunities to connect current actions to future wins they care about.
I’ve spoken about Customer Onboarding Qualified Leads before, and I believe this is the type of praise that can lead to identifying those potential leads during onboarding.
Step 5: Let them teach you something
One of the most genuine forms of recognition is curiosity.
To build really strong and strategic relationships with customers, ask them about their expertise.
It’s a subtle form of praise that can feed into how you work together going forward.
"That's an interesting way to structure your workflow. I hadn't considered splitting it that way. What made you decide to approach it like that?"
This acknowledges they've brought expertise to the table, and it positions you as someone who learns from customers rather than just teaching them.
It's particularly effective with senior users who might bristle at traditional praise.
The best part? You might actually learn something that improves your onboarding for other customers!
🤓 The Analysis
Praise isn’t just about being nice.
You're strategically reinforcing behaviours that lead to successful adoption and long-term engagement.
The goal is to create a recognition approach that feels natural, demonstrates your attention, and genuinely motivates customers to keep progressing through onboarding and beyond.
What to expect by making these changes:
Increased customer confidence
Strong and trustworthy relationships
Stronger chance of customer advocacy
Opportunities for onboarding qualified leads
