“Onboarding” is a total scam

Most agencies and freelancers have a 2 week “onboarding” where nothing meaningful gets accomplished. I’ve seen it time and time again. It’s frustrating and slow.

2 weeks go by and half your first month retainer is gone with little to no actual work getting done. 

For those that don’t run or operate a service-based business,

Here’s what happens when you actually give a shit about a business you’re working with:

1. Days 1-3: Data, research, and setup

2. Day 4: Actively managing media spend and strategy

3. Days 5+: More of day 4 but better because you have more experience with the brand/business.

That’s it.

Any agency or freelancer that tries to extend this onboarding period is likely overwhelmed with work OR too lazy to speed up their workflow. Neither scenario bodes well for the success of your working relationship.

When hiring a growth partner, you need SPEED. Not just competence. 

Time is money, and if one resource can produce twice as fast as the other, they’re worth 3x as much.

I vet my partners by asking a few key questions in the interview process. And yes, you should be interviewing multiple different growth partners before you make a decision. The number of choices goes up proportionally to the importance of whatever you’re hiring for.

Keep it simple:

“How long does it typically take to see a transformation once the contract is signed?”

“What does your onboarding timeline look like? (can also ask for a 30-60-90)”

“Can I speak to any former or active clients of yours 1:1?”

You’ll be surprised by how off guard and unprepared sales reps or agency owners will be if you ask these questions.

The great growth partners out there (yes, they do exist) will supply answers to your questions in a speedy manner. Even if they don’t know them at the time the question was asked.

Another thing I’ll look for is email communication.

Are they responding same day? Are they responding in the evening time? Are they responding on weekends? Are they responding with quality answers?

I’m not saying you need to hire a growth partner that works 24/7 and never sleeps.

But there’s a direct correlation to speed of response and quality of work.

It tells you how much they give a shit about signing a contract with you.

You want to hire someone who’s hungry.

Alright, nuff said.

Till next week