How to Turn the First 100 Days Into Your Firm’s Biggest Growth Engine

Clients decide whether they’ll stay for the long haul in the first 100 days. Here’s how to make every interaction unforgettable.

This post comes from Libby Greiwe, host of The Efficient Advisor Podcast and XYPN LIVE 2024 keynote speaker. In her talk, Advisor to CEO: How to Level Up by Thinking Like a Business Owner, Libby shared her journey from financial planner to thriving business owner, building a 7-figure firm while working just three days a week.

Having scaled, sold, and retired from her own referral-only RIA after 16 years, Libby now helps other advisors streamline operations, design efficient systems, and build practices that support the lives they actually want to live. You might recognize her from XYPN blogs like 7 Essential Processes Every Financial Advisor Needs to Efficiently Run Their Firm and The 6 Layers of Building a Scalable Financial Planning Practice.

Not long ago, one of the advisors in my group coaching program shared a story that resonated deeply with everyone in the group.

She had just signed what she called her “dream client”—a couple she instantly connected with. The plan was thorough, the chemistry was great, and everything seemed to be moving along beautifully… until she got the email.

“We really like you and the plan you created,” the clients wrote. “Since signing the paperwork, we’ve had second thoughts and would like to revisit this.” 

She was stunned.

When she followed up, they admitted that the planning work had been excellent—but the onboarding experience felt clunky. There had been a few redundant requests for documents, a typo on an account form, and a long silence after they submitted everything. They admitted they wanted to conduct a little more research before proceeding. 

They hadn’t lost faith in her expertise—they’d lost confidence in the process.

That one email became a turning point for her practice. She realized that technical excellence alone wasn’t enough; clients also need a frictionless experience that reinforces their decision to work with you.

The First 100 Days Define the Relationship

Research shows that a client’s experience in their first 100 days determines how long they’ll stay with you. These early interactions either cement trust—or quietly start to chip away at it.

Once I mastered this concept in my own practice, everything changed. Communication breakdowns disappeared. Clients felt more connected and cared for. And referrals skyrocketed—because people love to talk about experiences that feel remarkable.

That transformation became the foundation for my First 100 Days Client Experience Course, where I now teach advisors how to design step-by-step onboarding systems that wow clients, reduce friction, and generate referrals organically.

Even if you’ve never had a client “pause” mid-process, there’s a huge difference between an adequate onboarding experience and one that’s intentionally built to create lifelong loyalty.

Here’s where to start.

Onboarding Is Often Misunderstood

When most advisors think about onboarding, they picture account applications, data collection, and money movement. But that’s just one small piece.

True onboarding is relationship design.

It’s about taking new clients—people who are still a little uncertain—and leading them through a smooth, predictable, and confidence-building journey.

When I first started my firm, our onboarding process was fine. We didn’t make mistakes, and nothing fell through the cracks. However, once we redesigned it around the client experience—anticipating questions, eliminating friction, and incorporating small human touches—it became our most powerful growth engine.

That’s when I learned:

Your first 100 days aren’t just an operational phase. They’re a marketing opportunity.

Here are four ways to make your onboarding truly unforgettable.

1. Elevate the Account Setup Experience

At this stage, clients are still evaluating whether they made the right choice. Every email, form, and follow-up either builds confidence or erodes it.

Ask yourself: How could we make this feel easy, guided, and personal?

Each of these small upgrades reassures clients that you’re organized, attentive, and deeply invested in their success.

Pro Tip: Assign one team member as the “onboarding concierge.” Their job is to proactively communicate updates and check in with clients during those first few months.

2. Set Clear Expectations

One of the biggest sources of client anxiety isn’t market volatility—it’s uncertainty.
When clients are unsure of what’s happening or who to contact, their confidence wavers.

This clarity helps your team manage expectations and empowers clients to feel supported.

One of my favorite tools here is an Expectations of Engagement document—a one-page guide outlining what clients can expect from you, and what you expect from them. It’s simple, elegant, and dramatically reduces future misunderstandings.

3. Make It Human-to-Human

Clients don’t stay because of performance reports. They stay because of how you make them feel.

Adding humanity to your onboarding doesn’t have to be complicated—it just has to be thoughtful.

These touches transform a transaction into a relationship.

My team used to track personal details in a simple CRM field labeled “Client Intel.” Favorite restaurant? Kids’ sports? Bucket-list destination? All fair game. That information powered dozens of personal touches that clients shared with their friends.

Here’s one of my favorite examples:
We once made a dinner reservation at a client’s favorite restaurant for their anniversary, then simply called to let them know it was booked. We didn’t pay for it—we just saved them the hassle. They told everyone about that gesture.

Those small moments are what build trust faster than any quarterly review ever could.

4. Systematize It With a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Exceptional onboarding doesn’t happen by luck—it happens by system.

Documenting your Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) ensures that every new client receives a consistent, elevated experience, regardless of who on your team handles it.

A strong SOP should outline:

• Each step of the onboarding journey
  
  
• Who’s responsible for each action
  
  
• When it should happen
  
  
• What tools, templates, or checklists are used

Once it’s written, use it as a living checklist. Revisit it quarterly or annually as part of your business planning. Ask:

• Where are clients still getting stuck?
  
  
• What feedback have we received?
  
  
• How could technology make this smoother?

When you operate by design rather than by default, your onboarding process becomes scalable, repeatable, and easier to delegate—freeing you up to focus on client relationships.

If you want a shortcut to building this, my First 100 Days Client Experience course includes plug-and-play SOP templates, sample service calendars, onboarding scripts, and communication checklists that you can brand and implement right away.
(You can learn more about The First 100 Days Course here and use the Discount Code: XYPN100!)

Why the First 100 Days Matter

Those first few months are emotionally charged for clients. They’ve made a big decision and are hoping you’ll validate that choice through every interaction.

When you deliver a thoughtful, proactive, and human experience during that time, you’re not just earning their trust—you’re creating raving fans who tell others.

The advisor in my coaching program who got that “pause” email completely rebuilt her onboarding process using these principles. She added structured updates, clarified team communication, and layered in small, personal touches.

Her next new client sent her a thank-you note after onboarding that said:

“This was the smoothest financial experience we’ve ever had. You made everything so easy.”

And a few months later? That same client referred three new households.

That’s what happens when your onboarding process isn’t just functional—it’s remarkable.

Next Steps

If you’re ready to elevate your client experience, start here:

1. Audit your process.
   Walk through your onboarding experience as if you were the client. Where does it feel confusing, slow, or impersonal?
   
   
2. Brainstorm upgrades.
   For each step, ask: “What’s the baseline version, and how can we elevate it?”
   
   
3. Document your SOP.
   Write down each step, who’s responsible, and what templates or automations support it.
   
   
4. Refine continuously.
   Review your process quarterly. Your firm evolves, and so should your onboarding.

The first 100 days aren’t about paperwork—they’re about trustwork.

When clients complete onboarding feeling confident, cared for, and connected, they don’t just stay - they refer.

And if you’d like a step-by-step framework to make that happen, complete with templates, checklists, and sample workflows, check out the First 100 Days Client Experience Course. It’s designed to help you build a system that delights clients and drives referrals—without adding hours to your week.