Client Onboarding Checklist: Cover It in a Two-Minute Video

A client onboarding checklist for the first week has five blocks: a greeting by name, what happens this week, what you need from them, how to reach you, and one look at the place they will use. Say each in two or three sentences and the video lands at about two minutes. Cheap Recorder's own blog shows how to record a welcome video for a new client in Chrome, from setup to sending the file. This post is the other half: the words, in order, with a full example to adapt.

Cheap Recorder records your screen, voice and webcam in Chrome and saves an MP4 plus a transcript on your own computer, so you can try it free while you write the script.

The client onboarding checklist, in five blocks

Most onboarding messages fail in the first ten seconds, not in the recording. A new client has one question: what happens now? You do not need to read from a page, only a skeleton you can glance at, one line per block.

1. Greeting by name (10 seconds). Say the client's name, thank them, and say how long the video is.
2. What happens this week (30 seconds). The first three steps, in order, each with a day.
3. What you need from them (30 seconds). Name each item exactly: the brand files, the signed form, the login.
4. How to reach you (15 seconds). One channel and a normal reply time.
5. One look at their space (30 seconds). Show the shared folder or the page where they send things, and say what to click.

Add them up and you have about two minutes. If you go past three, cut the second block down to two steps; the rest can go in a written summary.

A worked script, line by line

Here is a made-up example for a freelance designer welcoming a client called Dana. Change the names, days and items for your own work.

Hi Dana, welcome aboard, and thank you for choosing me. This video is about two minutes.

Here is what happens this week. Today I send you the shared folder. By Wednesday I need your brand files and the signed form. On Friday we have a 30 minute kickoff call.

Here is exactly what I need: your logo as a vector file, your two brand colours, and the signed form. If something is missing, tell me and we will work around it.

The best way to reach me is email. I reply within one working day.

Let me show you where to upload things. This is the shared folder. Open Brand, drop your files in, and I get a note. That is all. See you on Friday.

Notice what the script leaves out: no biography, no list of past clients, no apology for the video. Every sentence tells Dana what to do or what to expect.

Set up Cheap Recorder in Chrome

Cheap Recorder runs in Google Chrome on macOS, Windows and Linux, so there is nothing to install. The Free plan has recording, a live transcript and 12 hours of recording a month, and needs no card.

1. Choose a folder. Under Where to save, press Choose folder... and allow Chrome to edit files in it. Until you do, Start recording is greyed out and the note beside it says why. The guide to where recordings are saved shows each step.
2. Name the recording. Type Welcome Dana in Name this recording. The name is used for the file and its folder.
3. Pick one window or tab. Under What to capture, choose A window or A browser tab, not Whole screen. For the last block, share the shared folder tab. Other tabs, apps and private things stay out of the file.
4. Choose your microphone. Tick the one you speak into and watch its level bar move as you talk. A headset or desk microphone close to your mouth beats a laptop one in a noisy room.
5. Decide on your face. Keep Record my webcam on for a welcome video; seeing you is much of the point. The Layout menu in the Preview heading sets where the camera sits, with Picture in picture, bottom right as the default. Use Webcam only for a greeting with no screen at all. The screen and webcam guide covers the layouts.

Record a 30-second test first

Say your greeting and the first line of block two, stop, and play it back. You are checking three things: the level bar moved and your voice is clear, the camera shows your face and not the ceiling, and the shared tab is the one you meant. It costs half a minute and saves a full retake.

Then press Start recording and run the five blocks. If you want a marker at the start of each block, press M; markers are written to files only when Also save every source separately is ticked, so tick it before you start if you want them. Finish with Stop and finish, not Chrome's own Stop sharing bar, which also ends the recording. The video appears with a player and is already saved in your folder as an MP4.

Check the transcript before you send

Live transcript is ticked by default under Options. While it is on, Chrome sends your microphone audio to Google to turn it into text, so untick it before you start if the audio must not leave your computer in any form. A transcript cannot be added afterwards.

Read it once. Names are where speech to text slips, so check Dana's name, your company and any product name. The transcript also shows your filler words honestly: if you said "um" six times in the greeting, that block needs a second take. The live transcript and captions guide lists the languages.

Send the MP4 with a short written note

Cheap Recorder does not upload your recording. It is an MP4 in the folder you picked, so you send it as you already send files: attach it or paste a link from your own storage. Recordings leave your computer only if you press Convert or Download MP3, which send the file to the Cheap Recorder server; it deletes its copy when it finishes and your original is never changed.

Write the note in three lines: the video with its length, the single most important date from block two, and an invitation to reply with questions. Paste the transcript under it for clients who would rather read than watch.

Common mistakes

• Reading the script like a letter. Glance at the five lines, then talk to Dana.
• Too many steps. Three is the most a client remembers from one video.
• Vague asks. "Send me your assets" gets a week of silence. "Send your logo as a vector file by Wednesday" gets a file.
• Sharing the whole screen. A notification from another client can end up in the file. Share one window or tab.
• Never rerecording. When your process changes, a new take takes minutes. A welcome video with an old date in it does harm.

The same structure works for a recorded course lesson: say what you will show, show it, say what to do next. The course and tutorial guide has the recording side.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a client welcome video be?

About two minutes, three at most. If you have more to say, put it in a written summary and keep the video to the five blocks.

Should I show my face?

For a welcome video, yes if you are comfortable. Keep Record my webcam on and choose a layout in the Layout menu. If you would rather not, choose Screen only and keep your voice.

Can I use the same video for every new client?

Only if you remove the name. Most people record one version per type of client and say the name in the greeting, which takes a minute to redo.

Do I need to install anything?

No. Cheap Recorder runs in Google Chrome on macOS, Windows and Linux. You choose a folder, press Start recording and press Stop and finish.

Where does the recording go?

Into the folder you chose, on your own computer. It is not uploaded unless you use Convert or Download MP3.

Get started

Write the five lines, record a 30-second test, then record the real take. The whole job fits in half an hour.

The free plan needs no card. Try Cheap Recorder in Chrome, and your welcome video stays on your own disk until you send it.