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The BS LLC Approach: Part 1 of 6 – Onboarding

Every agency has a process. You know, a clever catch-phrase with a little trademark symbol next to it. We have one, but it’s not trademarked or what you’d call “clever.” We like to think of it as common sense.rnrn rnrnAs a generalist B2B branding agency, we have enjoyed partnering with diverse customers over the past seven years. From financial services to healthcare, from hospitality to retail businesses, it’s never the same engagement twice. But it always starts with our special brand of Onboarding.
If you’re currently thinking of taking on a new strategic communications partner, we’re hoping you can see the benefit of a firm with such diverse experience. We also assume you’ll appreciate a look under the hood, so to speak, regarding the day-to-day processes that make what we do successful.rnrn rnrnThis set of articles will be relatively pragmatic: no heady philosophizing. Instead, we will walk you through what it’s like to get started with us.rnrn rnrnThese six articles will introduce brand and marketing managers to the BS LLC Approach. Here’s what each article will briefly cover:rnrn rn
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  1. Onboarding
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  2. Spiritual Kickoff
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  3. Risk Analysis
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  4. Research
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  5. Creative Agreement
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  6. Tactics Map
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rn rnrnWe’re big believers in making things straightforward and linear. This is the repeatable and direct way we get to know your business, your customers, and your aspirations. It’s also how we make sure you can follow our progress to keep us honest.rnrn rnrnLet’s get started at the top: Onboarding.
Contents
Download Whitepaper
Defining "Us"
Defining the Details
Scope Check: Aligning to Expectations
Timing
Next Article
Contact Us
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Our process is pretty organic. But… it's still a process. Creativity, especially creativity in business, demands structure. At the end of the process, it all looks like it was spontaneous.

Defining what “Us” means

You might well be thinking that contract service agreements are uncreative and unsexy.rnrn rnrnBut actually, what is sexier than defining what a relationship is and can be? That’s what our contracts do.rnrn rnrnWhen a contract is simple and clear, the assumptions are given a foundation for agreement. Great things can happen as a result.rnrn rnrnAt the beginning of our relationship, we will define the services we will provide, how long the definition will exist (and how it could end), what the two of us are responsible for, the payment terms, and how we’ll resolve any potential disagreements.rnrn rnrnIf you have ever negotiated a “master service agreement,” you’ll be familiar with the format.rnrn rnrnHowever, our contracts differ from typical agreements in that we include a general scope of deliverables upfront. We don’t go into detail on them (that’s what the Project Charter is for.) However, every relationship is predicated upon certain expectations. The list of anticipated deliverables usually defines those expectations.

Defining the Details

Our Project Charter picks up where the Service Contract leaves off. This is where we start getting into details.rnrn rnrnWe will define the business issues addressed by each project. We will also describe what success looks like. When you describe the desired outcome and the goals and benefits to be attained, the anticipation starts to rise because the nature of the solution begins to take shape.

Scope Check: Aligning to Expectations

The lengthiest section of the Project Charter is where we define “in scope” and “out of scope.” Over the years, many client/agency relationships have gone sideways over this miscommunication. We head it off at the pass at the start by literally putting it side-by-side in black-and-white. No confusion!rnrn rnrnHere’s an example. We can state that social media guidance, specifically for LinkedIn and Instagram, is in-scope. Our scope might include audience definition, linguistic and stylistic guidelines, specific topics to be covered or content types to be created, and the cadence or pacing of the communication over time. What’s out of scope? In this example, we made sure to tell the client we would write the copy, create the visuals, or manage the channels. “Guidance and strategy, but no production and no management” is the shorthand, but the Project Charter goes into detail.

Timing

The horror story this is meant to correct: agencies take on big scopes of work, kick off projects, and then go dark, leaving clients wondering what the hell they’re doing. In our Project Charter, we will call out critical milestones for timing so you can see how a project will develop on its way to the goal. Once the Charter is approved, you’ll receive a detailed Gantt Chart that lives in the cloud so you can see updates to the critical path in real-time.

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Next Article: We Get Spiritual

In the next post, we’ll stretch out. Way out. Now that we have defined our swim lanes, so to speak, we can begin to explore the ocean of our assignment with some guided, measured, recorded introspection. It’s so deep, it’s spiritual.

All Aboard!

At BS LLC, onboarding isn’t a formality, it’s the foundation. By stepping into your world with care, curiosity, and intention, we ensure every next step is built on shared understanding and aligned ambition. This is where strategy begins: with listening, with learning, with you. Ready to start a conversation that respects where you’ve been and helps define where you’re going?

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Start your partnership with BS LLC.

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