You've hired marketing help, but two weeks in, you're still filling out forms, sitting through discovery calls, and wondering when the real work begins.
The slow starts. The vague timelines. The "we'll circle back on that" conversations that stretch simple decisions into weeks. This is what makes working with most marketing providers feel uncertain and frustrating.
I've onboarded many clients over the years, and I've learned exactly where traditional onboarding processes fall apart. That's why I built a different approach, one that eliminates the waiting, creates early momentum, and delivers tangible progress within days, not months.
In this article, I'll walk you through your exact first 30 days working with me, week by week, so you'll know what happens, when, and why. You'll see the deliverables you'll receive, how we'll communicate, what I need from you, and the early wins you can expect before month one is even over.
What to expect in week 1 of working with me
The first week establishes the foundation for everything that follows. We'll set up clear communication channels, review your goals, and conduct an in-depth discovery session so there's no ambiguity about what we're building together.
You'll complete a detailed intake questionnaire during our kickoff call. This typically takes 20-30 minutes and covers your business goals, current marketing situation, biggest challenges, and what success looks like for you.
Our kickoff call usually lasts 60-90 minutes. This session gives us the roadmap, shared language, and mutual clarity needed to move forward with confidence, reviewing your responses, clarifying expectations, and mapping out priorities for the first 90 days.
By the end of week one, you'll have:
- Clear communication protocols (how we'll stay in touch, response times, meeting schedules)
- Access to any shared systems or platforms we'll use
- Your first set of action items or information requests
- A clear picture of what weeks 2-4 will look like
How quickly will you start seeing results or progress?
Most clients notice tangible progress within the first 10-14 days, including increased clarity on their direction, initial quick wins, and momentum building towards larger objectives.
The Endless Customers System™ (which I use with all my clients for building predictable revenue through content marketing and sales enablement) is designed to generate early victories that build confidence and validate the strategy, in other words, meaningful improvements that move the needle.
Your pace of results depends on your specific goals and implementation speed. Done-for-you services typically show visible progress fastest, as I'm executing directly. Done-with-you and done-by-you services require your team's active participation, so results depend on how quickly they can implement.
Typical first-month wins include:
- Week 1-2: Clear direction, aligned priorities, immediate process improvements
- Week 2-3: First pieces of content published, system optimisations underway
- Week 3-4: Early data on what's working, refined approach for month two
Deliverables you'll receive in your first 30 days
You'll receive a customised strategic roadmap, weekly progress reports, recorded session notes, and specific action plans tailored to your immediate priorities.
These deliverables are designed to be actionable reference materials you can revisit throughout our engagement, not documents that sit unused in a folder.
| Deliverable | When You'll Receive It | What It Contains |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Roadmap | End of Week 1 | 90-day plan with priorities, milestones, and success metrics |
| Weekly Reports | Day of Your Choice | Progress updates, completed work, upcoming priorities |
| Session Recordings | Within 24 hours of meetings | Video or audio recording plus written summary |
| Action Plans | After discovery sessions | Step-by-step guidance for specific initiatives |
| Asset Delivery | Varies by service | Content, designs, optimisations as they're completed |
The roadmap becomes your north star for the entire engagement. It shows what we're building, why it matters, and how we'll measure success. We'll update it monthly based on what we learn.
How we'll communicate and how often
We'll have scheduled calls or meetings according to your chosen service tier, either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, plus asynchronous support via email or a dedicated platform.
For Fractional Marketing Director clients, this will depend on the number of days selected each month. Fractional CMO and COO clients might have bi-weekly strategic sessions. Training programmes follow their own schedule based on curriculum needs.
Between sessions, you'll have clearly defined access to me for questions, feedback, and course corrections. Response time commitments are outlined in your service agreement, typically 24-48 hours for non-urgent matters, faster for time-sensitive issues.
Communication methods include:
- Scheduled video calls: Main strategic discussions and planning
- Email: Updates, questions, and ongoing correspondence
- Shared platforms: Project management tools, shared documents, or HubSpot
- Ad-hoc calls: Available when urgent situations arise
I adapt communication styles to match your preferences. Some clients prefer detailed written updates; others want quick voice messages. We'll figure out what works best for you during week one.
What I need from you to make the first month successful
Your success in month one requires timely completion of pre-work assignments, honest communication about challenges or roadblocks, and commitment to implementing the strategies we discuss.
The clients who see the fastest results are those who treat our sessions as priorities, not optional appointments, and who engage actively rather than passively consuming advice.
Here's what I need from you:
- Clear prioritisation: Protect time for our scheduled sessions and action items. If marketing matters to your business, it needs dedicated time in your calendar.
- Honest feedback: Tell me when something isn't working or doesn't make sense. The faster we address concerns, the better our results.
- Decision-making authority: Whether it's you or someone else, ensure the person making decisions is involved in discussions. Delays slow progress significantly.
- Access to information: Share relevant data, logins, team members, and context I need to do my job well.
- Implementation follow-through: If we agree on actions, complete them. Results require execution, not just planning.
What makes this first-month process different from other providers
Unlike generic onboarding sequences, my first-month process is fully customised based on your intake responses, learning style, and urgency level, ensuring no time is wasted on irrelevant frameworks.
I've refined this approach over hundreds of client engagements to eliminate common friction points, front-load value delivery, and create early momentum that carries through the entire relationship.
Most marketing providers follow the same pattern: lengthy discovery, proposal development, contract negotiations, then finally starting work 4-6 weeks later. You'll be seeing real progress while others are still in planning meetings.
My approach prioritises:
- Speed to value: We start delivering within days, not weeks
- Practical over theoretical: Real work that moves your business forward, not endless strategising
- Flexibility: Adapting to what you need, not forcing you into rigid processes
- Transparency: Clear expectations, honest timelines, no surprises
The Endless Customers System™ provides the framework, but every engagement is tailored to your specific situation, goals, and capacity.
What if you need to adjust expectations or scope during the first month?
The first 30 days include built-in flexibility points where we formally review what's working, what's not, and make strategic pivots to better serve your evolving needs.
I encourage open dialogue about scope adjustments early and often. It's far better to recalibrate in week two than to continue down a misaligned path for months.
Common first-month adjustments include:
- Shifting priorities based on what we discover
- Increasing or decreasing service scope
- Changing communication frequency
- Adjusting timelines to match team capacity
- Refining success metrics as we learn more
Our mid-month check-in (usually week 2 or 3) specifically addresses whether we're on the right track. This is about making sure we're spending time and money wisely.
Most service agreements include minimum terms (typically 6 months) to ensure proper implementation, but within that timeframe, we can adjust how we work together to maximise results.
How we measure first-month success
We'll establish 3-5 specific, measurable success metrics during our kickoff call, then conduct a formal 30-day review to assess progress against those benchmarks and adjust our strategy for month two.
Success metrics vary by client but typically include a mix of quantitative outcomes (revenue, leads, time saved) and qualitative indicators (confidence level, clarity, decision-making speed).
Example month-one success metrics:
| Service Type | Typical Month One Metrics |
|---|---|
| Fractional Marketing Director | Strategic roadmap complete, first content published, systems audit finished, clear priorities established |
| Fractional CMO | Team alignment improved, strategy documented, quick wins identified and actioned, reporting systems established |
| Training Programmes | Workshop completed, action plan created, team engagement measured, initial implementation begun |
Your 30-day review covers:
- What's working well: Celebrate wins and identify what to do more of
- What needs adjustment: Address challenges honestly and make changes
- Progress against goals: Review metrics and assess if we're on track
- Month two priorities: Clarify what happens next based on what we've learned
This review happens whether you're thriving or struggling. Honest assessment helps us course-correct early and maintain momentum.
Conclusion
Starting with a new marketing partner often feels slow, uncertain, and unclear. The endless discovery calls. The vague promises. The wondering if anything will actually change.
But now, you know exactly what to expect in your first 30 days: clarity from day one, early wins within the first two weeks, and a strategic roadmap built around your goals, not a generic template.
The next step? Let's have a conversation about where your business is now and where you want it to go. I'll help you decide which service level fits, and what progress we can make in the first month.
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