Customer onboarding email sequence that gets people to their first win
New customers sign up, look around once and disappear before they see any value. A good onboarding sequence walks them to their first real result, one small action per email. This prompt has your todo.is agent read your product site and help pages, find the key "aha" step, and write a 5-email onboarding sequence timed over the first two weeks.
The prompt
- Write a 5-email customer onboarding sequence for [PRODUCT NAME AND WEBSITE]. Read the website and help docs first. Our customers are [WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE], and the first result that makes them stay is [THE FIRST WIN]. Plan the emails for day 0, 1, 3, 7 and 14, each with one goal and one button. Include a setup email, a tip email, a customer story, a check-in that invites replies, and one for people who have not done [KEY ACTION] yet. Each under 120 words, with 2 subject lines and preview text. Brand voice: [BRAND VOICE]. Add a table showing the trigger, goal and success metric for each email. Deliver it as a Word document.
What to change
- [PRODUCT NAME AND WEBSITE]: E.g. "Tallybook, tallybook.example", simple invoicing for tradespeople.
- [WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE]: E.g. "plumbers, electricians and other sole traders".
- [THE FIRST WIN]: E.g. "sending their first invoice and getting paid".
- [KEY ACTION]: E.g. "sent an invoice". Usually the same as the first win.
- [BRAND VOICE]: E.g. "plain, friendly, no jargon".
Example result
- Email 1 (day 0): welcome and one step
- Subject: Send your first invoice in 3 minutes / Welcome to Tallybook
- Preview: Your logo, your prices, one click
- Hi {first_name},
- Welcome to Tallybook. Most people send their first invoice within 3 minutes. Add your business name and logo, pick a client, and press send.
- [Create my first invoice]
- Sam, Tallybook
- Email 2 (day 1): the shortcut
- Subject: Save your prices once / A 20-second tip
- Save your usual jobs, like "boiler service" with its price, and every invoice after that takes seconds. [Add my price list]
- Email 3 (day 3): customer story
- Subject: How Dan gets paid in 2 days
- Dan, an electrician in Bristol, used to wait three weeks for payment. Now he adds a payment link to every invoice and most clients pay within two days. [Turn on payment links]
- Email 4 (day 7): check-in
- Subject: How is it going? / A quick question
- Hi {first_name}, is there anything slowing you down? Just reply to this email; a real person reads every answer.
- Email 5 (day 14): for people who have not sent an invoice
- Subject: Need a hand with your first invoice?
- It looks like you have not sent an invoice yet. Want us to set up your first one with you on a 10-minute call? [Book a call]
- Trigger, goal and metric
- • Email 1: on sign-up. Goal: first invoice. Metric: % sending an invoice in 24 h
- • Email 2: day 1. Goal: saved prices. Metric: % adding a price list
- • Email 3: day 3. Goal: payment links on. Metric: % enabling links
- • Email 4: day 7. Goal: replies. Metric: reply rate, top issues
- • Email 5: day 14, only if no invoice sent. Goal: rescue. Metric: calls booked
- Principles
- • One email, one action. Several buttons split attention
- • Behavior-based. Skip or change emails for people who already did the step
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your product, customers, first win and key action.
- Paste it into todo.is. Your agent reads your site and help pages before writing.
- You get a Word file with all 5 emails and a table of triggers and metrics.
- Set the sequence up in your email or product tool, then ask your agent for a version for a second customer type.
Tips for a better result
- Define one "first win" and point every early email at it.
- Use triggers based on what people did, not only on days. An email about a step they already finished feels robotic.
- Make the check-in email reply-friendly, and read the replies. They are your best product feedback.
- Attach your current welcome email and ask your agent to keep what works and fix what does not.
customer onboarding email: FAQ
- What is a customer onboarding email? An email sent to new customers after they sign up or buy, helping them set up and get value from the product quickly.
- How many onboarding emails should I send? Three to seven over the first two to four weeks is common. Stop or change them once the customer is active.
- What is the difference between a welcome email and an onboarding sequence? A welcome email is the first message after sign-up. The onboarding sequence is the series that follows, guiding customers through setup and first results.
- Can todo.is load the sequence into my email platform? Your agent writes the emails and the setup plan. You add them to your own email or product tool.
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