Four numbered onboarding phases for a new client at a translation firm
Numbered phases slide with three points under every phase
A numbered phases slide breaks a process into a few numbered stages and lists the main things that happen in each, so a new client or team member knows what to expect and when. This one shows how Solvane Translation, a fictional firm, onboards a new client in seven weeks.
What is on the slide
- Title
- Onboarding a New Client
- Framing line
- How Solvane Translation brings a new client from kickoff to steady monthly work in seven weeks.
- 01 Week 1: Kickoff
- Kickoff call, glossary of 200 terms drafted, style guide agreed.
- 02 Weeks 2 to 3: Pilot
- Three pilot documents translated, reviewed and scored by the client.
- 03 Weeks 4 to 6: Ramp Up
- Up to 40,000 words a month, two linguists assigned, weekly check in.
- 04 Week 7 On: Steady
- Monthly quality report, glossary updates, a review every quarter.
When this is the right slide
Right when a client or new team member needs a four stage process with what happens in each stage and roughly when, and each stage fits in three short points.
What to swap it for
Timeline: 4 Phase Alternating Rail. When the four phases are tied to calendar dates and the dates lead the story more than the names.
What this slide shows
The title reads Onboarding a New Client, with the framing line: how Solvane Translation brings a new client from kickoff to steady monthly work in seven weeks. Four rows run down the slide, separated by thin rules, with a thin vertical rail and four brand dots on the left. Each row has a giant brand numeral, a phase label and one line of text. 01, Week 1: Kickoff, kickoff call, a glossary of 200 terms drafted, style guide agreed. 02, Weeks 2 to 3: Pilot, three pilot documents translated, reviewed and scored by the client. 03, Weeks 4 to 6: Ramp Up, up to 40,000 words a month, two linguists assigned, weekly check in. 04, Week 7 On: Steady, a monthly quality report, glossary updates and a review every quarter. One term per row is in bold: glossary, pilot documents, two linguists and quality report. This layout gives each phase one line, so the three points are written as a short comma separated list on that line.
When this is the right slide
Use a numbered phases slide when a process has three to five stages that each contain a few activities, and the audience needs to know what happens in each and roughly when: client onboarding, employee induction, program delivery, service transitions and four stage strategies. It suits audiences who will go through the process themselves, such as a new client in a kickoff meeting. It is the wrong slide when each stage is a single action with an owner, which suits a step by step process slide, and when the stages need several sentences each, which this layout's single line cannot hold. It is also wrong when calendar dates matter more than the names of the phases. The slide also sets expectations about the client's own effort. Seeing that the pilot needs them to score three documents, and that steady work starts only in week seven, stops a new client expecting full volume in the first fortnight and makes the early weeks feel like progress rather than delay.
How to adapt it
First, rename the four phases to your process and lead each label with its timing, in weeks, months or quarters. Second, write three short points per phase on one line, bolding the one term that best sums up the phase, and keep the bold to one or two words. Third, when the phases are tied to calendar dates and the dates are what the audience will plan around, swap to the four phase alternating rail, which places four dated hexagons above and below a line. Whichever layout you use, share it with the client after the meeting, since an onboarding plan is something they will check against. Keep the bold terms consistent with the words used in your contracts and reports, so the glossary, pilot documents and quality report on the slide are the same things the client later receives under the same names.
What makes this slide work
Giant numerals mark the four phases
01, 02, 03 and 04 sit in large brand type beside each row, with a dot on the thin rail to the left. The numbers give the slide a clear count and let the presenter say phase two without pointing. The rest of the row stays plain, so the numerals do the structural work.
Each label leads with its weeks
Week 1: Kickoff. Weeks 2 to 3: Pilot. Weeks 4 to 6: Ramp Up. Week 7 On: Steady. The timing comes before the name in every label, so a client can see that the onboarding takes seven weeks and that steady work starts in week seven, without adding anything up.
Three points per phase, one bolded
Kickoff call, glossary of 200 terms drafted, style guide agreed. Each line names three things that happen in the phase, with the key artefact in bold. The bold words alone, glossary, pilot documents, two linguists, quality report, summarise the whole onboarding in four terms.
Questions people ask
How many points should each phase have?
Three, as here, is the comfortable number on one line. This layout gives each phase a single line of about 90 characters, so the three points are short phrases joined by commas. If a phase needs five points or full sentences, the phase is too big for this slide; split it or use a layout with more room per phase.
Should the phase labels include timing?
Yes, when the client or team needs to plan around it. Week 1, Weeks 2 to 3, Weeks 4 to 6 and Week 7 On tell the reader the whole process takes about seven weeks before it settles. Leading the label with the timing also lets the audience see at once which phase they are in.
Why bold one term in each phase?
To give the eye one anchor per row: glossary, pilot documents, two linguists, quality report. A reader skimming the slide picks up the key artefact or commitment of each phase from the bold words alone. Bold every row the same way, one or two words, or the emphasis stops meaning anything.
What is the difference between numbered phases and process steps?
Phases are stretches of time that contain several activities, here weeks of work. Steps are single actions done one after another, such as signing an offer. If each item on your slide is one action with one owner, a process layout fits better. If each item is a period with several things in it, use phases.
When should a phases slide lead with dates rather than names?
When the dates are what the audience will act on, such as fixed delivery dates in a contract. Here the weeks are relative to the start, so the names lead. For a plan pinned to calendar dates, an alternating rail with four dated hexagons puts the dates first and suits that audience better.
How do I present a numbered phases slide to a new client?
Say the total time first, seven weeks to steady monthly work. Then walk each phase and stress what you need from the client in it, such as approving the glossary in week 1 or scoring the pilot. Clients relax when they see where their input is needed and how much of it there is.
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