Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

New SA Guide - Kickoff Call

PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING

The Kickoff Call is your first live touchpoint with the client. It sets the tone for the entire engagement. Your goal is to make them feel seen, taken care of, and confident they made the right choice working with Zipcio. You are not reading a checklist - you are having a warm, guided conversation.

BEFORE THE CALL

  • Review the signed SOW - note the scope, hubs, and any specific deliverables
  • Confirm the HubSpot portal ID if available from the sales handoff
  • Have a blank notes doc open to capture details in real time
  • Set up your calendar invite with Zoom/Meet link and a brief agenda in the notes

SECTION 1 - WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

Why this matters: A warm, confident opener builds trust immediately. The client just made a significant investment - acknowledge that and honor it.

Say: "Really excited to officially kick things off with you. I'm [Your Name], your Solutions Architect at Zipcio. I'll be your main point of contact throughout this build. Before we jump in, I'd love for everyone to do a quick intro - can you share your name, your role, and honestly, what you're most hoping to get out of HubSpot?"

Tip: Let them talk first. The more they share in the opener, the more context you have for the rest of the call.

What good looks like: Every person on the call has introduced themselves, shared their role, and you have a sense of their individual expectations.

SECTION 2 - HUBSPOT ACCESS

Why this matters: You cannot build anything without portal access. Getting this confirmed or scheduled on the first call prevents delays in your first week.

What to collect:

  • Super Admin access to the client's HubSpot portal
  • The portal ID (found in HubSpot under Settings > Account Setup)

 

Say: "To get our work underway quickly, we'll need Super Admin access to your HubSpot portal. Is that something you can share with us today, or would it be easier to send that over after the call? The best way is to invite [your Zipcio email] directly from Settings > Users and Teams."

Tip: If they aren't sure how to do it, reassure them and say you'll send a quick how-to in the follow-up email.

Watch out: Do not wait until after the call to ask for this. If they leave without committing to a next step, portal access can drag out for days.

What good looks like: You either have access confirmed on the call or have a named person and a specific next step to send it within 24 hours.

SECTION 3 - USER SETUP

Why this matters: Knowing who needs to be in HubSpot and at what permission level shapes how you build the portal. Getting this right upfront prevents rework.

What to collect per user:

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Job title / role
  • HubSpot seat type (e.g., Sales Professional, View-Only)
  • HubSpot permission set (e.g., Super Admin, Leadership, Front Line)

Say: "Let's talk about your team for a second. Who are the people that will actually be living in HubSpot day to day? I'd love to walk through your roster together so we can make sure everyone has the right access and nobody gets left out of the build."

Tip: If they haven't thought through permissions yet, guide them: 'Think about it in layers - who needs to see everything, who should just see their own deals, and who just needs reports?'

Watch out: Clients sometimes forget about leadership or marketing users. Probe gently: 'Is there anyone in leadership who would want visibility into HubSpot without necessarily working in it day to day?'

What good looks like: You have a working list of users with enough detail to set up seats. Any gaps are noted and followed up in writing.

 

SECTION 4 - ACCOUNT AND DOMAIN SETUP

Why this matters: Security settings and domain connection affect deliverability and brand trust from day one. Identifying the right IT contact early prevents bottlenecks later.

Topics to cover:

  • Two-factor authentication (2FA) requirement
  • Single sign-on (SSO) configuration
  • IP restrictions or whitelisting
  • Security or compliance requirements
  • Domain connection - DNS provider and access level

Say: "We also want to make sure your portal is set up securely from the start. A couple of quick questions: Do you have any security requirements we should know about - things like two-factor authentication, single sign-on, or IP restrictions? And for email sending, we'll want to connect your domain. Do you know who manages your DNS settings - like GoDaddy or Cloudflare?"

Tip: If they say 'I'll need to loop in IT,' ask for that person's name and email right now so you can include them in the follow-up.

Watch out: SSO and IP restrictions can add significant setup time. Flag these for your internal team immediately if they come up.

What good looks like: You know whether there are security requirements, who owns DNS, and whether they can access it themselves or need IT.

 

SECTION 5 - COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES AND WORKING STYLE

Why this matters: Aligning on how you'll work together prevents friction down the road. Clients who feel heard about their preferences are more engaged throughout the engagement.

What to collect:

  • Preferred communication channel (Email, Slack)
  • Preferred meeting cadence (Weekly, Bi-weekly, Milestone-Based, No preference)
  • Best days and times for calls
  • Anything we should know before our first call - team dynamics, timing constraints, upcoming events

Say: "Before we wrap up today, I want to make sure we're set up to work really well together. How do you prefer to communicate between calls - are you more of an email person or do you have Slack? And how often do you want to connect as we move through the build?"

Say: "Is there anything about your team, your calendar, or any upcoming events we should keep in mind as we plan this out? We'd rather know now so we can be proactive about it."

Tip: Write down their cadence preference and reflect it back: 'Great, so I'll plan for bi-weekly check-ins and we'll send an agenda 24 hours before each call.'

What good looks like: You have a clear picture of how this client wants to be communicated with, and you've already set expectations for what they can expect from you.

CLOSING THE CALL

Say: "This was such a great call - I feel like I have a really solid foundation to start building from. Here's what I'm going to do after this: I'll send a recap email with everything we discussed, the next steps we talked about, and a link for you to share your HubSpot access if you haven't already. Do you have any questions for me before we sign off?"

Post-call checklist:

  • Send recap email within 2 hours of the call
  • Include action items with named owners and due dates
  • Attach or link the HubSpot access invite instructions
  • Confirm the next scheduled meeting or propose a time