Brez Client Onboarding Playbook (Lessons 3.1, 3.2, 3.4b, 3.4c, 3.5, 3.13)

3.1 Fulfillment Overview — the 7-Day Launch Pipeline

• Day 0 (close): send contract, collect first payment, send welcome email with onboarding form.
• Day 1: 30-min kickoff call. Collect: Meta BM access, website credentials, Google Analytics. Gather brand assets, define THE offer, set timeline expectations.
• Day 2: ad account config, pixel install + verify, payment method on client's card, competitor research.
• Days 3-4: 10+ ad copy variations, image/video concepts, audience segments, client approval.
• Days 5-6: build campaigns in Ads Manager, upload creatives, full QA pass.
• Day 7: publish, notify client, set up monitoring + weekly report schedule.
• Retention economics: 5-10x cheaper to keep a client than find one. Good fulfillment = 6-12 mo lifetime; bad = 1 month.
• You own: client comms, kickoff, creative approval, weekly reports, strategy calls, upsells. AI/systems own: copy gen, creative concepts, audience research, uploads, monitoring, killing underperformers.

🎯 Rio: You already have Day 0 covered (onboarding doc, 50/50 deposit, intake form, Calendly). NEW: adopt the day-numbered pipeline as columns/checkboxes in Command's Fulfillment tab so every client hits Day 7 launch. "Client approval on creatives at Day 3-4" is a gate you don't have yet, add it.

3.2 How Advertising Works — Setting Ad Budgets

Budget flow at $10/day: ~$3 goes to Meta's auction overhead → 500-1,000 impressions → 15-25 clicks (2-5% CTR) → 3-5 conversions. Most viewers won't click, most clickers won't convert. That is normal.

Local-business benchmarks (memorize):

Real 30-day example: $312 spend → $4,200 revenue (13.5x ROAS), $6.64/lead, $10.06/booked job, 31,400 impressions, 847 clicks.

Napkin math for setting a client's budget: avg customer value × leads/mo needed, worked backward from CPL. Pitch shape: "Your average order is $27, repeat visits make each customer worth about $80. If I get you customers for $10 each, would you pay $2,000/month?"

60-second explainer (kickoff call): "I put an ad for your business on Facebook and Instagram, on the phone of people in your area already looking for what you sell. When they see it, they tap it and either call you, book online, or fill out a form. You get the customer, you make money. My job is to make sure you're getting way more back than you're spending. Most clients see 5 to 10x return."

• Learning phase = first 3-7 days (~50 conversions needed). Results look messy. Don't panic, don't let the client panic.

🎯 Rio: NEW: use the napkin math live on the kickoff call to set the ad budget WITH the client (their card, so they must own the number). Bake the benchmark table into Command's weekly-report generator as green/yellow/red thresholds.

3.4b Client-Side Meta Setup (kickoff-call screen-share script)

Three scenarios: A = client has nothing (most common, walk them through all of this). B = already has BM + ad account (skip to access grant). C = has FB page only, no BM (start at step 1).

Step 1 — Client creates Business Manager: business.facebook.com → Create Account → business name, their real full name, business email → confirm the verification email Meta sends.

Step 2 — Client creates ad account: Business Settings → Accounts → Ad Accounts → Add → Create New.

• Account name: business name. Time zone: their location (controls daily budget reset).
• ⚠️ Currency CANNOT be changed after creation. Verify before they click create; a mistake means a whole new account.

Step 3 — Client adds payment method: Business Settings → Payment Methods → Add Payment Method. Their card, not yours. Client pays Meta directly; your fee is separate.

Step 4 — Client grants you access:

1. business.facebook.com → Settings (gear, bottom left)
2. People → Add People
3. Enter your business email
4. Toggle ON: Ad Account (theirs) + Facebook Page
5. Select Full Control for both → Send Invitation
6. You accept from your BM notifications; their ad account + page appear in your dashboard.

Copy-paste message to client:

"Hey [name], to get started I need access to your Meta ad account and Facebook page. Here's what to do:

1. Go to business.facebook.com and log in
2. Click Settings (gear icon, bottom left)
3. Click People → Add People
4. Type in my email: [your email]
5. Give me Full Control on your ad account and your page
6. Hit send That's it! Once I accept on my end we're good to go. Let me know if you need help with any of the steps."

Client FAQ answers: No, I never need your Facebook password (access is via BM invite only). No, I can't see your personal Facebook (BM is separate). Ads are paid by your card straight to Meta; my fee is separate. Boosting posts is weaker than BM campaigns (targeting, budget control, optimization).

Verification checklist before ending the call: BM created / ad account created (timezone + currency right) / client's card added / invite sent with full permissions on ad account + page / you accepted / both assets visible in your dashboard.

🎯 Rio: This IS your kickoff screen-share script for a from-scratch client. One change: the course invites your email as a Person; your doctrine is partner access via Business ID (below). Keep the person-invite as the fallback if the partner flow confuses them. The currency-lock warning and "their card, not yours" line match your onboarding doc exactly, say them out loud on the call.

3.4c Get Invited to the Client's BM

Course frames this as the solo-operator route for your first ~3 clients: client adds you in 2 clicks, you're inside their ad account in ~5 min, they keep 100% ownership. Graduate to your own BM at 5+ clients. Total flow: ~10 minutes.

Exact client-side flow (5 steps):

1. business.facebook.com/settings (pick the right business if they have several)
2. Left sidebar: Users → People → blue + Add button
3. Enter your email → choose Employee access with "Manage business assets" checked (NOT Admin)
4. Assign assets: select Ad Account → toggle Manage ad account; select Page → toggle Manage Page
5. Click Invite

Dictate-to-client script: "Go to business.facebook.com/settings → Users → People → blue + Add → enter my email → Employee access with Manage business assets checked → select the Ad Account and toggle Manage ad account → select the Page and toggle Manage Page → Invite." (Send a Loom of this for tech-anxious clients.)

Your acceptance: invite email arrives from [email protected] → Accept invitation → log in → confirm role + assets → verify at adsmanager.facebook.com that their ad account shows in the dropdown. Bookmark business.facebook.com for switching between client BMs.

Permission levels: Admin access = full god mode, never request it. Employee access = manage only assigned assets, the right ask. Ad-account level: "Manage Performance" = view-only (useless), "Manage Ad Account" = create campaigns, edit budgets, see billing. Note: even with Manage Ad Account you can VIEW the payment method but NOT change the card. That's a feature: client stays in control of their money.

Troubleshooting: no invite email → spam/promotions, or mistyped email. Can't see the ad account → they forgot to assign it, or wrong account in dropdown. No "Users" option → they're not actually BM admin, or they're in personal FB settings not business.facebook.com. Stale-invite error → clear pending invites, resend. No ad account exists → create via Business Settings → Accounts → Ad Accounts → + Add.

🎯 Rio: You're past the "no BM" stage, so run YOUR doctrine version: client goes to Partners → Add → enter your Business ID → assigns ad account + page with manage permissions. Same screens, same toggles, but the invite lands on your Business portfolio instead of your personal email. Steal the troubleshooting list and the "I can see but never change your card" line verbatim, it kills the trust objection.

3.5 The Pixel

Pixel = code on the client's site that tells Meta what happens after the click. Three jobs: conversion tracking, feeding the algorithm (finds lookalike buyers), retargeting past visitors.

Events for local businesses: PageView (automatic), Lead (form submit), Contact (phone/contact click), Schedule (booking), Purchase (e-comm only). Most local clients only need PageView + Lead.

Install — GTM method: create GTM account → place its 2 snippets in <head> and after <body> → create pixel in Meta Events Manager → add pixel code to GTM as Custom HTML tag → create Lead trigger on the thank-you page URL → publish container. Shortcut: Shopify/WordPress/Squarespace native integrations = 60-second setup.

Verify (never skip): Meta Pixel Helper Chrome extension turns green when firing → Events Manager Test Events → browse the site + submit a test form, watch events land in real time.

Troubleshooting: incognito/clear cache, confirm code is in <head>, confirm pixel ID matches Events Manager, disable ad blockers, re-paste fresh code.

No website? Meta Instant Forms (lead forms inside the app) need no pixel and often convert higher.

🎯 Rio: You build the sites, so you install and verify the pixel yourself on Day 2, no client dependency. NEW habit: thank-you-page redirect on every form you build (that's the Lead trigger), and a Pixel-Helper-green screenshot in Command as launch proof. Instant Forms = your fallback for a client whose site you don't control yet.

3.13 Client Communication & Retention

Rhythm: weekly update every Monday, same time (text/email, 5-8 sentences max, report-template format) + 30-min monthly call (min 1-10 numbers, 11-20 what's working, 21-30 next month's plan) + proactive texts on big wins or problems ("got 10 leads in one day? text them").

Tough conversation 1, "where are my results?" (week 2-3): "Totally understand the impatience, I want results too. Here's what's happening: Meta's algorithm needs about 50 conversions to learn who your ideal customer is. We're at [X] right now. The data is actually looking good, our cost per lead is [$X] and our best performing ad is [name]. We're in the testing phase, which is exactly where we should be at week 2. By week 3-4 the algorithm will have enough data to really optimize. I'll keep you updated every Monday." (Acknowledge → show data → explain learning phase → timeline → commit to updates.)

Tough conversation 2, "leads aren't good quality" (month 2+): usually a follow-up problem, not an ads problem. "Let's look at this together. How fast are you following up when a lead comes in? That's the issue. Leads go cold in minutes, not hours. The ads are generating leads at $[X] per lead, which is solid. I'd recommend calling within 5 minutes of the notification. Are you asking for budget and timeline on the form? We can add qualifying questions to filter out tire-kickers." (No defensiveness → ask about their process → speed-to-lead → offer form fixes.)

Tough conversation 3, "I want to cancel": "I hear you. Before we do anything, can I ask what specifically isn't working for you? [Listen, don't interrupt.] I appreciate you telling me that. Here's what I'd like to do: give me 2 more weeks. I'll [specific action: new creatives, new angles, budget adjustment]. If you don't see improvement by [date], I completely understand and we'll part ways. Fair?" (Listen → acknowledge → specific plan with deadline → let them choose.)

Five retention rules: 1) communicate before they ask, 2) set expectations Day 1 ("Week 1-2 is testing. Week 3-4 the algorithm optimizes. Month 2+ is scaling."), 3) own bad news with a fix attached, 4) never say "I don't know", always have a plan, 5) celebrate wins out loud ("$5 per lead today. Your best day yet.").

Economics: churn at month 1 + bad review = $1,500. Stay 12 months + referrals = $18,000. Same ads, same results; the difference is communication.

🎯 Rio: Command's weekly-report generator already covers the Monday rhythm. NEW: say the Day-1 expectation script ("week 1-2 testing...") on the kickoff call BEFORE launch, it pre-answers tough conversation 1. Save all three scripts as snippets; on a founding-pilot performance deal, conversation 3's "2 more weeks + specific fix" is your churn firewall.

🔍 Fidelity-audit additions (7/6 overnight — recovered from the verbatim archive)

3.1 — hard rules + scripts the summary dropped:

• Payment rule: "Don't start ANY work until payment clears. No exceptions." (Day 0, before anything.)
• Contract must include: scope of work, monthly fee, payment terms, 30-day cancellation clause.
• Day-1 expectations script (say verbatim on the kickoff call): "Ads will be live within 7 days. First real data after 5-7 days of spend. I'll send you a weekly update every Monday. Monthly strategy call on the first of each month."
• Creative approval must be WRITTEN — "Get written approval before going live. This protects you if they complain later." (The Day 3-4 gate isn't just a checkpoint, it's liability cover.)
• Days 5-6 QA checklist (itemized — the note only said "full QA pass"): correct pixel selected · correct conversion event · correct page linked · correct CTA button · no typos in copy · correct URL · correct audiences · correct budget · correct schedule · ALL Advantage Creative toggles OFF. And: upload each creative as its own individual ad — no Dynamic Creative ("individual ads = full control").
• Day-7 "ads are live" message (verbatim, em dash stripped): "Your ads are live! Here's what to expect: first 48 hours is learning phase. Meta is testing who responds best. Real data starts coming in after 3-5 days. I'll send your first update on Monday." (Also check back after publish — Meta review takes 1-24 hrs; make sure nothing got rejected.)

3.2 — the full funnel of the real 30-day example: $312 → 31,400 impressions → 847 clicks → 47 leads → 31 booked jobs → $4,200. (Note had costs but not the two conversion counts — the 47→31 lead-to-booked ratio, ~66%, is the realistic close-rate anchor.)

3.4b — one legal-ish line: if the client hands you their login so you can do the setup FOR them, get written permission first.

3.4c — prerequisites + warnings the note skipped:

• The person-invite flow requires your real personal Facebook profile — "Don't make a fake 'agency' profile, Meta will ban it." (Find the exact email tied to it: facebook.com → Settings → Personal Details → Contact.)
• The client must actually be admin of their own BM — if a cousin/partner/old marketer built it, THAT person has to send the invite.
• Ask for Pixel/Catalog access upfront if you'll need it — pixel access usually rides along with the ad account, but asking later means a second round-trip.
• Graduate to your own BM when: 5+ clients OR hiring a VA OR running your own ads (note only had the 5+ trigger).

3.5 — the exact snippets + tradeoff:

• Lead event tag in GTM (verbatim code): new Custom HTML tag → <script>fbq('track', 'Lead');</script> → trigger: Page View → Some Page Views → Page URL contains /thank-you.
• GTM install message to client/dev: "Hey! I need you to add two small code snippets to your website, one in the and one after the tag. This is a one-time thing. After this I can manage all tracking without bugging you again. Here are the codes: [paste both snippets]"
• One-sentence pixel explainer for clients: "It's a tiny piece of tracking code on your website that tells us which ads are bringing in leads. Without it we're guessing."
• Lead Forms vs landing page tradeoff (when to use which): Instant Forms = higher conversion (auto-fill, fewer steps) but lower-intent leads. Landing page + pixel = more friction, higher-quality leads, better for $500+ ticket services, and required for retargeting + lookalikes. Rio's barrels are all high-ticket → landing page + pixel is the right default; Instant Forms only as the no-site fallback.

3.13 — clean. All three scripts, rhythm, rules, and economics were captured verbatim.