What is a kickoff meeting?
A client kickoff meeting is the first working session after the engagement is agreed. Its job is to make sure both teams share the same goals, understand the scope, know who decides what and leave with clear next steps.
It isn’t a sales pitch, and it shouldn’t be where you collect basic information. Gather that beforehand with an onboarding questionnaire, so the call can be spent on the questions that need a conversation.
Kickoff meeting agenda (60 minutes)
Adjust the timings to the size of the project. For a small engagement, 30–45 minutes is often enough; keep the order.
| Time | Item | Lead | Outcome |
|---|
| 0–5 min | Introductions and roles | Your project lead | Everyone knows who does what on both sides |
| 5–15 min | Goals and what success looks like | Client | One or two agreed success measures |
| 15–25 min | Scope walkthrough: deliverables and exclusions | Your project lead | Shared understanding of what’s in and out |
| 25–35 min | Timeline, milestones and dependencies | Your project lead | Dates confirmed, with the client inputs they rely on |
| 35–45 min | Ways of working: approvals, updates, communication | Both | Named approvers, review windows and update cadence |
| 45–55 min | Risks, open questions and outstanding inputs | Both | A list of blockers with owners |
| 55–60 min | Recap and next steps | Your project lead | Every action has an owner and a date |
Questions to ask in the kickoff
Goals
- What would make this project a success in three months?
- What has prompted the work now?
- Is there anything that would make it a failure, even if we deliver on time?
People and decisions
- Who approves each deliverable? Who else needs to be kept informed?
- How quickly can reviews realistically come back?
- Who should we contact if the approver is away?
Ways of working
- How often would you like updates, and in what form?
- Where should files, feedback and approvals go?
- Are there busy periods or dates we should plan around?
Project kickoff checklist
Before the meeting
- Signed statement of work or proposal shared with the whole team.
- Onboarding questionnaire sent and answers reviewed.
- Agenda sent to the client at least two working days ahead.
- Attendees confirmed, including the person who approves the work.
- Open questions from the questionnaire listed for the call.
After the meeting
- Recap sent the same day: decisions, actions, owners and dates.
- Approvers and review windows confirmed in writing.
- Outstanding documents and access requested, with deadlines.
- First status update date agreed and in the calendar.
- Risks and blockers logged with an owner.
Keep the momentum after the call
Most kickoffs go well on the day. The trouble starts a week later, when the actions are scattered across notes and inboxes. Send the recap the same day, turn outstanding inputs into specific requests, and agree when the first status update will arrive.
Angelwood can use the proposal or statement of work to prepare an onboarding plan that your team reviews before the client sees it. Document requests, approvals and reviewed updates then live in one client portal, and portal activity shows who still needs a follow-up.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
- Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
- Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
- Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
- Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
- Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
- Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
PDF
Fill it in Word or Google Docs, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs.