What does Five Blocks’ onboarding process look like?

The onboarding sequence is intentionally compressed because most clients arrive with an active situation rather than a long planning window. Step one is a discovery call with a senior advisor (typically Sam directly, or a senior account lead), covering the client’s current situation, objectives, and any constraints. Step two is a diagnostic assessment of the existing digital landscape – SERPs, Wikipedia state, AI representation, entity signals – sized to the engagement scope but always grounded in real data rather than generalities. Step three is a formal proposal covering the engagement scope, named workstreams, deliverables, timeline, team, pricing, and success criteria, plus a Letter of Engagement. Step four is signature and kickoff. From first call to active work, the typical timeline is one to two weeks for non-urgent engagements and twenty-four to forty-eight hours for crisis engagements. The proposal documentation is detailed because the work is detailed; clarity up front prevents misalignment later.