Despite advancements in marketing automation and AI, many B2B brands continue to struggle with one of the most critical stages in the customer journey: onboarding.
According to The Future of Customer Onboarding 2025, a new study from Moxo, 56% of B2B companies cite operational delays as the primary bottleneck, followed by coordination issues between internal teams (45%) and an over-reliance on manual processes (41%).
The findings, drawn from 300 company responses, suggest that onboarding inefficiencies are costing businesses both time and customer goodwill at a time when competition is increasing and purchase journeys are growing more complex.
Friction at the starting line
The study notes that many B2B buyers are already deep into the buying process—often 70% of the way through—before they even speak to a sales rep. This makes a seamless post-sale experience more important than ever.
“There’s just extreme complexity in it,” said Jennifer MacKenzie, SVP of property and casualty marketing at Nationwide. The insurer supports its onboarding with tailored email journeys and an 11-point automated system for its network of independent agents, brokers and wholesalers. That initiative has already led to a 13-point increase in open rates, MacKenzie confirmed.
She also emphasised the importance of cross-functional coordination: “Having a customer onboarding team thinking about the end-to-end process is critical.”
The Moxo study found that tighter sales and marketing alignment pays off. Among companies with collaborative onboarding teams, 74% reported improved communication, 58% saw improved customer experience, and 57% resolved issues more efficiently.
From process maps to playbooks
Matt Heinz, founder of B2B agency Heinz Marketing, warned against inconsistent onboarding approaches. “If we believe this playbook is the best way of converting leads in our pipeline, then everyone needs to follow it,” he said. Without proper documentation and accountability, Heinz argues, businesses risk a fragmented experience for new customers.
His advice includes maintaining visible workflow maps and bringing them into every meeting—a strategy the agency has implemented for clients such as PathFactory, targeting eight different verticals with bespoke onboarding flows.
Automation and AI bring relief
Unsurprisingly, AI is playing a larger role in this space. The Moxo report found that 93% of marketers see automation as the key to onboarding success, yet more than half (56%) still experience process delays. The tech is being used to improve cross-team coordination (44%), cut down on manual tasks (41%) and reduce communication errors (34%).
At Nationwide, AI is increasingly integrated into email programmes to test content, automate personalisation and research opportunities within specific segments. This mirrors broader industry trends: 68% of marketers in the Moxo study view personalised onboarding as “very important,” and another 30% deem it “important.”
Microsoft’s Global Demand Center is among the most advanced in this regard. According to Boston Consulting Group’s Mark Abraham, the team uses AI to stitch together web, email and event data to tailor follow-up messages and upsell opportunities.
Human connection still matters
Yet even in an AI-enhanced future, human connection remains key to successful onboarding. At Forrester’s B2B Summit North America earlier this year, brands made concerted efforts to foster in-person engagement that went beyond brochures and demos.
Demandbase brought puppies to its BaseLounge to offer guests a break, while gifting platform Sendoso leaned into pop culture by staging a goat-themed afterparty inspired by Apple TV’s Severance. That campaign—backed by LinkedIn posts, email and direct mail—continues to generate pipeline for the business, according to SVP of marketing Kacie Jenkins.
“It helped us forge strong relationships and memories with our target audience,” Jenkins said. “That level of connection just isn’t possible at a conference booth.”
Takeaway for marketers
B2B marketers are increasingly aware that onboarding is not just a handover process—it’s a strategic function that can make or break long-term customer success. From automation to advocacy, onboarding is becoming a litmus test for how well brands understand and serve their audiences beyond the sale.
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