50% on Day 0 > 80% on Day 14 – Momentum > perfection.
High touch for only the hard stuff – Automate the simple configurations to focus on data migration.
Time away from the counter is a problem – Pause/resume flows without lost state.
Sticky after go-live – Once appointments are booked, medical codes flow, or real payments process, churn plummets.
The 50-80-30 Framework 🛠
1. Listen
Capture the sales (or discovery) call with Fathom or Gong → auto-map answers to config fields.
2. Auto-Config Goal: 50-80% ready before first login
Match the account to a best-fit template (operating hours, membership packages, labor rates) and pre-load demo data.
3. Strategic Assist One 30-min low-touch session
Move the gnarly bits—credit-card vaults, x-ray files, 12 k VINs—then hand Tammy the keys.
Vertical Cheat Sheets 📋
Gyms
Gym POS — Low-Touch Setup
Template: “Class-Based POS”
Defaults: Membership tiers, locker fees
Heavy lift: Stripe token migration
Dental
Dental Software — Low-Touch Setup
Template: “7-Chair Practice”
Defaults: CDT codes, insurance carriers
Heavy lift: X-ray & patient file import
Auto
Auto-Repair CRM — Low-Touch Setup
Template: “VIN Service Desk”
Defaults: Common services, tax rates
Heavy lift: 12 k-VIN CSV upload
See It in Action 💻
Infographic: Zero-Touch Onboarding in 5 Clicks (and One Call)
Vertical-SaaS onboarding doesn’t need a 30-step wizard. It needs a progressive, Toast-style flow that keeps Tammy in her lane, shows one decision at a time, and never kicks her off the front desk. Here’s how the five clicks break down:
Putting it all together: Zero-Touch Onboarding
Step
Front-End (Tammy)
Behind the Scenes
1 · Welcome Card
“We matched you with FitHub Gym (83 %) — ready to review?”
LLM classifies the sales call ➜ Candu drops the account in gym-2-locations segment and loads the matching template.
2 · Signup Survey
3 quick questions (locker rentals, gift cards, # trainers) 📝
Answers fire an outgoing webhook to /config/profile; segment updates in real-time.
updateConfig() writes to your API; template rule auto-duplicates the calendar when locations > 1.
4 · Stripe Settings
“Migrate saved cards now or later?” Buttons: Now / Later
Choosing Later triggers cardMigrationChoice ➜ webhook books a Calendly slot & flags migration_pending=true.
5 · Finish & Book Migration
Calendly picker appears; progress hits 100 %.
onboardingComplete sets awaiting_migration; first live payment event flips customer to “Sticky risk: Low.”
FAQs
Does “zero-touch” mean no sales call at all?
No. Candu automates about 80 % of setup; then a single 30-minute kickoff
call handles sensitive imports like credit-card vaults or VIN records.
Will my engineers still have to build migration scripts?
Nope. Our no-code templates and built-in import connectors push data into your backend
via outgoing webhooks—engineers stay focused on roadmap work.
How long does it take to launch a zero-touch template?
Most vertical-SaaS teams spin up a first template in < 1 week and
cut go-live time by roughly 60 %.
Next Step → Book a Zero-Touch Audit
We’ll review one recent sales call, show you how to turn it into a 50%-ready account, and send you the template—free.
Zero-touch onboarding doesn’t end at sign-up—it begins there. Candu turns the conversation you just had with a prospect into an 80 %-configured live account</strong>, no engineers or drag-and-drop builders required. Our template-driven UI blocks render inside your product so front-desk power users like Tammy simply confirm smart defaults, tweak a price or two, and start taking payments in minutes. See how Candu’s no-code onboarding templates can cut go-live time by 60% for gym, dental, and auto-repair platforms.
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About the author: Jonathan loves product onboarding so much he cofounded Candu. Special thanks to Dan Henig (operator, advisor, vertical-SaaS whisperer) for sharing his experience.
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