| name | seller-onboarding |
| description | Creates seller onboarding programs for marketplaces with verification, listing guides, and success milestones. Use when building seller activation flows for platform businesses. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Seller Onboarding
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Design an onboarding program for sellers joining a marketplace
- Create verification and approval workflows for new sellers
- Build listing guides and templates that ensure quality
- Define seller success milestones and activation metrics
DO NOT use this skill for buyer onboarding, SaaS user onboarding, or seller marketing programs. This is for marketplace seller activation and onboarding.
Core Principle
SELLER ONBOARDING HAS ONE GOAL — GET THE SELLER TO THEIR FIRST TRANSACTION AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. EVERY STEP THAT DOES NOT SERVE THAT GOAL IS FRICTION TO REMOVE.
Phase 1: Brief
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Marketplace type | "What do sellers offer on your platform? Products, services, rentals?" | No default — must be provided |
| Seller profile | "Who is your typical seller? Individual, small business, professional?" | Small business owner |
| Verification needs | "What must you verify? Identity, credentials, insurance, inventory?" | Identity and business verification |
| Current drop-off | "Where do sellers abandon the onboarding process?" | Unknown — designing from scratch |
| Time to first sale | "How long does it take a new seller to get their first transaction?" | Unknown — establishing baseline |
| Listing complexity | "How complex is creating a listing? Photos, pricing, descriptions?" | Moderate (title, description, photos, price) |
GATE: Confirm the brief before designing the onboarding flow.
Phase 2: Design the Flow
Onboarding Stages
1. Application / Signup
↓
2. Verification
↓
3. Profile Setup
↓
4. First Listing
↓
5. Listing Optimization
↓
6. First Transaction
↓
7. Graduated (active seller)
Verification Workflow
| Verification Type | Method | Timeline |
|---|
| Identity | Government ID upload | 24-48 hours |
| Business | Business license or registration | 24-48 hours |
| Credentials | Professional license or certification | 48-72 hours |
| Background | Third-party background check | 3-5 business days |
| Sample work | Portfolio review by team | 24-48 hours |
Choose only the verifications essential for your marketplace. Each added step increases drop-off.
Success Milestones
| Milestone | Target Timeframe | Metric |
|---|
| Profile complete | Day 1 | 100% of required fields filled |
| First listing live | Day 1-3 | At least 1 approved listing |
| Listing optimized | Day 3-7 | Photos, full description, competitive price |
| First inquiry/view | Day 7-14 | At least 1 buyer interaction |
| First transaction | Day 14-30 | Completed sale or booking |
GATE: Confirm flow and milestones before writing onboarding content.
Phase 3: Write
Welcome Email
Subject: Welcome to [Platform] — here is your path to your first sale
Hey [Name],
You are in. Here is exactly what to do next:
1. Complete your profile (2 minutes)
2. Create your first listing (5 minutes)
3. Get your first sale
We have helped [X] sellers get started, and most get their first inquiry within [timeframe]. Let me show you how.
[Complete My Profile →]
Listing Guide
Create a step-by-step listing creation guide:
Title: Be specific. "[Service/Product] for [audience] — [key differentiator]"
- Good: "Brand Identity Design for Startups — Logo, Colors, Typography"
- Bad: "Design Services"
Description: Follow this structure:
- What the buyer gets (deliverables)
- How it works (process)
- Who it is for (ideal buyer)
- Why choose you (differentiator)
Photos: Minimum 3, maximum 8. First photo is the listing thumbnail — make it count.
Pricing: Research 5 competitors on the platform. Price within 20% of the average to start.
Seller Success Email Sequence
| Email | Timing | Subject | Purpose |
|---|
| Welcome | Day 0 | "Your path to your first sale" | Activate profile and first listing |
| Listing tips | Day 2 | "Top sellers do this with their listings" | Optimize listing quality |
| First week check | Day 7 | "How is your first week going?" | Re-engage and offer help |
| Boost offer | Day 14 | "Get more visibility for your listing" | Promote listing if no transactions |
| Success story | Day 21 | "How [Seller] got 10 sales in their first month" | Social proof and motivation |
Phase 4: Polish
1. Listing Quality Scorecard
## Listing Quality Score
| Element | Points | Criteria |
|---------|--------|----------|
| Title | /20 | Specific, includes key terms, under 80 chars |
| Description | /25 | Covers deliverables, process, audience, differentiator |
| Photos | /20 | Minimum 3, high quality, first photo is compelling |
| Pricing | /15 | Competitive, clear, no hidden fees |
| Response time | /10 | Under 4 hours average |
| Profile completeness | /10 | Photo, bio, credentials, reviews |
**Score 80+:** Featured placement eligible
**Score 60-79:** Standard listing
**Score below 60:** Improvement suggestions sent automatically
2. Seller Dashboard Recommendations
Show new sellers:
- Profile completion percentage
- Listing quality score
- Views and inquiries count
- Comparison to average seller in their category
- Next step recommendation (always one clear action)
3. Quality Checklist
## Seller Onboarding Checklist
- [ ] Onboarding stages defined (application → first transaction)
- [ ] Verification requirements are minimal and clearly communicated
- [ ] Verification timeline is stated upfront (no surprises)
- [ ] Welcome email sends immediately on approval
- [ ] Listing guide with examples is provided
- [ ] Listing quality scorecard is defined
- [ ] 5-email onboarding sequence covers Days 0-21
- [ ] Success milestones are defined with target timeframes
- [ ] Seller dashboard shows next-step recommendations
- [ ] Drop-off points are tracked and optimized
Example
Marketplace: Freelance photography platform
Seller: Professional and semi-professional photographers
Listing guide excerpt:
"Your first photo IS your listing. Buyers scroll fast — you have 2 seconds. Use your strongest portfolio piece as the thumbnail. Not a selfie, not a logo, not a sunset. Your best client work, period."
Milestone tracker:
"Day 1: Profile live with headshot and bio. Day 3: First portfolio listing with 5+ photos. Day 7: Pricing set within 15% of category average. Day 14: First inquiry received."
Anti-Patterns
- Too much verification upfront — verify the minimum needed for trust. Add deeper verification as sellers level up.
- No listing examples — telling sellers to "create a great listing" without showing what great looks like guarantees mediocre listings.
- Ignoring time-to-first-sale — if sellers wait 30+ days for a first transaction, they will leave. Actively drive demand to new sellers.
- One-size-fits-all onboarding — a professional with 100 sales elsewhere needs a different path than a complete beginner.
- No quality control — low-quality listings damage the entire marketplace. Set standards and enforce them.
Recovery
- High drop-off at verification: Reduce required documents. Allow sellers to start listing while verification processes in the background.
- Listings are low quality: Send automated improvement suggestions based on the quality scorecard. Offer a listing review service.
- Sellers are not getting sales: Manually feature new sellers, send buyer emails highlighting new providers, or offer first-transaction promotions.
- Sellers ask too many questions: The onboarding materials are unclear. Rewrite based on the top 5 support questions.
