retainer-manager

Skill: Retainer Manager

Retainers are the most valuable revenue type for a solopreneur: recurring, predictable, and relationship-deepening. But unmanaged retainers become liabilities — you over-deliver (working for free), under-deliver (risking cancellation), or let them renew on autopilot without renegotiating scope that has crept beyond the original value.

This skill makes every retainer relationship visible and proactively managed.

Retainer Data Structure

For each retainer, maintain a record at data/1-Projets/clients/[client]-retainer.md:

# Retainer: [Client Name]

**Status:** Active / At Risk / Renewal Pending / Paused
**Monthly Fee:** €[X]
**Contract Period:** [Start date] → [End date or rolling]
**Renewal Date:** [Date]
**Auto-Renewal:** Yes / No / 30-day notice required

## Retainer Scope
[What is included each month — hours or deliverables]
- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]
- Monthly hours (if hours-based): [X] hours/month

## Monthly Utilization Log
| Month | Hours Used | Deliverables | Health | Notes |
|-------|-----------|--------------|--------|-------|
| [Month] | [X]h | [list] | 🟢/🟡/🔴 | |

## Relationship Health
- Last conversation (outside deliveries): [date]
- Satisfaction signals: [positive / neutral / negative]
- Expansion signals: [any mentions of more work?]
- Churn signals: [budget reviews, reorganization, reduced responsiveness?]

## Renewal Notes
[What to discuss at next renewal]

Utilization Tracking

For Hours-Based Retainers

Track monthly against the agreed hours:

Utilization	Signal	Risk
90–110% of included hours	🟢 Healthy	Client is getting full value
70–90%	🟡 Under-using	May question value at renewal
<70% for 2+ months	🔴 Under-using	Renewal at risk
110–130%	🟡 Over-delivering	Working for free
>130%	🔴 Severe over-delivery	Address immediately

Under-delivery action: When utilization drops below 70% for 2 months, proactively contact the client:

"I've noticed we haven't used your full retainer capacity recently. I want to make sure you're getting full value. What are you working on right now where I could be most useful?"

This shows care, prompts work, and prevents silent non-renewal.

Over-delivery action: When utilization exceeds 130%, flag immediately:

"I've gone over this month's included hours. Let me know how you'd like to handle this: I can invoice the extra [X] hours separately, we can roll them forward, or we can discuss adjusting the retainer scope."

Never silently absorb over-delivery — it trains clients to expect unlimited work.

For Deliverables-Based Retainers

Track what was agreed vs. delivered:

Month	Agreed Deliverables	Delivered	Status
[Month]	[list]	[list]	✅ / ⚠️ / ❌

Flag any month where agreed deliverables were not fully delivered — and communicate proactively before the client notices.

Churn Risk Scoring

Score each retainer monthly (0–10):

Signal	Weight	Green	Yellow	Red
Payment on time	2pts	Always	1-7 days late	8+ days late
Utilization level	2pts	80-110%	60-80% or 110-130%	<60% or >130%
Communication responsiveness	2pts	<24h reply	1-3 days	4+ days
Proactive engagement	2pts	They initiate requests	Passive	Radio silence
Renewal timeline	2pts	90+ days away	30-60 days	<30 days

Score interpretation:

• 8–10: 🟢 Healthy
• 5–7: 🟡 Monitor closely
• <5: 🔴 At risk — action required

Renewal Management

Renewal Calendar

Track all retainer renewal dates in a single overview:

# Retainer Renewal Calendar

| Client | Monthly Fee | Renewal Date | Days Away | Risk Score | Action |
|--------|-------------|-------------|-----------|------------|--------|
| [Name] | €[X] | [date] | [X] | 8/10 | Prepare renewal proposal |
| [Name] | €[X] | [date] | [X] | 5/10 | Schedule check-in this week |
| [Name] | €[X] | [date] | [X] | 3/10 | At risk — intervention needed |

Renewal Timeline

• 90 days before renewal: Review retainer health score. Prepare notes on what's changed (scope, your rates, their needs).
• 60 days before renewal: Schedule a "retainer review" conversation.
• 30 days before renewal: Send renewal proposal with any adjustments.
• 14 days before renewal: Confirm or negotiate terms.

The Retainer Review Conversation (60 Days Out)

The goal is not to sell the renewal — it's to understand whether the retainer is still serving both parties.

Your questions:

• "How has the past [period] been? What's worked well?"
• "Is there anything about the scope or the way we work together that you'd want to change?"
• "What's on your plate for the next 6 months? Are there new areas where I could be more useful?"

What you're listening for:

• Hints of budget pressure (tighten terms, offer to adjust scope down)
• New needs (opportunity to expand scope and increase fee)
• Satisfaction issues not yet surfaced (better to hear them now)

Renewal Proposal Structure

Subject: [Client] Retainer Renewal — [Period]

Hi [Name],

It's been [X months] working together, and I wanted to make sure the retainer
still makes sense for what you need.

**What we've done together:**
[Brief bullets of value delivered — use specific outcomes, not just tasks]

**What I'd propose for the next period:**
[Adjusted scope if anything has changed, or "same terms" if stable]
- Monthly fee: €[X] [same / adjusted from €X to €X because Y]
- Included: [scope items]
- Term: [period]

**Why I've adjusted [if applicable]:**
[Transparent reason — usually rates, scope expansion, or value delivered]

Let me know if you'd like to discuss before I send the updated agreement.

[Your name]

The "Retainer or Project?" Decision

When a repeat client comes back for another project, present the retainer option:

When to propose a retainer:

• Client has used you for 2+ projects
• Their needs are ongoing (not a one-time transformation)
• The work pattern is monthly (maintenance, advisory, content, etc.)

Retainer pitch script:

"I've noticed we've done [X] projects together over [period]. At this point, it might make more sense for both of us to structure this as a monthly retainer — you get priority access to my time and a lower effective rate, and I get predictability. Here's what that could look like: [€X/month for Y hours or Z deliverables]. Want me to put together a retainer proposal?"

Integration Points

• invoice-generator: Monthly retainer invoices should be auto-templated
• financial-health: Retainer MRR feeds revenue forecasting
• client-lifecycle-agent: Triggers renewal action at 60 days
• business-health-advisor: Retainer coverage is a key health dimension
• capacity-planner: Retainer hours are baseline committed capacity each month

Key References

• references/retainer-types.md: Four retainer models (hours, deliverables, access, advisory) with pros/cons and ideal client profiles
• references/renewal-negotiation.md: Scripts for rate increases, scope adjustments, and difficult renewal conversations