name: client-offboarding-process-runner description: > Executes the full Client Offboarding Process SOP — closure summary, referral ask, case study capture, and pipeline update. Run when an engagement end date is confirmed. metadata: author: "Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders" version: "1.0.0" date: "2026-04-28" sop: "Client Offboarding Process" category: "Client Communication" frequency: "Trigger-Based" estimated-time: "45 min" trigger: "When engagement end date is confirmed"

Client Offboarding Process — Runner

You are executing the Client Offboarding Process SOP for an independent consultant. Most consultants let engagements end with a handshake and a final invoice — and leave the next engagement, the case study, and the referral on the table. This runner closes the engagement at every layer: operationally, commercially, and relationally.

Do not skip steps. Do not ask questions across multiple turns — collect everything upfront.

What you'll have when this is done: A sent-ready closure summary, a referral ask email sent or logged as declined, a pipeline record updated with engagement-closed status and a re-engagement date trigger, and — if applicable — a draft case study in your queue.

Step 1: Collect All Inputs

Gather the following from the user in a single prompt. Accept whatever detail level they provide. Flag gaps but keep moving.

Engagement record:

• Client name and primary contact name
• Engagement type (retainer, project, sprint, advisory)
• Engagement period (start date — end date)
• Scope summary (1-2 sentences — what the engagement covered)
• Primary contacts (who you worked with, names and roles)

Deliverables completed — for each deliverable:

• Deliverable name
• Brief description (one sentence — what it does or contains)
• Status (delivered, implemented, in use)
• Location (where the client can find it)

Results and outcomes:

• Measurable outcomes (specific numbers: time saved, revenue impacted, costs reduced, efficiency gained — use client's metrics and language)
• Capability built (what the client or team can now do independently)
• Strategic positioning (how the engagement positioned the client for what's next)

Open items — for each unfinished item:

• What it is
• Current status
• Recommended next action
• Owner (client team member)
• Timeline (when it should be addressed)

Future work observations:

• 2-3 areas where the client could benefit from additional work (must connect to something observed during the engagement)
• Estimated scope or timeframe for each

Referral context:

• The specific deliverable and result you're most proud of (the "win" — stated in the client's language if possible)
• The type of person who'd benefit from the same kind of work (role + situation)
• Client's industry — do peers have similar problems?

Case study eligibility:

• Did the engagement generate a strong, measurable outcome? (yes / no / partial)
• Does the client need to approve before publishing? (yes / no / unknown)
• Can you name the client or must it be anonymized?
• If available: a client quote about the impact (exact words)
• The trigger — what made the client seek help in the first place?
• What had they tried before that didn't work?

Pipeline status:

• Where is this client tracked? (CRM, spreadsheet, pipeline tracker)
• Current record status (active, winding down, etc.)
• Any notes on referral likelihood (warm, neutral, unlikely)

Step 2: Confirm Deliverable Completion Against SOW

Review the deliverable list against the engagement scope. Produce a brief status check:

• Scope summary: What the engagement was supposed to deliver
• Deliverables confirmed complete: List each with status
• Gaps or discrepancies: Anything in scope that wasn't listed as delivered
• Open items count: Number of unfinished items with owners assigned

Rule: If the deliverable list has gaps against the stated scope, flag them before proceeding. The closure summary must be accurate — sending a document that claims completion when work is missing damages credibility.

Step 3: Build the Engagement Closure Summary (Condensed Skill)

Using the engagement details from Step 1, produce the full closure document.

3a. Engagement Overview

Structured header — not prose:

• Client: [Name]
• Engagement period: [Start date] — [End date]
• Scope: [One sentence]
• Primary contacts: [Names]
• Engagement type: [Retainer / project / sprint / advisory]

3b. Deliverables Table

Include everything — documents, frameworks, processes, templates, training sessions, analyses. Completeness builds more credibility than curation.

3c. Results and Outcomes

Organize into three tiers:

Measurable Outcomes — Specific numbers using the client's metrics and language. If hard numbers aren't available, use before/after descriptions. Never inflate: if the improvement was 15%, don't round to 20%.

Capability Built — What the client or team can now do independently: processes they can run, decisions they can make, systems they can maintain.

Strategic Positioning — How the engagement positioned the client for what's next: risks identified, opportunities surfaced, foundations laid.

Format: Three sections with 2-4 bullet points each. Bold the outcome, then one sentence of context.

3d. Open Items and Handoff

Be honest about what's unfinished. A clearly documented open item with a recommended path forward shows more professionalism than a buried incomplete.

3e. Recommendations for Future Work

2-3 areas maximum. Rules:

• Each must connect to something observed during the engagement — not a generic upsell
• Frame as observations: "During the engagement, I noticed [pattern]. Addressing this would [benefit]."
• Include an estimated scope or timeframe for each
• Do not price these unless asked

3f. Closing Line

One sentence, genuine, not performative. Acknowledge the partnership and name one specific positive outcome.

Closure summary rules:

• Use the client's language throughout. If they call it a "client onboarding process," don't rename it.
• Format so the client can share internally — their boss or board may see this.
• Never inflate results. Precision signals honesty.
• Every open item must have an owner and a recommended next action.

Quality gate — before proceeding:

Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it before proceeding.

Step 4: Build the Referral Ask Email (Condensed Skill)

Using the referral context from Step 1, produce a warm, specific referral request email. This must be sent within 5 business days of the closure summary — the relationship is warmest immediately post-delivery.

4a. The Win Anchor (1-2 sentences)

Open with the specific deliverable and result. Name what you did and what happened because of it. Use the client's language. No generic "it was great working with you" — specificity signals that you're writing to them, not at them.

If the user provided a vague result, push for a number, a quote, or a before/after comparison before generating.

4b. The Bridge (1 sentence)

Connect their result to the type of person who'd benefit from the same kind of work. Pattern: "That result is exactly what I help [type of person] achieve."

4c. The Specific Ask (1-2 sentences)

Describe the ideal referral in concrete terms — role, situation, or symptom. Not "anyone who needs help" but "another [role] who's dealing with [specific problem]." Give the client a face to picture.

4d. The Easy Action (1 sentence)

One action, stated plainly: "Forward this email" or "make an introduction" or "share my name." One verb. No alternatives.

4e. Sign-Off

Warm but brief. No multi-line signatures or PS lines.

Output format:

Subject: Quick thought after [deliverable/project name]

[Client first name],

[Win anchor — 1-2 sentences naming the specific win.]

[Bridge — 1 sentence connecting their result to the type of person who'd benefit.]

[Specific ask — 1-2 sentences describing the ideal referral.]

[Easy action — 1 sentence with one verb.]

Thanks for trusting me with this — it means a lot.

[Your name]

Referral ask rules:

• Never mention pricing or packages — the referral email is not a sales pitch
• Total email under 150 words — shorter converts better
• Always name the specific deliverable and result, never generalize
• The ask must specify a role and situation, not "anyone who needs help"
• One call to action only — don't give the client options
• Don't use the word "referral" in the email — it sounds transactional
• If the client result is vague, ask the user for specifics before generating

Quality gate — before proceeding:

Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it before proceeding.

Step 5: Build the Case Study (Condensed Skill — If Applicable)

Only run this step if the engagement generated a strong outcome (user confirmed "yes" or "partial" in Step 1). If "no," skip to Step 6.

5a. Situation Analysis (2-3 paragraphs, narrative prose)

Extract from the inputs:

• The core problem — the single biggest constraint, in the client's language
• The business impact — how it affected revenue, capacity, experience, or morale
• The trigger — what made them seek help
• The stakes — what would have happened if they'd done nothing

Write as a story, not a diagnosis. Use specific details: "spending 12 hours a week on manual reporting" beats "inefficient processes."

5b. Approach and Intervention (numbered phases)

• Discovery/Diagnostic — what you assessed and found (1-2 sentences)
• Key interventions — 2-4 specific actions, each named and described in one sentence
• Timeline — engagement duration and key milestones

Name your frameworks if they have names. Focus on what makes your approach different. Don't oversimplify or overcomplicate.

5c. Results Table

Flag any estimated or unverified result. Never present an estimate as confirmed. Always include both relative and absolute numbers — "50% reduction" means nothing without the baseline.

5d. Client Voice

Use the provided quote (exact words, unpolished). If no quote, write a placeholder: "[Request client quote about: specific topic]."

5e. Multi-Format Output

Generate four versions:

1. Full case study (500-800 words) — Complete narrative for website or standalone PDF
2. Proposal insert (150-200 words) — Condensed for a proposal's "relevant experience" section
3. Conversation version (2-3 sentences) — Verbal version for discovery calls: "We worked with a [type] that was [problem]. We [intervention] and they [result]."
4. Headline stats — 3-5 standalone metrics for website banner or social media

Case study rules:

• Never fabricate or inflate results. If data is thin, say so and recommend what to ask the client.
• Use the client's language for the problem, your language for the solution.
• Anonymize properly if required — no context clues that identify the client.
• Keep the full version under 800 words.
• Never position the client as incompetent — the situation should feel like a common, understandable challenge.
• Include base numbers with all percentage claims.

Quality gate — before proceeding:

Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it before proceeding.

Step 6: Update Pipeline Record

Produce the pipeline update instructions:

• Client status: Mark engagement as CLOSED
• Closure date: [End date]
• Referral status: [Sent / Logged as declined / Pending]
• Case study status: [Draft complete / Awaiting client approval / Not applicable / Flagged for follow-up]
• Re-engagement outreach: Flag for 90-day mark — [specific date, calculated from end date]
• Notes: Any context for future reference (engagement highlights, relationship warmth, referral likelihood)

Step 7: Assemble Final Output

Present one unified document containing all sections:

A. Engagement Closure Summary

The full closure document from Step 3 — overview header, deliverables table, results (three tiers), open items table, future recommendations, and closing line. Ready to send to the client.

B. Referral Ask Email

The complete email from Step 4 — subject line, win anchor, bridge, specific ask, easy action, sign-off. Under 150 words. Ready to send within 5 business days of the closure summary.

C. Case Study (If Applicable)

All four formats from Step 5 — full case study, proposal insert, conversation version, headline stats. Flagged if client approval is needed before publishing.

D. Pipeline Update Record

The status changes and flags from Step 6 — engagement closed, referral status, case study status, 90-day re-engagement trigger.

E. Delivery Checklist

F. SOPs to Trigger

• [ ] Re-Engagement Outreach — trigger at the 90-day mark post-closure ([specific date])
• [ ] Case Study Approval Follow-Up — if client approval is needed, follow up within 2 weeks

Quality Check

Rules

1. Send the closure summary before the final invoice — not with it. The closure summary is what makes clients describe you to their peers. If the invoice is the only closing communication, the relationship ends as transactional.
2. Collect all inputs in one pass. Do not scatter prompts across multiple turns. Ask once, flag gaps, keep moving.
3. Time the referral ask within 5 business days of the closure summary. Referrals have a shelf life. Once the client has moved on, your close rate drops significantly.
4. Never skip the case study step when the outcome is strong. The outcome is freshest immediately post-engagement. A 10-minute capture now saves hours reconstructing it later.
5. Don't inflate results in the closure summary. If the improvement was 15%, say 15%. The client was there — they know what happened. Honest documentation of a solid engagement is more persuasive than inflated claims about a great one.
6. Include every deliverable, not just the impressive ones. Completeness builds more credibility than curation. The client should think "that's more than I realized."
7. Open items get documented, not buried. A clearly documented open item with a recommended path forward shows more professionalism than a gap the client discovers later.
8. The referral ask email never mentions pricing, packages, or your availability. It's a trust transfer, not a sales pitch.
9. Keep the referral ask under 150 words. Shorter converts better. Cut anything that doesn't serve the win-bridge-ask-action structure.
10. Don't use the word "referral" in the email to the client. It sounds transactional. The ask should feel like a natural continuation of the engagement.
11. Always include base numbers with percentage claims in the case study. "400% increase in pipeline" means nothing if the starting number was near zero.
12. Flag the 90-day re-engagement date. The pipeline record is incomplete without it. This is what turns a closed engagement into a future opportunity.
13. Escape dollar signs as \$ for Notion compatibility.
14. Flag inferred details. If a result or status was inferred rather than stated, mark it [INFERRED — verify].

Copyright (c) 2026 Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders Licensed under the Practice Builders Skill License v1.0 See https://practicebuilders.ai/license for terms.

This skill is part of the Consulting Practice SOP Manual, a Practice Builders product. Redistribution, resale, or derivative use without written permission is prohibited.