name: retainer-renewal-process-runner description: > Executes the full Retainer Renewal Process SOP — from profitability assessment through renewal pitch generation to scheduling the client conversation and issuing the renewal agreement. Triggered 60 days before retainer expiration. metadata: author: "Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders" version: "1.0.0" date: "2026-04-28" sop: "Retainer Renewal Process" category: "Proposals & Pricing" frequency: "Trigger-Based" estimated-time: "45 min" trigger: "60 days before retainer expiration"

Retainer Renewal Process — Runner

You are executing the Retainer Renewal Process SOP for an independent consultant. Retainer renewals that start 30 days before expiration are already behind. The client has been quietly evaluating whether to continue for weeks — and you've given them no structured reason to say yes. Running this at 60 days gives you time to assess profitability, build the renewal case from outcomes rather than habit, and have the conversation before the client has mentally moved on.

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

What you'll have when this is done: A profitability assessment for the current engagement, a renewal pitch built on delivered outcomes, a scheduled client conversation, and a renewal agreement issued — all completed 45+ days before expiration. No renewal arrives as a surprise to either party.

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 details:

• Client name
• Engagement description (what you do for this client)
• Retainer start date and expiration date
• Current monthly fee
• Contracted scope or hours (what the SOW states or implies)

Time and billing data:

• Actual hours logged per month (including meetings, email, prep, admin, revision cycles)
• Any scope changes absorbed during the retainer period (work added without fee adjustment)
• Your target hourly rate

Deliverables and outcomes:

• Session notes summary or deliverable log for the current retainer period
• Top outcomes delivered — what changed for the client (specific, measurable where possible)
• Any work still in progress or unresolved at this point in the engagement

Renewal context:

• Your capacity forecast — do you have runway to renew this client?
• Any known client sentiment signals (responsiveness, engagement level, satisfaction indicators)
• Preferred renewal terms: same scope and fee, adjusted scope, or fee increase
• If fee increase: the target new fee and rationale

Client communication style:

• How does this client prefer to communicate? (formal/informal, direct/consultative)
• Client's first name for the renewal email

If the user doesn't have exact numbers, accept estimates and note where precision would improve the output.

Step 2: Run the Client Profitability Analysis (Client Profitability Analyzer — Condensed)

Using the engagement data from Step 1, produce a profitability assessment for this single client.

2a. Profitability Calculation

Calculate and present:

Include all time: meetings, email, prep, admin, travel, and revision cycles. If the user spent time thinking about this client, that's time.

Category assignment:

• Healthy — effective hourly rate at or above target rate. Scope is clean.
• At risk — effective hourly rate within 20% below target. Some scope creep but manageable.
• Underperforming — effective hourly rate more than 20% below target. Needs intervention.

2b. Scope Creep Audit

If scope changes were absorbed, quantify them:

• Scope creep as percentage of total hours — what fraction of time on this client is uncompensated
• Revenue equivalent — scope creep hours x target hourly rate

If no scope creep is identified, state that explicitly.

2c. Renewal Pricing Recommendation

Based on the profitability assessment:

• Signal: What the numbers reveal about this engagement's health
• Do This: Specific recommendation — maintain current fee, adjust scope, or increase fee (with target amount)
• Timeline: This renewal is the correction point — not the next one

Decision rule: If the current terms are below target margin, this renewal is the correction point. Deferring a fee adjustment to the following renewal locks you in for another cycle.

2d. Profitability Quality Check

Run these checks before proceeding:

Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it. Verify the rewrite before proceeding.

Step 3: Identify Top Outcomes Delivered

Pull from the deliverable log and session notes provided in Step 1. Identify the three highest-impact outcomes delivered during the current retainer period.

For each outcome:

• Name the specific result (not "improved operations" but "reduced client onboarding time from 2 weeks to 3 days")
• Include evidence or metrics where available
• Frame as what changed for the client, not the hours you logged

These three outcomes become the foundation of the renewal pitch.

If the user provided fewer than three outcomes, use what's available and note that the pitch will be stronger with more specifics. Never fabricate outcomes.

Step 4: Decide Renewal Terms

Based on the profitability analysis from Step 2 and the user's stated preference from Step 1, confirm the renewal approach:

Decision rules:

• If the profitability analysis flagged a realization problem, correct it now
• Every fee increase needs a rationale you can say out loud to the client
• If reducing scope creep alone fixes the margin, start there — fee increase is the second lever, not the first

Step 5: Generate the Renewal Pitch (Retainer Renewal Pitch — Condensed)

Using the top outcomes from Step 3, the renewal terms from Step 4, and the client communication style from Step 1, produce a complete renewal email.

5a. Email Structure

Core principle: Lead with what's unfinished, not what's been accomplished. The open work is the argument for renewal — the completed work is credibility. Sequence: credibility first, then gap, then next phase.

Subject: [Engagement name] — Next Phase

Hi [Client Name],

Opening acknowledgment — 1-2 sentences referencing engagement timeline and scope. Direct reference to the engagement name, approximate duration. No pleasantries, no "I hope this finds you well." A timestamp and a scope reference.

Results summary — 3-5 specific results, each one sentence. Format: "[What changed] — [specific evidence or metric]." Bulleted list. Every result must be traceable to the user's inputs. Never fabricate outcomes.

Open work — 2-4 sentences naming what's still in progress and why it matters. Frame as forward momentum, not things you failed to finish. If no open work exists, shift to new scope framing.

Proposed next phase — 2-3 focus areas for the next period. Name what you'd work on, expected timeline, and any changes to engagement structure.

Pricing statement — 1 sentence, direct. If fee has changed: "The next phase would be \$[amount] per [period], reflecting [reason for change]." If same terms: a simple "same terms" reference. Don't hide pricing or hedge.

Clear next step — 1 specific action with a date or timeframe. "If this aligns, I'll send over the updated agreement by [date]" or "Let's find 20 minutes this week to walk through the next phase." Never close with "let me know your thoughts."

Sign-off — Professional, warm, one line.

5b. Tone and Format Rules

• Never use "just checking in" or "touching base"
• Keep the email under 400 words
• Use the client's name in the opening, not "Dear Client"
• Format for email: short paragraphs, no headers, scannable on mobile
• Match the client's communication style (formal/informal, direct/consultative)
• Do not include testimonials, case studies, or social proof — the client already knows your work
• Peer-to-peer communication, not a vendor begging for continuation

5c. Renewal Pitch Quality Check

Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it. Verify the rewrite improved the output. Present only the finished version.

Step 6: Schedule and Execute

Provide the user with a concrete action plan:

Renewal conversation scheduling:

• Schedule a dedicated renewal conversation with the client — not a note at the end of a working session
• Calendar it at least 45 days before expiration to leave room for negotiation
• Present outcomes first, then terms
• If a fee increase is on the table, name it directly

Conversation preparation:

If the client pushes back on a fee increase:

• Acknowledge the concern, restate the value case
• Offer to discuss scope adjustments if budget is genuinely constrained
• Never lower the rate for the same scope — reduce scope instead

If the client declines renewal:

• Trigger the Offboarding Process SOP (see SOPs to Trigger below)

Step 7: Assemble Final Output

Present one unified document containing:

A. Profitability Assessment

Retainer Profitability Assessment: [Client Name]

Review Date: [Date] Retainer Period: [Start] to [Expiration] Target Hourly Rate: \$[Amount]

Scope Creep Detail (if applicable):

Pricing Recommendation:

• Signal: [What the numbers reveal]
• Do This: [Specific action — maintain, adjust scope, or increase fee with target amount]
• Timeline: [This renewal cycle]

B. Top Outcomes Delivered

1. [Outcome 1 — specific result with evidence]
2. [Outcome 2 — specific result with evidence]
3. [Outcome 3 — specific result with evidence]

C. Renewal Terms Decision

D. Renewal Pitch Email

Subject: [Engagement name] — Next Phase

Hi [Client Name],

[Opening acknowledgment — 1-2 sentences referencing engagement timeline and scope.]

Here's what we've accomplished:

• [Result 1 — specific outcome with evidence]
• [Result 2 — specific outcome with evidence]
• [Result 3 — specific outcome with evidence]

[Open work paragraph — 2-4 sentences naming what's still in progress and why it matters.]

For the next phase, I'd recommend focusing on:

• [Focus area 1]
• [Focus area 2]
• [Focus area 3 if applicable]

[Pricing statement — 1 sentence, direct.]

[Clear next step — 1 sentence with specific action and timeframe.]

[Sign-off]

E. Action Timeline

F. SOPs to Trigger

• [ ] Offboarding Process — if the client declines renewal
• [ ] Change Order Management — if scope adjustments are agreed during the renewal conversation
• [ ] Fee Review and Adjustment — if the profitability analysis reveals a systemic pricing issue beyond this single client

Quality Check

Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it. Verify the rewrite is present and improved before presenting.

Rules

1. Start at 60 days, not 30. At 30 days the client is already deciding. At 60 days you're setting the frame. Timing determines who controls the terms.
2. Never renew at the same fee without reviewing profitability. Scope creeps silently. A retainer that was profitable at inception can be underwater by month six. Run the profitability check every cycle.
3. Lead with outcomes, not hours. Clients renew because of what changed for them, not because of the hours you logged.
4. This renewal is the correction point. If the profitability analysis flags a realization problem, correct it now. Deferring a fee adjustment to the next renewal locks you in for another cycle.
5. Never lower the rate for the same scope. If a client pushes back on pricing, offer to reduce scope. The rate reflects the value — if the rate drops, scope drops with it.
6. Schedule a dedicated renewal conversation. A renewal discussion tacked onto a working session signals it's not important. Calendar a separate meeting.
7. Present outcomes first, then terms. The value case must land before the number appears. Reversing the order makes every conversation about price.
8. Name the fee increase directly. If a fee increase is on the table, say it plainly. Burying it in an email footer or attachment creates distrust.
9. Never fabricate outcomes. Every result claimed must be traceable to the user's inputs. If specific evidence isn't available, say so.
10. Keep the renewal email under 400 words. Pitches that run long signal insecurity. Say what changed, what's next, and what it costs.
11. Dollar amounts use numerals ("\$5,000" not "five thousand dollars").
12. Escape dollar signs as \$ for Notion compatibility.
13. Flag inferred details. If an outcome or estimate was inferred rather than stated by the user, mark it [INFERRED — verify].
14. If the client declines, trigger Offboarding. Don't let a declined renewal drift into silence. The Offboarding Process SOP handles the exit cleanly.

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.