| Category | Proposals & Pricing |
|---|---|
| Time to Run | 15 min |
| Difficulty | Standard |
| Output | |
| Client-Facing | Yes — goes directly to client |
You're 30 days out from a retainer or engagement term ending. The client hasn't said anything about renewing. You haven't said anything either — because the work has been steady and you assumed continuity. That assumption is where retainers die. Silence at the renewal window isn't agreement. It's a client evaluating whether they still need you, and you're not in the conversation.
Run this when a retainer or engagement term is approaching expiration and you need to make the case for continuation — not by restating your value in general, but by naming what you've done, what's still open, and what the next phase looks like. The pitch isn't "keep paying me." It's "here's what's unfinished and what's next."
Copy the code block below and save it as a .md file. Upload it to Claude as a Project Knowledge file or attach it directly to a conversation. Then provide the inputs listed above and Claude will generate your retainer renewal pitch.
---
name: retainer-renewal-pitch
description: Generates a client-facing renewal email that connects past results to open work and a proposed next phase — triggered 30 days before a retainer or engagement term ends.
metadata:
author: "Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders"
version: "1.0.0"
date: "2026-04-25"
---
# Retainer Renewal Pitch
Generates a renewal pitch email that converts engagement history into a forward-looking case for continuation.
**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 matters: credibility first, then gap, then next phase.**
## What This Skill Does
**Job 1: Evidence Assembly** — Takes the results delivered and organizes them into concrete, nameable outcomes. Not "improved operations" but "reduced client onboarding time from 2 weeks to 3 days." The skill forces specificity because vague results produce vague renewal pitches.
**Job 2: Gap Identification** — Names the work that's still open. This is the leverage point. If nothing is open, the case for renewal is weaker — the skill will flag that and adjust the pitch toward new scope rather than continuation. If significant work is open, the skill makes that the centerpiece.
**Job 3: Forward Framing** — Connects the open work to a proposed next phase that feels like natural progression, not a hard sell. The renewal email reads as "here's where we are and here's what's next" rather than "please keep paying me."
## Section 1: Opening Acknowledgment
Open with a direct reference to the engagement timeline. Name the engagement, the approximate start date or duration, and a single sentence that acknowledges the work without excessive gratitude. "We're coming up on [X months] since we started [engagement description]" is the pattern.
**Do not** open with pleasantries, weather references, or "I hope this finds you well." The opening is a timestamp and a scope reference.
## Section 2: Results Summary
Name 3-5 specific results. Each result gets one sentence. Use the format: "[What changed] — [specific evidence or metric]." If the user provides vague results, sharpen them. "Better processes" becomes "standardized the intake workflow, reducing onboarding from [X] to [Y]."
If the user provides fewer than 3 results, use what's available and note that the pitch will be stronger with more specifics. Never fabricate results.
**Format:** Bulleted list. Each bullet is one result with evidence.
## Section 3: Open Work
Name 2-4 items that are still in progress, unresolved, or dependent on continued engagement. Frame each one as a specific work item, not a vague category. "The CRM migration is 70% complete" beats "there's still work to do on systems."
This section is the hinge of the pitch. If the open work is compelling, renewal is natural. If there's no open work, skip this section and move directly to new scope in the next section.
**What to watch for:** If the user lists open work that sounds like scope creep or items that should have been completed already, flag that the pitch should acknowledge the timeline honestly rather than burying it.
## Section 4: Proposed Next Phase
Present the next phase as a clear scope with 2-3 focus areas. Name what you'd work on, the expected timeline, and any changes to the engagement structure (frequency, pricing, deliverables).
If pricing has changed, state it directly: "The next phase would be [price] per [period], reflecting [reason for change]." Don't hide pricing at the bottom or in attachments.
If pricing hasn't changed, a simple "same terms" reference is sufficient.
## Section 5: Clear Next Step
Close with one specific action. "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" — that's not a next step, it's an invitation to procrastinate.
## Section 6: What to Skip / What to Watch For
**Leave alone:** Don't address competitor alternatives, don't preemptively justify pricing, and don't over-explain why renewal makes sense. If the results and open work don't make the case, adding more words won't fix it.
**Watch for:** If the client has been slow to respond to recent communications, that's a signal to address directly in the pitch — not to ignore. Silence before a renewal window often means the client is already considering alternatives. The pitch should acknowledge momentum changes if the inputs suggest any.
## Quality Check (Internal — never shown to the user)
| # | Check | Pass? |
|---|-------|-------|
| 1 | Does the results section contain specific, evidence-backed outcomes (not vague claims)? | |
| 2 | Is the open work section framed as forward momentum, not as things you failed to finish? | |
| 3 | Does the proposed next phase include clear scope, timeline, and pricing? | |
| 4 | Is there exactly one specific next step with a date or timeframe? | |
| 5 | Does the email read as peer-to-peer communication, not as a vendor begging for continuation? | |
**Enforcement:** Run all five checks. Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it. Verify the rewrite improved the output. Present only the finished version.
## Rules
- Never use "just checking in" or "touching base" — the email has a specific purpose and should state it.
- Every result claimed must be traceable to the user's inputs. Do not invent outcomes.
- Keep the email under 400 words. Renewal pitches that run long signal insecurity.
- Use the client's name in the opening, not "Dear Client" or "Hi there."
- If the user provides no open work items, shift the pitch to "new scope" framing rather than leaving a gap.
- Do not include testimonials, case studies, or social proof. The client already knows your work.
- Format for email: short paragraphs, no headers, scannable on mobile.
## Output Format
**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.]
**Signal:** [What in the engagement history triggered this section]
**Do This:** [Specific next step: continue this work stream under renewed terms]
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]
## What Makes This Different
Most renewal conversations happen too late and rely on the relationship to carry them. This skill forces the pitch 30 days early and structures it around open work — the thing the client is already thinking about but hasn't articulated. A standard renewal email recaps what happened. This one names what's unfinished and makes the case that walking away now leaves value on the table.
---
Copyright (c) 2026 Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders
This skill is licensed for your personal and business use. You may run this skill inside your own practice and share the outputs it produces with your team and clients. "Your practice" includes employees and contractors engaged to perform work for your business under your direction — virtual assistants, operations support, bookkeepers, and similar team members.
You may not share, distribute, resell, or repackage the skill file itself — including this SKILL.md document, its prompts, frameworks, and structure — with anyone outside your practice. This includes peer practitioners, other consultants who would use it in their own client work, and anyone outside your operating team. Written permission from Kathryn Brown ([email protected]) is required for any redistribution.
This skill is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied.