Recommended length: 4-6 pages
1. The relationship in one paragraph (~80 words)
Open with the strategic frame. "Over the next 12 months, we will help {{client}} grow {{metric}} from {{baseline}} to {{target}} by running {{discipline}} as an extension of your team." This is a partnership statement, not a vendor pitch. Reference the specific work or moment that brought you together.
2. What you get every month (~180 words)
The retainer's deliverables, written as a recurring monthly cadence. Numbered list. Example for a content retainer: "Four published long-form articles. One newsletter (4-6 sends). One bi-weekly editorial planning call. Monthly performance review with traffic, ranking, and lead attribution data. Quarterly content audit." Be specific about formats, lengths, and channels. This is the most-read section. It must answer "what am I paying for in May?" without ambiguity.
3. The team (~120 words)
Name the humans the client will work with. Role, time allocation per month, primary contact. Include a brief note about who replaces them if they're out (holiday cover, illness). Mention how senior support is structured — partner check-ins, escalation paths, QBR cadence. Clients buy people, not "the agency."
4. How we work together (~120 words)
Comms protocol: Slack channel or Teams, weekly stand-up, monthly review, async-first by default. Approval flow for content or campaigns. SLAs on turnaround time. The client's commitments: a primary point of contact, brand assets, response time on approvals. The clearer this section, the fewer fire-drills you'll have in month three.
5. Investment and terms (~100 words)
Monthly fee. Minimum commitment (typically 6 months). Auto-renewal language with 60-day notice. Out-of-pocket expenses (paid media spend, tools, freelancers) handled at cost with a markup or pass-through. Scope-change protocol: anything outside the listed monthly deliverables is quoted separately, not absorbed. Annual fee adjustment cap.
6. Pause, exit, and offboarding (~80 words)
A pause option after the minimum term — up to 60 days at 25% of the monthly fee. Notice period for cancellation. What happens at offboarding: assets handed over, accounts transferred, last-month deliverables completed. The clearer the exit, the more clients will say yes to the entry.