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The Complete Retainer Contract

You want to offer a retainer to a client, but how should you structure it?
What should you include in your contract?

Course
What it is:

An expectation-setting contract to ensure your retainer low-stress — and long-term.

Includes:

  • Definitions of retainer scope + copywriter & client responsibilities (so there’s no “But I meant…” after you’ve invested dozens of hours in a deliverable)
  • Clearly delineated payment schedule & terms, including trial period (so you eliminate that awkward “I'm not sure this is working” convo)
  • Clear timeline & turnaround clauses (so you set expectations from the start, and ensure they don’t expect email responses at 11 pm)
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A client reached out for retainer work and the contract was extremely helpful. It had all the information I needed and saved me many hours of stress.

Chaya Hausmann, Copywriter

You want to offer a retainer to a client, but how should you structure it?
What should you include in your contract?

Template
What it is:

An expectation-setting contract to ensure your retainer low-stress — and long-term.

Includes:

  • Definitions of retainer scope + copywriter & client responsibilities (so there’s no “But I meant…” after you’ve invested dozens of hours in a deliverable)
  • Clearly delineated payment schedule & terms, including trial period (so you eliminate that awkward “I'm not sure this is working” convo)
  • Clear timeline & turnaround clauses (so you set expectations from the start, and ensure they don’t expect email responses at 11 pm)
Star iconStar iconStar iconStar iconStar icon

A client reached out for retainer work and the contract was extremely helpful. It had all the information I needed and saved me many hours of stress.

Chaya Hausmann, Copywriter

You might also like these templates:

You might also like these courses:

Want to interview your client’s customers, but not sure what to ask?

Want to squeeze the most out of the interview — without embarrassing yourself (or your client)? 🙈

Want to avoid the dreaded “yes, it was great!!” response — and get AKSHUALLY golden lines you can use in your copy? 

The Complete Customer Interview Template

Template
Course
What it is:

A customizable 33-question template that’s been refined over years — and dozens of clients — so you have a tried-and-true set of questions to work off.

Includes:

  • Clear explanations of the reasoning behind each question (so you understand why you’re asking...and can dig further if needed)
  • Targeted questions that access the client’s “before & afters” (so you get a clear understanding of the “solution” in voice-of-customer)
  • On-the-money questions that get you hard numbers (so you get impressive, believable social proof)
  • Specific questions that glean insight into what clients want and don’t want (so you know exactly how to direct your copy)
  • A copy-paste version that’s easy to, well, copy-and-paste (so you don’t waste a minute on technical stuff)
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“Confident I’m going to strike gold”

Good research plays a major role in the success of a creative project. With this template, I can go into an interview confident that at some point during the next 45 minutes, I'm going to strike gold.

Danny Louis, NPO Copywriter

What should you include in your contract?
How should you phrase the terms?

The Complete Copywriter Contract

Template
Course
What it is:

Avoid misunderstandings — and clarify policies upfront — with a contract designed for copy projects. Define and set expectations for project scope, revisions, and all copywriter + client responsibilities.

No more

  • “Can we just add this?”
  • “Can we just drop that?
  • “But what I really meant was…” 

…after you’ve invested dozens of hours or days.

Includes the essential terms & clauses compiled over 15+ years of copywriting and dozens of conversations with colleagues (so you save yourself from pricey mistakes and weeks months of grief).

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“I feel confident that when I use this contract, I’m covered.”

Incredibly valuable, especially for high-stakes projects. It includes multiple clauses that prevent trouble down the line — like designating a single point of contact (don’t skip that or you’ll regret it!) and asking upfront for permission to include work in your portfolio. My clients always appreciate the clarity and professionalism. And I feel confident that when I use this contract, I’m covered.

Sara Tyberg, AgentC Marketing

Heads up:

In our world, fluff is for pillows, not products

As a busy mom of 5 Energizer Bunnies kids, I know the frustration of: 
  • sitting through a 3-hour (rambling) video course…and coming out with a half-hour’s worth (!) of insight 😣 
  • reading a 437-page book that could have been a blog post 🙄
  • buying a digital product only to discover that it’s 60% bloat, and never even using it once 🙈

That's why I’ve cut all fluff from my products.

Time invested
Practical
gain
Our products are designed for busy people.

So you get the maximum amount of practical takeaways with the least amount of time and effort.

My trainings are not the kind you can watch on 2X — while scrolling LinkedIn — and still not miss a thing. 😏

We get feedback that copywriters & freelancers use our products regularly, and find them helpful every time a project comes up. 

Sounds like we’re doing something right 😉

Questions? Ideas? Quesadillas?

We’d love to hear from you. 😊