Guides · Selling more than hours
How do you stop a retainer turning into unlimited work?
Write down what the month includes, how fast you answer, and what isn’t in it, then look at it with the client once a month. Most retainers grow because nobody said where they stop. A short monthly review turns “can you also” into a conversation about the next month’s scope.
- 1
A fixed amount
Sessions, hours or days, counted. The coaching setup’s monthly coaching is 2 sessions + notes.
- 2
A response time
Within a working day, not within the hour. Say it, and keep it.
- 3
A list of what isn’t included
New projects, launches, emergencies at the weekend. Each has its own price.
- 4
A monthly review
Fifteen minutes: what the month used, what’s coming, whether the size is still right.
- 5
A way to grow it
If every month runs over, the retainer is too small. Offer the next size up, at its own price.
On WorkWith, thirty days before a retainer renews, the client’s own page shows what the month delivered beside the renewal date: sessions taken and anything sent.
Checked 2026-10-11.