Hey there,
I hired someone on a retainer recently.
I know, I know…
After all my soapboxing about retainers being lazy, here I am wiring money every month for one.
But here’s the punchline: It only happened after many months of circling each other.
Long meandering calls. More than a few let me think about it emails. A dozen near-dead ends where I got sidetracked doing it myself, hiring someone (or something) else, or doing nothing at all.
When I finally said yes, it wasn’t because she bowled me offer with an irresistible offer. It was because I’d gotten to know her work, personality, and inherent value intimately.
Which is exactly the problem with retainers. They ask too much trust up front, with too little clarity in return.
A retainer is basically the professional equivalent of: “Sooo… what should we work on this month?”
It’s more of a conversation-starter - not an offer. Not something clear and compelling that people understand and buy.
Worse… at some point, your client will inevitably start asking themselves:
Am I still getting the same value I was a few months ago?
How much longer will I actually need their help?
Is this worth the monthly ding on my checking account?
Once those questions creep, your retainer goes from trusted partnership to “let me sharpen my pencil and double-check my budget.”
Here’s my take
(Read till the end for 4 tips to make your retainer an easy ‘yes’)
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