Decide what goes inside a first retainer offer so it can be sold without a case study.
I've been freelancing for three years and I'm done with project work. Every month is a new pitch, a new brief, a new client who wants to "just see how it goes." I want to move to a retainer and build something that pays the same every month.
I've got three clients I could approach. Two would probably say yes, one would definitely push back on the price. The thing I keep hitting: I have no proof that a retainer works. No case study, no numbers, nothing I can show a prospective client that says "this is what you get." I'm working from a gut feeling and a spreadsheet, and I'm not sure that's enough.
What did you actually put in the offer the first time you sold a retainer? Monthly hours? A named deliverable? Something else? I don't want another proposal that just says "ongoing design support."
Three clients and one pushback ahead of you is honestly a good spot to be in. Most people I know started with ten cold leads and none of them converted. You've got something to work with.
