---
title: "Retainer kickoff"
description: "The plan written the night a client signs: one goal for 90 days, a baseline for every number and a name against every step."
canonical: https://tomsharman.com/glossary/retainer-kickoff/
updated: 2026-10-25
---

# Retainer kickoff

The plan written the night a client signs: one goal for 90 days, a baseline for every number and a name against every step.

## Why does it matter?

Writing the plan the night a client signs means week one starts with one goal, a baseline and a name against every step.

## How does it work?

1. Write the 90-day goal in one sentence.
2. Give each platform one job, one KPI and one named owner.
3. Log a baseline for every KPI and leave targets blank until there is data.
4. Date the 30, 60 and 90 day checkpoints on the midweek meeting day.

## Related terms

- [Creator audit](https://tomsharman.com/glossary/creator-audit/index.md): Scrape the last 30 posts, find the median, the ratio and the outliers, bucket the formats, then say what to make next.

## Where is it explained?

- https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/retainer-kickoff/