Writing a services contract for you and your client can be time-consuming and difficult if you do it inefficiently.  You will be wasting a lot of resources if you will keep on starting from scratch.  Of course, every contract for your every client should be tailored according to your agreement but it doesn’t mean that you cannot create a contract template that you can use as a guide in your contract-writing process.

Having a contract template will help you create a services contract more efficiently and more quickly.  A contract template does not have to be the standard contract that you will draft for your every client.  It should only be a guide in crafting your tailored contract for you and your client.

The Keys to Writing a Winning Marketing Services Contract

• Structuring Your Contract

Your contract should be short and precise – about 2-3 pages long, 5 at the most.  Make sure to include everything in the contract accurately and shortly so that your clients will easily get the picture and understand the whole contents of the contract.

This can be your contract template structure:

Executive Summary

Create a short story about your client’s current challenges and how your company can help solve their problems.  Use simple words and avoid being too technical so that everyone in your client’s company can understand what your services will be.

Scope of Services

• Services/Activities and Time per Activity (Retainer Quoting)
• ROI and Metrics for Success (Analytics)
• Role (expected role and activities for both Agency and Client)
• Timeline and Retainer Length
• Costs

Terms and Conditions

List the terms and conditions that you and your client should follow during the contract duration.

Appendix

List some complementary materials that you have based your contract upon.

Place to Sign

Include a suggested place to sign the contract.

Methods of Payment Accepted

Make sure to include the payment accepted by your company for the services that you will render.

• Make Your Contract Visual

Make sure that your contract is visually appealing.  Make your contract well-formatted and avoid misspellings, typo-errors and grammatical errors.  Have your contract proofread very carefully before sending it to your clients.  Also, include your company name, logo and details on your contract to make it look more professional.  If needed, include images and charts that will help your client understand the contents more easily and make your contract more visually appealing.

• Respond Quickly

Having a contract template that can easily be edited will enable your company to submit proposals and contracts quickly.  This will give your clients the impression that you can do the job faster and more efficiently than other service providers.

This is very important whenever you are competing with other competitive service providers that can also provide efficient service and low prices.

• Provide Relevant Examples

It’s important that you provide relevant examples to your every client.  Even if your contract is from a template, you should keep in mind to provide examples that your clients can relate to.  Prepare examples that you can use to present to your clients from different industries so that everyone will get your point and be convinced that you understand their needs and know how you can help them.

• Provide Different Pricing Packages

Whether your client is already qualified or not, you should provide various pricing packages so that you can upsell them without making your clients frustrated with your marketing strategy.  By providing three options, including their requested package, you will be able to show your clients additional services that might persuade them to upgrade the services that they would require from your company.

You can offer the following packages to your client:

• Package of what they have requested (services and price)
• Package of a slightly pricier option with additional services
• Ultimate package that contains various and quite efficient services that provides the highest ROI

Once you have proposed your packages, give your clients the option to choose among the packages that they think best suits their needs.

Having a contract template will save you time and resources in your contract-writing process.  It will also enable you to submit proposals in a timely manner, which will enable you to beat your competitors.