How to prepare for a contract renewal conversation

Two weeks before the contract expires, someone sends a quick “just checking in” email.

The client says let’s keep it the same for now. You agree because you’re busy and it’s easier. Another year at last year’s rate.

That’s how most renewals go. It doesn’t have to.

The biggest mistake is starting too late

At 90 days out, you have time. The client isn’t panicking. You aren’t either. There’s room for a real conversation.

At 30 days, you’re already behind. The client has probably had internal conversations about the relationship without you in the room. If they were thinking about changing direction, those conversations happened weeks ago.

At two weeks, you’re negotiating under pressure. The client can feel it.

Start at 90 days. It sounds like a lot of lead time. It isn’t.

Before you do anything, review the year

Spend an hour going through what actually happened.

What did you deliver? Where did scope expand beyond what was originally agreed? What did the client specifically praise? What did they push back on?

Be honest with yourself. A renewal conversation built on accurate information is much stronger than one built on “it’s been a great year.”

Bring numbers if you have them. Delivered X projects, hit Y deadlines, scope grew by Z hours beyond the original brief. Specifics are persuasive. Vague positivity isn’t.

Decide what you want before you pick up the phone

Most people walk into a renewal conversation without a clear position. They end up accepting whatever the client proposes.

Know your numbers before the call. What rate increase are you asking for? What scope changes do you want to formalise? What’s your walk-away point if the client wants to cut the engagement?

Deciding these things mid-conversation, under pressure, rarely goes well. Deciding them the day before, calmly, with time to think, goes much better.

Prepare something short to share

Two or three pages is enough. What you worked on, what you achieved, what you’d propose for the next phase.

Come with a recommendation, not a question. “Here’s what I think we should do next and why” is a much stronger opening than “what do you want to do?”

It signals you’ve thought seriously about the relationship. It’s also harder to say no to a specific proposal than to an open-ended conversation.

In the conversation itself

Start by asking the client how they felt the year went. Listen to the actual answer, not just waiting for your turn to speak. You’ll learn things that are useful regardless of how the renewal goes.

Then make your ask. Rate, scope, term. Simple and direct.

After you make the ask, stop talking. The instinct is to fill silence by softening your position. Don’t. Let the client respond.

If they push back, find out what the objection actually is. Pushing back on price is different from pushing back on the relationship. Knowing the difference changes how you respond.

Why this all depends on one thing

None of this works if you find out the contract expires in two weeks.

Preparation takes time. Time requires knowing the renewal is coming well in advance.

Expiro sends automatic alerts at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days before every contract expires. The 90-day alert is your trigger to start this process.

See how it works for agencies and freelancers, or see how it compares to what you’re using now.

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