After three months, you know whether the collaboration is working. Why we have firmly integrated this exit point, even though it might cost us mandates.
The annual contract is convenient, but wrong
Traditionally, consulting mandates run for twelve months. This provides planning security for both sides: the consulting side can invest (setup, research, onboarding), and the client enters a process. Sounds reasonable.
The side effect: after the third month, you usually already know whether the collaboration is working. The chemistry either fits or it doesn't, expectations are realistic or not, the first results are there or not. But the contract still runs for nine months. Both sides continue to work because they have to. The motivation is gone, but the invoices keep coming.
We have integrated an exit point
After twelve weeks, there's an automatic review point. We sit down, go through the numbers, and talk honestly about the collaboration. If one side (or both) says: this isn't right, the mandate ends with a clean handover. Without notice period, without an exit debate, without a lawyer.
If both sides want to continue, it goes on until the next review quarter. This way, the mandate always remains in active mode. There's no point where one of the partners only participates out of contractual obligation.
What this costs us
Some clients reject this model. They want the security of an annual contract, calculable planning, and clear commitment. This is a legitimate wish, and we sometimes lose mandates because of it. So far (as of 2026), two mandates have not materialized for this reason.
What we gain: Clients who realize they've made a mistake in the third month can get out cleanly. They often become clients again later because they remember the fair exit. And we avoid mandates that are a grey area for nine months.
What the review quarter looks like in practice
Two hours, usually at our office in Zurich or via video call. Preparation: we prepare the hard numbers (traffic, leads, sales, attribution), the client prepares their subjective assessment (what has changed, what is still missing, where is the motivation). Then we discuss structured: what worked, what didn't, what is realistic for the next three months. At the end: continue with clear goals or a clean handover.
The client knows beforehand that this question will come up. This changes the collaboration in the first three months: both sides know that there's a real review point. This sharpens the focus.
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