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AI Blocks

AI Blocks › Run meetings, notes and plans

Client communication planner

Share your client projects, current communication channels and approval problems. It sets a main channel, update rhythm and decision record for each relationship. You get a communication plan, clear approval roles and steps for raising issues before they delay the work.

Share how you work with clients. Get clear channels, update dates and a record for decisions and approvals.

Free · No account · MIT licence · Made by erphq · Tested · Updated 3 Nov 2026

What you get

What goes in

  • Your client projects and the client-side contacts on each
  • How you talk to each client today
  • Who approves work, and where documents live
  • What has gone wrong so far

What comes out

  • Client table: One main channel, one document home and one update day for each client.
  • Update calendar: Weekly, monthly and quarterly updates, each with a sender and what it covers.
  • Decision log format: The fields to record for every decision, so nobody argues about what was agreed.
  • Approval roles: Who signs off each deliverable, how, and who steps in if they go quiet.
  • Escalation path: How delays, risks and client staff changes get raised, to whom and by when.
  • Open questions: Anything you left out, marked MISSING so you can fill it in.
See the full layout

Every run hands it back in this order. Your details fill each gap.

CLIENT TABLE
<client> | <client contacts> | <main channel> | <document home> | <update day>

UPDATE CALENDAR
<weekly / monthly / quarterly> | <who sends> | <what it covers>

DECISION LOG FORMAT
<decision> | <who decided> | <date> | <why> | <what it changes>

APPROVAL ROLES
<deliverable type> | <approver> | <how they sign> | <backup>

ESCALATION PATH
<issue type> | <raised by> | <raised to> | <within how many days>

OPEN QUESTIONS
<items marked MISSING>

Is it for you?

Use it when

  • A client says "I did not know about that" and you want to stop it happening again.
  • You use email, chat and a shared board for one project and nothing is in one place.
  • A client sign-off is unclear and nobody can show who approved the work.

Skip it when

Fill it in

Add what this task works from, then copy the request.

  • The client projects you run, with the 1 to 5 client-side people on each
  • How you talk to each client today (email, chat, calls, a shared board)
  • Who approves work on each side, and where documents live now
  • What has gone wrong, such as late approvals or surprise issues
  • How often each client expects to hear from you (optional)
  • Source text (optional)

Run it

Download the complete instructions and supporting files. Add them to Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini once, then ask for it by name in any chat. Pasting the instructions into a chat works too.

Download all files

Before and after this skill

Choose the steps you need. Bring your own material when you have it.

Before

Bring the material listed under Fill it in.

This skill

Client communication planner

Open builder

After

Specialists who do this

Each one uses this as one of its methods for a bigger job. Hire one for free and give it the job in your own AI.

Details

From erphq. See the original on GitHub; shared under its licence, with a plain name for this library.

What it does

A client communication plan answers four plain questions for each client. Where do we talk? When do you hear from us? Who says yes to the work? What happens when something slips? Many small teams use email, chat, a shared board and texts for the same project. News gets lost, and a "we never agreed to that" fight has no record to settle it. This skill picks one main channel per client, then sets the update rhythm, the approval roles and a simple decision log. It is built for teams under 100 people with 5 to 30 clients. It turns what you tell it into a short plan you can send to each client. It will not send anything or change your tools.

What goes in and out

You give it

  • The client projects you run, with the 1 to 5 client-side people on each
  • How you talk to each client today (email, chat, calls, a shared board)
  • Who approves work on each side, and where documents live now
  • What has gone wrong, such as late approvals or surprise issues
  • How often each client expects to hear from you (optional)
  • Source text (optional)

You get

  • A client table with one main channel, document home and update day per client
  • An update calendar for weekly, monthly and quarterly check-ins
  • A decision log format with its fields
  • Named sign-off roles and a backup for each
  • An escalation path for delays, risks and client staff changes

Use it when

  • A client says "I did not know about that" and you want to stop it happening again.
  • You use email, chat and a shared board for one project and nothing is in one place.
  • A client sign-off is unclear and nobody can show who approved the work.
  • A new project manager takes over and needs to know how each client is handled.

More for Run meetings, notes and plans

Every run meetings, notes and plans skill

How the task works

  • Pick one main channel. Chooses one channel for talks, one place for documents and one for formal records per client.
  • Set the update rhythm. Sets weekly status, monthly review and, for key accounts, a quarterly review, each with a sender.
  • Define the decision log. Fixes the fields for every decision, and who may make it for the client.
  • Name approval roles. Says who signs off each deliverable, how they sign, and the backup if they go quiet.
  • Plan for trouble. Sets how delays, risks, scope changes and client staff changes are raised, and by when.

Full instructions

  • Open Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini. No code or files are needed, and nothing is sent for you.
  • Paste the skill text into the chat.
  • Paste your answers to the four questions in "You give". One short paragraph per client works.
  • Check the client table first. Fix any channel or contact it got wrong, and answer the items marked MISSING.
  • Copy the decision log and the sign-off rules into your shared document or board. Send each client their own update dates.
  • Next, if a delay needs a message, use the Weekly status update writer or the Executive update drafter.

Words used in this task

  • Decision log: A running list of what was decided, by whom and when.
  • Escalation path: The steps and people for raising a problem that is stuck.
  • Sign-off: A clear yes from the client that a piece of work is approved.

Full instruction file

Client Collaboration — Under 100 People

Before you start

Use the material below to do this job. If facts or tool access are missing, explain what you can finish and what must wait.

What you need (use your own material or the linked skill):

  • Your question (yours): the decision or problem, and what a good outcome looks like.

Makes it better (optional):

  • Source text (yours): a long source in full: an article, a video or talk transcript, or notes from a book, with its title, author and link.

How to start:

  1. Look first. Use what they've already attached, pasted or put in their about-me note. In a coding assistant with file access, look in the project too for these by name.
  2. Check what's missing. Look for your question, source text. They can attach files, paste the details, or share a file path your assistant can read. Ask only for missing facts that change the result. If they ask you to start with what they have, complete the parts you can and mark the gaps.
  3. Do the job. Follow the skill below with the facts and tools you have. Mark each gap with MISSING: where it belongs and never invent a fact to fill it.

Tools that do this best:

  • Any good chat AI: It only needs your text answers. It does not read or change your tools.
How to run this skill in a chat

Added by AI Blocks. The method below is the original. This part tells you how to run it with no tools.

Use it when: a team under 100 people works with clients (5 to 30 at a time) and needs one clear way to talk, update and sign off. Skip it when: the client is a large company with 1,000+ staff and a dedicated account team, or you only need a single status email.

Ask for these first (ask once, in one message). Mark anything still unknown as MISSING. Never invent a client, tool, name or date.

  1. The client projects, and the client-side people on each (1 to 5 people).
  2. How you talk to them today (email, chat, calls, a shared board).
  3. Who approves work on each side, and where documents live now.
  4. What has gone wrong: late approvals, "we never agreed that", surprises, too many channels.

Then produce this plan, in this order:

  1. Client table. One row per client: stakeholders, main channel, shared document home, update day and format.
  2. Update calendar. Weekly status, monthly review, quarterly review for key accounts. Say who sends each one.
  3. Decision log format. The fields: decision, who decided, date, why, what it changes. Add one blank row.
  4. Approval roles. Who signs off each type of deliverable, how they sign (email reply, board tick, e-signature), and the backup if they go quiet.
  5. Escalation path. Who raises a delay or a risk, to whom, within how many days, and what happens when a client contact changes.
  6. Open questions. The MISSING items you need answered.

Rules: Pick one main channel per client. Recommend only tools the team already uses unless asked. Several tools named below (Slack Connect, Basecamp, Asana, Notion, client portals) may need a paid plan, so say to check the plan before you suggest one. Draft only. Never send a message or change a live system. Keep the plan to two pages.

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 (source reference: ../project-planning/SKILL.md) — collaboration on project execution
  • Time & Expense (source reference: ../time-expense/SKILL.md) — client-billable visibility
  • Billing (source reference: ../billing/SKILL.md) — invoicing relationship
  • Customer 360 (source reference: ../../../sales-crm/01-org-under-100/customer-360/SKILL.md) — client context
  • Contracts & Renewals (source reference: ../../../sales-crm/01-org-under-100/contracts-renewals/SKILL.md) — engagement renewal
  • Customer Satisfaction (source reference: ../../../customer-support/01-org-under-100/customer-satisfaction/SKILL.md) — satisfaction measurement
  • Enterprise Client Collaboration (1k+) (source reference: ../../03-org-1k-plus/client-collaboration/SKILL.md)
After this

When you've handed it back, suggest what they could do next in one short question. It's a suggestion: if they're done, that's fine. Offer these, and say they can type their own:

  • The Backup communication plan builder. It takes the document. If they pick one and that skill is added here, carry straight on with what you just made. If not, give the link and say what to bring.