Free Client Brief Template

What are client briefs

A client brief is a crucial element for agency projects, it outlines the project goals, timeline, key milestones, budget and any specific requirements that have to be taken into account for the project. It helps ensuring that everyone involved on a project is aligned on the project expectations and objectives, which facilitates communication and minimize the risk of misunderstanding.

The client brief explains the project deliverables, expectations, summary, and details. All these components contribute to successful project planning and provide a roadmap for the project timeframe and strategy.

How to write an effective client brief

Writing a client brief is one of the first step of a project. An effective client brief should accurately define the project goals to give the team clear guidelines.

Before starting to write the brief, it is important to understand the client's business, including its priorities, target market and business problems. By doing so, agencies can provide clear guidelines and align on project goals, requirements, and deliverable outcomes with the client's expectations. It also allows to create effective communication frameworks, to discuss the project details, timeline and milestones. This ensures a clear and shared view on the project strategies, and fosters confidence in achieving the project deliverables within the agreed timeframe.

1. Set objectives and goals

It's imperative to establish clear goals and objectives for the project summary. Start by discussing with the client to understand what is the project goal and their expectations. It'll be then possible to define objectives and key results (OKRs), that should make it easier to track the project progress. Along with the project goal, agencies should discuss the target audience with their clients. A good project strategy features clear guidelines to drive the project execution, and make sure all team members are align on expectations. It also foster a better communication, and lead to a better understanding of project requirements.

2. Outline project scope

This section should include the key deliverables that are expected from the project, and the associated timeline. The project scope also outline what is the budget allocated for this project and if there are any constraints in terms of resources.

Setting a realistic budget and timeline help actualize project goals by providing clear guidelines for project execution. It is essential to understand the project requirements and expectations to set a budget and project timeline that align with the overall strategy. Good communication will make it easier to identify potential business problems and find solutions.

3. Define project milestones

With the project timelines and objectives in mind, key milestones can be defined and included in the brief. Defining milestones will faciliate the project tracking and provide a clear plan for its execution.

4. Gather brand guidelines

The client may have requirements in terms of branding or messaging. Some clients are giving more freedom than others, it's important to understand what is required to avoid misunderstanding during the project run.

6. Identify key stakeholders

Identify the key stakeholders that will take part to the project.

What to expect from a client brief

A client brief should provide clear guidelines on project requirements, including project goals, expected deliverables, and a project timeline. It's used as a road map to execute the project.

Clear direction for the project

The first step in project execution is to provide a clear direction. This is achieved by setting well-defined project goals, outlining the project requirements, and understanding the business problem at hand. The overall strategy for the project is then developed with clear guidelines to ensure that expectations are met within the project timeframe.

Communication is key in sharing the project strategy and details to the team. This will help ensure that everyone involved on the project is on the same page and reduce the risk of potential setbacks. The project summary should outline the target market, project deliverables, and project timeline to provide a detailed overview of the project.

Understanding of the client's expectations

Understanding the client's expectations is key to successfully run a project and meet its goals. This involves having clear communication about the project requirements, overall strategy, project deliverables, and target market. A project summary with clear guidelines, timelines, and key project details should ensure a shared understanding and avoid any discrepancies down the line.

Insight into the client's business

Understanding the client's business will help in defining the appropriate strategy to meet the business goals.

Common mistakes in writing client briefs and how to avoid them

Common mistakes in writing client briefs can include overlooking clear guidelines for project execution, missing crucial project details, and failing to articulate the expected project deliverables. This can lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings, putting at risk the overall strategy and project goals.

Vague objectives

In order to define the project strategy, it is crucial to have clear guidelines. In addition, keeping in mind the project timeline helps ensure that the project goals are met effectively.

Managing expectations along the way becomes easier with an established project strategy.

The final step involves discussing the project deliverables and aligning them within the project timeframe. Throughout the process, clear communication remains vital to a successful strategy implementation.

Insufficient information about the target audience

Our target market consists of businesses in need of comprehensive project execution strategies. We can assist with clearly defined project requirements, overall strategy, and delivering on project goals within an agreed-upon timeframe.

Effective communication is an essential part of our operations. We strive to understand the business problem at hand, set clear guidelines, and manage expectations for project deliverables.

We are keen on providing a thorough project summary that contains all the relevant project details and an explicit project timeline to facilitate seamless project strategy implementation.

Unrealistic budget and timeline

An unrealistic budget and timeline can greatly affect project execution and overall strategy. Setting unrealistic expectations on the project timeframe and project details may result in rushed and poor quality of project deliverables. This can eventually lead to business problems and ineffective communication among team members.

Further, a poorly constructed budget may not accurately reflect the project requirements, leading to financial constraints that could endanger the achievement of project goals. Providing clear guidelines regarding the project timeline and budget early on can help to manage expectations and plan appropriately.

Using project management tools for client briefs

Project management tools are crucial to properly handle briefs. They facilitate clear communication among team members, help align project goals with the overall strategy of the company, and can be used to devise the project execution plan. These tools assist in outlining the project requirements and setting a clear timeline for the project deliverables.

Furthermore, they ensure clear guidelines are established from inception to project summary, detailing a full understanding of the business problem, client's target market, and sticking to the project timeframe. The ability to organize project details and manage expectations is crucial in a project's success.

Therefore, project management tools provide a robust project strategy, create strong channels for communication, and simplify tracking of project deliverables within the stipulated project timeframe.

How to use Bonsai for Client Briefs?

Using a tool like Bonsai can significantly improve project execution and management. Bonsai provides you client brief templates, that you can easily fill-in and send to your clients for signature. In addition, it's a project management platform that allows you to organize ad prioritize project tasks easily. After breaking down the project into different tasks, you can create and assign them in Bonsai. Each task can be further defined with a priority level, start and end dates, time estimate and you can add custom fields to add more details. Using Bonsai also helps visualize the project's progress, with the Kanban board, or timeline and task dependencies with the Gantt chart.

Boost your client communication using Bonsai's client portal. You'll be able to centralize all project communications and keep your clients in the loop witht the intuitive and user-friendly portal.

‍

Conclusion: The power of a well-written client brief

In conclusion, the power of a well-written client brief cannot be underestimated. Clear guidelines and precise project requirements can set the stage for successful project execution. Not only does it define the project goals and expectations, but it also outlines the overall strategy in solving a business problem.

Moreover, a comprehensive brief provides an accurate project summary, including the target market, project deliverables, and estimated project timeframe. By effectively facilitating communication, it ensures all participants are on the same page.

Through a detailed project strategy that includes the project timeline and project details, the brief serves as a crucial tool for decision making and tracking progress.