Client Deck Handoff Protocol (Handoff)

Client Deck Handoff Protocol (Handoff)

1. 01

   Freeze the source file and record its render hash before anything leaves the agency

   Export the deck to PDF and editable PowerPoint from the same source revision, then store both alongside the source file in the client folder. If the two exports disagree on layout, the source is not frozen yet.

2. 02

   Run a brand-compliance pass against the client's current style guide

   Check logo clear space, approved hex values, and type scale on every master slide. A deck that ships with last quarter's palette reads as generic, which is the exact failure mode that erodes retainer renewals.

3. 03

   Confirm which platform features the client will touch after handoff

   Decide whether the client gets view-only links, an editable export, or a rebranded editor seat. Platforms such as Design Huddle support turnkey, embedded, and headless deployment, and each option changes what the client can break.

4. 04

   Strip agency-internal annotations, speaker notes, and placeholder copy

   Search for bracketed text, internal reviewer initials, and pricing scratchpads. Anything left in the file becomes a client-facing artifact the moment it is forwarded internally.

5. 05

   Document the regeneration path for future edits

   Write down the source format, the theme file, and the export command or menu path. Teams using plain-text authoring tools like Slaide or MDX-based builders such as SlideX can regenerate a deck in minutes; teams working from a binary file cannot.

6. 06

   Log the handoff in the account record with a named owner on each side

   Record who at the agency owns the next revision and who at the client approves it. Unnamed ownership is the most common cause of a deck stalling for two weeks after delivery.

7. 07

   Schedule a 30-day check on whether the client edited the deck themselves

   If they did, capture what they changed. Those edits are the cheapest brief you will ever get for the next statement of work.