Jemicah Marasigan
Content Marketing Manager
When you started your agency, you probably weren’t dreaming about spreadsheets, timelines, or task checklists.
You were thinking about the work. The bold ideas. The clients who trusted you with their brands. The creative energy that comes with building something from scratch — and the thrill of finally seeing it land.
But now? You’re managing a team of 15, 20, maybe 30 people. You’ve got real clients, real deliverables, and real stakes. And as the agency grows, so does the complexity.
You may even find yourself wondering:
Why did that task slip through the cracks?
Did my team actually send the final version to the client?
Who’s in charge of that next step?
You don’t need more hustle. You need a better way to run the business.
That’s where a client and project management platform like Copper makes all the difference. And we’re not talking about the clunky kind that requires a two-week onboarding course. We’re talking about a system that fits your team. That works with your CRM (or even inside it!). A system that your team will actually want to use.
Here’s how real agency leaders are applying project management features in Copper to create structure without killing creativity — and momentum without burnout. They:
Because when the work is organized, your team gets to focus on what they do best — and your agency gets to thrive because of it.
1. With onboarding that gives them a clear starting point every time a new client signs on
You know the feeling when a new client signs on. It’s exciting. There’s energy in the room. Your team is fired up and already brainstorming. But unless that energy is channeled into a plan, it turns into chaos… and fast.
What you want is a seamless onboarding experience. What you don’t want is for your team to scramble to figure out who’s doing what, when the kickoff is, or what deliverables were promised. That’s where templates come in.
In Copper, you can build a go-to onboarding project. As soon as the deal is marked “Won,” your team launches the template, assigns tasks across design, strategy, and accounts, and gets rolling. Everyone knows what’s on their plate. You’re not micromanaging, you’re empowering.
The client gets a first impression that screams professionalism. And your team? They get to focus on doing what they do best, without the mental load of remembering every single detail.
2. By guiding them through complex, multi-phase projects without getting stuck
A lot of your client work doesn’t happen in a single sprint. Maybe your consulting team is deep into a three-month strategy engagement, or your creatives are leading a multi-stage rebrand. There’s research. There’s production. There’s review and reporting. And somewhere along the way… things start slipping.
You’ve seen it before: someone finishes phase one but doesn’t know where to go next. A timeline changes, and now people are blocked or duplicating work. Your team’s carefully crafted plan starts to unravel and you’re left playing traffic controller.
With Copper, every phase lives in one place.
You or your project lead can break big goals down into subtasks, assign them by owner, and move things around when timelines shift. And the best part? Everyone still knows where things stand.
No more jumping between spreadsheets and Slack threads to figure out status. No more “Hey, did anyone ever…” It’s all visible, all the time.
3. By making retainer client work feel manageable
Retainers are the lifeblood of many agencies. They bring in recurring revenue and allow your team to build long-term relationships. But they can also be quietly chaotic, especially when every month brings new tasks, shifting priorities, and quick-turn client requests.
Maybe your content team is working across 10 clients, each with a slightly different process. You’ve heard your team say things like, “I think that’s due Thursday?” or “Didn’t someone already do that last month?” That uncertainty? It’s costing you time.
With Copper, your team can use filters and view tasks by client, due date, or type of deliverable. Monthly work becomes predictable.
You’re not breathing down anyone’s neck. You’re giving them the systems to move confidently, without having to carry everything in their head. That’s what real leadership looks like.
4. By turning sales handoffs into smooth transitions
You worked hard to close the deal. Maybe you pitched for weeks, customized a proposal, and finally landed a new client project. It’s a win — but it’s also a handoff. And if that handoff is clunky? You risk losing all that hard-earned trust.
This is where so many agencies drop the ball: sales lives in one system, delivery in another. The client ends up repeating themselves, and your team starts a project half-blind.
With Copper, you don’t have to live in silos. The moment the deal is closed, the project kicks off right inside the same opportunity. Your delivery team sees every note, every email, every expectation set during the sales process. They walk in with full context and confidence.
You’re not just delivering great work. You’re building a connected client experience from day one.
5. By keeping everyone aligned without needing constant check-ins
As your agency grows, your projects get more complex. You’ve got designers, writers, project managers, freelancers, and strategists all playing different roles on the same project. And while your team is brilliant, they’re not mind readers.
What often happens is this: one team member finishes a task, but no one knows. Someone else is blocked and waiting on feedback. Status updates happen in DMs, and eventually, someone drops the ball.
Copper keeps everyone in the loop, without the mental gymnastics. Tasks are shared in one place. Lists are easily visible. Statuses update in real time. And with the ability to @mention teammates in tasks, notes, and comments, you can loop the right people in instantly. So when the logo is approved, the copywriter doesn’t need to ask, they already know. When a strategy deck is ready for review, the PM gets tagged and jumps in right away.
And it's not just your team who stays informed: clients do too. Thanks to pipeline email automations, Copper can send timely updates to your clients based on the stage they’re moved to. So they’re never left wondering what’s next, and you’re not stuck rewriting the same update for the tenth time.
6. By giving them pipeline templates they can duplicate for every new client
You’ve seen what a smooth client experience looks like — clear steps, nothing falling through the cracks, and a team that’s always one step ahead. So why not make that your default?
With Copper, you can create pipeline templates for every type of service you offer. Onboarding a new client? Just duplicate your existing pipeline. Discovery call, kickoff, asset requests, feedback loops — it’s all there, ready to go. No more starting from scratch or reinventing the process each time.
Your team works faster. Your clients feel taken care of. And you get a repeatable system that sets every project up for success.
7. Handling client curveballs with grace (and no lost emails)
You know how it goes: a client fires off a “quick ask” mid-project — maybe it’s a metrics recap, a messaging tweak, or an extra asset. Your team says yes… but somewhere between Slack, inboxes, and to-do lists, the request quietly disappears.
Enter Copper Chrome Extension’s new email composer. Now, when that curveball lands in your inbox, you can reply and turn it into a task in the same flow — no tab-switching, no copy-paste. Just action, right where you’re already working.
It’s not just about staying organized. It’s about building trust. When clients know your team doesn’t drop things, they come back again and again.
8. By making it easy to show progress so clients see the value before they have to ask
Your team’s doing the work — hitting deadlines, pushing creative, refining strategy. But if clients can’t see that progress, they start to wonder what they’re paying for.
With Copper, you don’t have to wait for that awkward “Can we get an update?” email. You can set up automated email updates that trigger based on the pipeline stage, so clients get a heads-up the moment things move forward. No rewriting the same recap for every account — just set it, personalize it once, and let Copper handle the rest.
And when a client does reach out with questions? Your team isn’t digging through threads or chasing someone down for an update. Every note, task, and deliverable is right there in Copper — searchable and shareable.
Even better? You can lean on AI-powered email templates to pull in the right tone, details, and next steps in seconds. So whether you’re sending a project update, sharing a milestone, or prepping for a review, it’s fast, easy, and on brand.
Clients feel informed. You look buttoned-up. And your team gets back to the work that actually moves things forward.
You don’t need more tools, you need a better way to run the business you already built
At this stage, you’ve outgrown sticky notes and Slack-only planning. That’s why Copper’s project features are built for agencies like yours: growing fast, moving fast, and ready to scale without losing the soul of what makes you great.
You don’t have to be in every meeting. You don’t have to chase every status update. You just need one connected place for your team to plan, deliver, and shine.
Want to see how it all comes together? Try Copper for free and turn project management into your agency’s new superpower.
Because behind every thriving agency is a team that knows what’s next — and a leader like you who helped make that happen.
