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Out of Scope

is cms training out of scope?

Yes — building a working CMS and teaching the client to operate it are two different services, and training added after handoff is typically outside your build fee. The exception is an agreement that explicitly bundled a handover or training session.

Why this answer

There's a meaningful difference between delivering a working system and transferring the skill to run it. Your build fee buys the first: a CMS that functions, configured and handed over in working order. Training buys the second: your time spent teaching a person how to operate it, answering their questions live, walking them through workflows, and being available while they learn. Those are distinct services with distinct costs. Building is solitary, scheduled work you control; training is interactive, calendar-bound time spent in someone else's learning curve, often spread across multiple sessions as questions surface. Clients conflate them because both involve 'the CMS,' but delivering a tool and tutoring its user are no more the same than selling a car and teaching someone to drive. Unless your agreement named a handover or training session as part of the package, the request to teach is a new service layered on top of a completed build. A short written handover doc may reasonably be part of delivery; live, repeated instruction is its own engagement.

When the answer flips

The verdict moves toward In Scope when your agreement explicitly included a handover, onboarding, or training session — then teaching the client is exactly what you committed to. It softens when the 'training' is trivial: a five-minute answer to a single how-do-I question is usually goodwill, not a billable session. It can also be reasonable to include a brief written guide or a short walkthrough video as part of a professional delivery, since that documents the system without consuming open-ended live time. The sharp flip toward Out of Scope is anything recurring or open-ended — standing office hours, repeated live sessions, ongoing availability for questions as new staff arrive — because that's a support relationship, and support is a service with its own ongoing cost rather than a tail end of the build.

What to do next

Say yes to helping, then define what help looks like. Distinguish a one-time handover from ongoing support out loud, because the client may not realize they're different. Offer training as a clearly scoped service: a fixed-length session, or a small block of sessions, at a set rate, with a short agenda so both sides know what's covered. Where a written guide or recorded walkthrough would serve the need, offer that too — it scales better than live time and often answers most questions. If the client wants continued availability, propose a support arrangement (a monthly retainer or a pay-as-you-go rate) rather than absorbing it. Put whatever you agree in writing, and consider adding a handover line to future contracts so the boundary between build and training is set before delivery.

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Frequently asked questions

Isn't showing the client how to use what I built just part of delivering it?+

Delivering means handing over a working system, often with documentation; it doesn't automatically mean tutoring the user live. A short written handover or a brief walkthrough can reasonably round out a professional delivery. But repeated, interactive instruction — sitting with someone while they learn the workflows — is teaching, which is a service in its own right. The line is between documenting the tool and spending open-ended live time training its operator.

How should I price a CMS training session?+

Scope it by time and quantity rather than leaving it open. A fixed-length session at a set rate, or a small block of sessions for a bundled price, gives the client a clear cost and protects you from an endless series of 'one more question' calls. Pair it with an agenda so the session stays focused. If the need is really ongoing, price that as support rather than stretching a single training fee to cover unlimited future help.

What if the client says they can't use the site without training?+

Needing the training doesn't fold it into the build fee; it just means the client is choosing to add a service the build didn't include. A well-built CMS with a clear handover is usable, and a good written guide closes much of the gap. If they still want live instruction, offer it as a scoped add-on. Necessity is a reason to buy the training, not a reason for you to provide it for free.

Should I include a training session in my build contracts by default?+

It's often smart, because it sets expectations and removes the post-handoff scramble. You can name a single onboarding session as part of the package and price the project accordingly, which clients appreciate and which caps your exposure. The key is to define it — one session of a set length — rather than leaving 'training' open-ended. That way you've satisfied the reasonable need while keeping ongoing instruction as a separate, paid arrangement.

What if new staff need training months later?+

That's a fresh request, not a leftover from the original build, and it's fair to charge for it. A training session you delivered at handoff covered the people there then; teaching someone hired later is new live time on your calendar. Treat it as a standalone training booking at your current rate, or fold it into a support arrangement if the client expects recurring needs. The original fee doesn't entitle them to train an unlimited future headcount.

Is a written guide or video a good substitute for live training?+

Often it's better, because it scales and the client keeps it. A concise written walkthrough or a short screen recording answers the common questions on demand, survives staff turnover, and frees you from repeating yourself live. You can offer it as part of delivery or as a reasonably priced deliverable on its own. Live sessions still help for complex workflows, but documentation handles the bulk of routine how-do-I questions far more efficiently.

Related reading

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