What each model really pays for
A monthly retainer pays for effort: someone's time, tools and a campaign running. It is predictable for the agency. You carry the risk that the effort does not turn into meetings.
Pay per qualified meeting pays for an outcome. The agency carries more of the risk, so it cares a lot about who counts as qualified and which markets are worth working.
Neither is automatically better. What matters is that the incentive matches what you actually want, which is revenue, not activity.
Questions to ask before you sign anything
- Who defines "qualified"? If the agency alone decides, you will pay for weak meetings. It should be a written checklist you agree to. See how to write one.
- What happens if the prospect does not show up? You should not pay for a meeting that did not happen.
- Is ad spend or tooling separate? Some quotes look cheap until the media budget, software and setup fees are added.
- Is there a minimum term? Long lock-ins move the risk back to you.
- Who owns the accounts, lists and data? If you leave, you should be able to take your pipeline with you.
- What do you see each week? You should be able to see what ran, what was booked and what each meeting cost.
The hidden costs of a retainer
A retainer is not a bad deal when the agency is good. The risk is the slow months. If the first ninety days are spent "testing", you have paid for ninety days of learning on your own budget. Ask what you will have at day 30, day 60 and day 90, and what happens if the numbers are not there.
The hidden costs of pay-per-meeting
Outcome pricing can tempt a provider to book anything that fits the letter of the definition. That is why the checklist and the weekly review matter. It also means the price per meeting should reflect how hard your market is, so be wary of one flat rate that ignores your industry.
When a retainer makes sense
A retainer fits well when you want ongoing strategic work that is not about booked meetings, for example positioning, content or a larger multi-channel programme. For a clear goal like "more qualified conversations with the right buyers", paying for the outcome is easier to judge.
Our approach
We work on a pay-per-qualified-meeting basis, agreed up front with a written definition and no lock-in period. If you want to see what that looks like in practice, our case studies show the results behind it.