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Are You Buying Marketing, or Just Buying Motion? The Vendor vs. Partner Test.

Picture of Izzy Gregorio By  Izzy Gregorio  ·  2 minute read

Most agency relationships don't fail because people aren't working hard. They fail because the agreement is built around activities (hours, tasks, deliverables) rather than outcomes (pipeline, revenue, retention, conversions). If your monthly report starts with- We spent X hours, you're not getting strategy. You're getting a receipt.

 

The Real Problem is Misaligned Incentives

When an agency gets paid the same whether results go up or down, the client carries all the risk.

That's how you end up with:

  • Beautiful work that doesn't convert
  • Busy calendars and stagnant numbers
  • More content as the default solution
  • Reporting that explains what happened, but never changes what happens next

 

 

Vendor behavior vs partner behavior (quick scorecard)

Here's a simple way to tell what you're buying.

When a vendor sells output

  • Hours, tasks, and deliverables
  • Here's what we posted
  • Reports full of screenshots
  • A strategy that changes every week
  • Success is defined as staying busy

When a partner owns outcomes

  • A clear North Star metric
  • 2-3 leading indicators that predict the North Star
  • A weekly decision rhythm (not just a monthly report)
  • A documented- stop doing list
  • Creative tied to a measurable goal

If you can't point to the metric the agency is trying to move, you're not buying marketing. You're buying motion.

 

 

The simplest way to fix an agency relationship

You don't need a new agency first. You need a new agreement.

Start with three things:

  1. Define the outcome (one number that matters)
  2. Agree on the drivers (two leading indicators)
  3. Install a weekly control loop (15-30 minutes)

 

 

A 15-minute weekly control loop

Every week, same agenda:

  1. Review the North Star + 2 drivers (5 min)
  2. What moved? What didn't? (5 min)
  3. Pick one change for next week (5 min)

 

 

What this looks like in real life (3 examples)

The point of a control loop is simple: one meeting, one decision, one owner, one deadline.

 

Example 1: B2B service business (booked calls)

  • North Star: booked calls
  • Driver #1: landing page conversion rate
  • Driver #2: lead-to-call show rate

Week’s numbers:

  • Booked calls: 12 → 9 (down)
  • Landing page conversion: 3.2% → 2.1% (down)
  • Show rate: 78% → 80% (flat)

15-minute decision: the drop is happening before the call.

One change for next week: tighten the landing page offer and remove friction.

  • Replace the form with 3 fields instead of 8
  • Add 3 bullets: who it’s for, what they get, what happens next
  • Add 1 proof element (testimonial or mini case study)

Owner + deadline: marketing lead, by Wednesday.

 

 

Example 2: E-commerce brand (revenue)

  • North Star: weekly revenue
  • Driver #1: conversion rate
  • Driver #2: AOV (average order value)

Week’s numbers:

  • Revenue: flat
  • Conversion rate: 1.9% → 1.6% (down)
  • AOV: $74 → $79 (up)

15-minute decision: AOV is improving, but fewer people are buying.

One change for next week: fix the conversion leak on product pages.

  • Add a “Why this / what’s included” section above the fold
  • Add 5-star reviews closer to the add-to-cart
  • Add a simple shipping/returns line (reduce anxiety)

Owner + deadline: web/dev, by Friday.

 

 

Example 3: Local service business (appointments)

  • North Star: booked appointments
  • Driver #1: calls/forms per week
  • Driver #2: close rate

Week’s numbers:

  • Booked appointments: 18 → 18 (flat)
  • Calls/forms: 40 → 28 (down)
  • Close rate: 45% → 64% (up)

15-minute decision: the sales process improved, but top-of-funnel dropped.

One change for next week: increase lead volume with one fast channel.

  • Turn your #1 service into a Google Business Profile post + offer
  • Ask 5 recent happy customers for reviews (with a 1-sentence prompt)
  • Add a “Call now” button above the fold on the homepage

Owner + deadline: owner/ops, by Thursday.

 

 

If you're evaluating an agency right now

Ask these questions:

  • What outcome are you accountable for?
  • What are the leading indicators you'll track weekly?
  • What will you stop doing if it's not working?
  • Who is actually leading strategy day-to-day?

If the answers are vague, you already have your answer.