How do we price outcomes when we often don’t own the events that drive the client’s business result.

My day started with a question from a CEO of a 100-person creative & media agency:

“How do we price outcomes when we often don’t own the full chain of events that drive the client’s business result?”

It’s a question I hear a lot—especially from integrated agencies that sit somewhere between brand strategy and activation.

They create incredible work that shapes markets and moves people, but they don’t run sales, e-commerce, or distribution. So when trying to price for “business outcomes,” it can feel risky.

Here’s how I replied:

When I say “outcomes,” I don’t mean the ultimate business KPIs like revenue, market share, or CLV—those lagging indicators are rarely fully in an agency’s control.

I mean the leading indicators you can credibly influence that predict those results.

Things like:

• Increased brand consideration or preference

• Higher engagement or trial adoption

• Improved marketing efficiency or conversion velocity

Those are measurable outcomes and often, the most powerful proof of your agency’s impact.

In our work, we teach teams to define a Scope of Value before a scope of work. It helps identify:

• What the agency can own

• What it can influence

• And what sits outside its control

That clarity changes pricing conversations entirely. It moves the discussion from “how much effort will this take?” to “how much change can we create?”

It’s also the foundation for true value-based partnerships—where the agency and client can confidently tie compensation to outcomes that both sides can stand behind.

You don’t have to control every business result to price for outcomes. You just have to define the ones you can credibly create.

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This post is part of our “FAQ Series,” where I share real questions from agency leaders and my answers. Have a question you’d like answered? Send it over.