Why Most Performance Deals Fail and What Top Agencies Do Instead

Think performance deals align incentives?

Think again.

Most agencies plant seeds (run ads and generate leads), then watch them die because they can’t control follow-up.

Here’s what the top 0.1% know: you’re not in performance marketing … you’re in hope marketing … unless you control every variable, from ad spend to booked appointment.

One of my clients in the legal space doesn’t stop at ads. They design landing pages, run campaigns, vet every lead, and book consultations directly on the firm’s calendar. The client pays per qualified appointment, not per lead.

Elite performance agencies don’t chase vanity metrics, they guarantee outcomes.

So before you enter an equity or performance deal, ask yourself:

“Can I control enough of the funnel to deliver real outcomes?”

If the answer is no, you’re gambling your margins on someone else’s follow-up.