How to price agency services without losing margin

1The 4 pricing models (and when to use each one)

Model	When to use	Risk	Typical margin
Hourly work	Short project, open scope	Client questions every hour	8-15%
Monthly fee (retainer)	Ongoing relationship, ≥6 months	Scope inflates over time	15-25%
Fixed package	Standardized, repeatable delivery	Underpriced it? You eat the cost	20-35%
Performance (% of results)	Mature client, clear metric	Unpredictable revenue	25-50%

The "hourly vs. value" trapWhen you charge by the hour, the client buys time. When you charge by value, the client buys results. Make the switch as soon as possible — even in a hybrid form (base fee + performance).

2Calculating real margin (not the fantasy margin)

Most agencies calculate margin like this: revenue − direct team salaries. Wrong. The real calculation needs to include the invisible costs.

// Real formula

Net margin = Revenue

− Direct cost (salaries + allocated freelancers)

− Rework cost (15-25% typical)

− Management cost (PM, BP, director)

− Overhead (systems, office, marketing)

− Taxes

= What's actually left over

Practical example: a R$ 50,000 project

Gross revenue	R$ 50.000
Direct cost (3 people × 40h × R$ 80)	− R$ 9.600
Estimated rework (20%)	− R$ 1.920
PM / management (10%)	− R$ 5.000
Allocated overhead (15%)	− R$ 7.500
Taxes (Simples 16%)	− R$ 8.000
Real net margin	R$ 17.980 (36%)

Apply this same calculation to every proposal before sending it. You'll discover that half of your current contracts are breaking even.

3The 6 invisible costs that kill your margin

Rework

Approvals that bounce back 3, 4, 5 times. Factor it into your next quotes.

Ownerless meeting

1-hour calls with 6 people to decide a button color. They eat up 15-20% of the team's time.

Elastic scope

"Since you're already at it, do this too" — it becomes part of the contract with no extra fee.

Manufactured urgency

After-hours work paid at the normal rate. It compresses margin and burns out the team.

Difficult client

Doubles PM time and creates emotional friction. A real psychological cost.

Default / late payment

30+ days late = lost working capital. It eats 2-4% of real revenue.

📊 BenchmarkIn agencies without strong governance, these 6 costs combined consume between 28% and 42% of the theoretical margin. In agencies with mature processes, it stays between 8% and 15%.

4How to anchor value (stop competing on price)

When a proposal enters the conversation without anchoring, the client compares you with the cheapest competitor. Anchoring flips that logic.

The structure of a proposal that sells at a premium

Diagnose the problem (in R$)

Don't talk about what you do. Talk about what the problem costs. "Every month without this structure costs R$ 38,000 in high CAC."

Present 3 options (not 1)

Basic (60% of price), Recommended (100%), Premium (180%). The human brain anchors on the middle option.

Explicit guarantee

A clear metric within 90 days. Failing that, "if it doesn't work out, we'll adjust together." Tie risk to the result, not the process.

Specific social proof

"Client X increased Y by Z%." Not a generic case study. A number, a timeframe, a comparison.

A single next step

Don't close with "let me know if you have any questions." Close with "shall we set day X to get started?"

5Repricing your client base: the taboo that costs dearly

The average agency hasn't raised prices in 2-3 years. Accumulated inflation over that span: 18-25%. In practice, you're giving a discount.

What does NOT work

• "We're going to pass on inflation" — it sounds bureaucratic and has no anchor
• Repricing all clients at once in the same month
• Announcing the increase via a generic email (template)
• Waiting for the client to push back before you "negotiate"

What does work

• An increase tied to delivering more scope or a new module
• An early 1:1 conversation (60 days ahead), never by email
• Showing a results report from the last cycle before proposing
• A staggered schedule (5-6 clients per month, not all at once)
• An automatic clause in every new contract (IPCA + 3%)

6Margin-destroying clients: 7 red flags at the proposal stage

⚑Asks for a quote with no brief and no meeting
⚑Compares price across 4-5 agencies before deciding
⚑Has more than 4 stakeholders approving creative
⚑Can't tell you which problem they want to solve
⚑Wants to start yesterday (manufactured urgency)
⚑Negotiates price before discussing scope
⚑Has a history of switching agencies every 12 months

3+ red flags? Reprice upward. 5+? Decline gracefully.

How Centriu sustains a healthy margin

A good margin isn't born in Excel. It's born from continuous visibility. Centriu modules target exactly where margin leaks:

Run

Measures actual hours per project vs. budgeted. Spots rework before the next proposal.

Gauge

A consolidated financial dashboard: margin by client, by project, by sales channel.

Orbit

Intelligent CPQ: generates a 3-option proposal, anchored on value, with version control.

Sentinel

Alerts you when a client's margin drops below the defined threshold. No need to open a report.