Control the Frame

The fastest way to kill your agency is to act like a vendor. Vendors get squeezed on price, micromanaged on process, and treated as replaceable.

Partners control the frame. They define the problem, shape the solution, and tie the work to business outcomes. Clients don’t argue with partners — they trust them.

The difference comes down to positioning. Vendors say, What do you want us to make? Partners say, Here’s what will move the needle. Vendors sell hours. Partners sell transformation.

Every high-ticket deal depends on this shift. If you let the client set the frame, you become a supplier. If you set the frame, you become a strategic ally. One gets orders. The other gets trust, scale, and margin.

Control the frame, or be controlled by it. There’s no middle ground.

Note: Written with AI assistance, edited with human judgment, published with zero apologies.