In this week's AgencyHabits Podcast, Peter and Sei-Wook introduce the concept of engagement yield: the idea that every client engagement should generate returns far beyond the invoice.

Revenue is obvious. You agree on scope, you deliver, you get paid. But the best agencies extract much more from every engagement, and that's what compounds over time.

They break it down into four components:

• Proof: Case studies, testimonials, portfolio assets. The stuff that makes the next sale easier. Relevance and recency matter more than volume.
• Leverage: SOPs, templates, frameworks. The operational knowledge that gets documented and shared, so you're not reinventing the wheel every time.
• Relationships: The trust you build with every stakeholder you meet. That junior marketing manager today might be the VP somewhere else in five years.
• Referrals: Warm introductions from happy clients. The clearest form of yield, and the one that requires a system, not luck.

Here's the uncomfortable part: it's possible to have negative engagement yield. Take the wrong client, drop the ball, and you're not just losing money - you're damaging reputation, burning relationships, and pushing referrals away.

Two opportunities with identical budgets can have very different yield potential. The long-term lens changes how you evaluate them.

Want to continue the conversation?

Our next FREE AgencyHabits Knowledge Share is happening Feb 18 at 12:30 PM ET, and we're tackling a topic that directly impacts your engagement yield: Your Ideal Client Profile.

We'll break down:

• Who you're built to serve best
• What triggers make them ready to buy
• How to define "success" so delivery doesn't miss
• And who to say no to, on purpose

The clients you select determine the yield you can generate. Get clearer on ICP, and everything else gets easier.

Who are we?

Hi, we're Peter and Sei-Wook, co-founders of Barrel Holdings, a portfolio of agency businesses. We also run AgencyHabits, a resource for agency operators featuring lessons learned from our various agency businesses.

Thanks for being a subscriber. If you or anyone you know is interested in selling their agency business, please check out what types of agencies we're looking for and email hi@barrel-holdings.com.

Also: Peter posts a lot of agency content on LinkedIn, give him a follow!