Why We Dislike 12-Month Agency Retainers
Legacy digital marketing agencies demand 12-month lock-in contracts before delivering a single qualified lead. We operate on engineering accountability: a standalone 14-day sprint designed to prove conversational lead acquisition before any ongoing retainer is finalized.
Every pilot contract specifies hard SQL delivery targets. If missed, agency execution continues at $0 until delivery.
100% of your media budget flows directly to conversational platforms. We never charge percentage-of-spend kickbacks.
After the pilot, choose flexible 30-day rolling agreements. You maintain complete control over your growth budget.
Transparent pricing.
Zero hidden retainers.
Choose the tier tailored to your acquisition stage. All tiers operate with zero media markup and a 14-day performance guarantee.
Starter
For businesses testing AI search visibility & initial category intent.
A rapid, de-risked sprint to evaluate your category’s conversational prompt volume, test custom Context Hints, and capture first SQLs.
Expected: Validate CPQL & generate verified pipeline in < 72 hours
Growth
For businesses actively acquiring customers and scaling pipeline.
Our core engagement for high-growth B2B SaaS, FinTech, and Services companies replacing saturated, overpriced Google Search auctions.
Expected: 3.8x higher SQL volume at 62% lower CAC
Scale
For businesses building AI-driven acquisition infrastructure.
For category-defining organizations requiring custom conversational architectures, multi-product lines, and global market distribution.
Expected: Total conversational category dominance
Net commercial pricing in USD. Applicable US state sales tax or local international reverse charge applies.
How Our Pricing Model Operates
We do not take arbitrary % markups on your media budget. You pay the ad platform directly; our management fee is based strictly on engineering complexity and Context Hint depth.
Every new engagement begins with a 14-day validation sprint. If we do not achieve agreed SQL and pipeline benchmarks, we continue campaign management at zero fee until we do.
After the 14-day sprint, retainers are month-to-month with 30 days notice. We earn retention every single sprint through measurable pipeline revenue and CAC efficiency.
Calculate your customer acquisition leverage.
Google charges you $70+ per click for search traffic that bounces. Compare how reallocating budget into AI conversational search slashes CAC by up to 72% with zero bot waste.
Explore full unit economics waterfalls, 3-year compounding models, and CFO sensitivity matrices on the dedicated page.
14-Day Pilot Service Level Agreement (SLA) Clause
// REPRODUCED FROM ADGPT MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT (MSA) SCHEDULE B:
§ 4.2 PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE & REMEDY:
“Agency warrants that the 14-Day Pilot Sprint shall deliver the agreed Milestone Key Performance Indicators (‘Milestone KPIs’) specified in Work Order Annex A (including minimum qualified sales pipeline value and verified LLM citation expansion).
In the event Agency fails to achieve the specified Milestone KPIs within fourteen (14) calendar days following campaign launch, Agency shall continue to furnish all optimization, media engineering, and reporting services at ZERO ($0.00) ADDITIONAL AGENCY FEE until such Milestone KPIs are fully satisfied.”
Legacy Agency Retainers vs. AdGPT Performance Architecture
Compare contract flexibility, risk allocation, and incentive alignment.
| Contract Dimension | Traditional Marketing Agencies | AdGPT Performance Model |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Commitment | 6 to 12-month binding contract | 14-day standalone pilot sprint ($4,500) |
| Downside Protection | None; agency retains fees regardless of performance | Full risk reversal; work at $0 until target is hit |
| Media Spend Billing | 15% – 20% markup on top of ad spend | 0% markup; clients bill platforms directly |
| Post-Pilot Contract | Automatic auto-renewing annual terms | Month-to-month rolling agreements (30-day notice) |
| Deliverables Focus | Outputs (blog posts, impression counts, hours logged) | Outcomes (SQLs, verified LLM citations, closed pipeline) |
The 14-Day Pilot Sprint Timeline
A rapid, disciplined deployment methodology that delivers validated leads and citation lift in under two weeks.
Discovery & Baseline
Brand knowledge audit across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. Calibrate CRM pipeline goals and target prompts.
Schema & Triples
Deploy JSON-LD entity structures, fix citation conflicts, and harmonize third-party directory listings.
Campaign Flighting
Launch targeted conversational sponsored units and intent-mirrored response funnels on conversational channels.
Review & Transition
Reconcile closed-loop CRM leads and pipeline data. Present scale retainer options or activate zero-fee continuation.
Frequently Asked Commercial Questions
How does the 14-day performance guarantee work?
Before launching your pilot, we mutually agree upon minimum qualification metrics (e.g., 5 verified sales-qualified meetings or a 40% increase in generative engine brand citations). If we do not hit those benchmarks by Day 14, we continue operating your campaigns at zero agency fee until the target is achieved.
Are media spend budgets included in the pilot or retainer pricing?
No. The pilot sprint ($4,500) and retainers ($8,500–$18,500/mo) cover our engineering, data pipeline architecture, schema optimization, and growth management. Direct media spend on AI platforms (Perplexity, sponsored conversational units) is paid directly by your team to the ad platforms with zero markup.
Do you require long-term annual contracts?
No. All engagements begin with a standalone 14-day pilot sprint. Following successful pilot validation, retainers operate on month-to-month rolling agreements with a standard 30-day notice period. We earn your business every 30 days.
Can we roll the pilot sprint fee into our monthly retainer?
Yes. For enterprise teams that transition into our Growth or Enterprise Retainers within 7 days of pilot completion, 50% of your pilot sprint fee ($2,250) is credited toward Month 1 retainer fees.