Why you need to stop billing by the hour

If you're like most agencies, you are still primarily using the billable hour payment. This model relegates you to a manual laborer rather than a solution-driven partner. It also puts you and your clients at odds, rather than forging a better alliance. The good news is there's another way. Why do agencies use the billable hour? The main reason agencies still rely on the billable hour model is because this is how it has always been done. Change rarely comes naturally, whether we're talking about individuals or large corporations. People find it easier to keep doing things the same way instead of learning a new system. And truth be told, billing by the hour is definitely an easier process because most agencies are set up to track employees' time. But this method no longer works. It's outdated. Back in the days of heavy media buying, when the lion's share of billing was based on commissions, this method was great. But today's market is drastically different, and it has different needs. What's wrong with billing by the hour? This model is to the disadvantage of both the agency and the client for a number of reasons: It puts you at odds with your clients. They want to spend less, and you want to earn more. You don't get the opportunity to work together to discuss the value of your work, so one or both parties are usually dissatisfied with the payment. Similarly, it creates risk for clients since they don't know how many hours of work you will need to do to complete the job. They're forced to accept whatever bill you give them, which can make them suspicious and wary of you. It implies that [...]