‍Before you fire your agency, ask yourself: Who’s leading your vision?

I hear it all the time:

“We’re not seeing results from our marketing agency.”
“Our SEO sucks.”
“That ad campaign was a complete waste.”

Sound familiar?

Here’s the truth: Agencies don’t drive vision. Leaders do.

That moment of frustration you feel with your vendors? It might not be their fault. It might be that no one ever gave them a playbook worth running.

Strategy First, Execution Second

Before you point fingers, take a step back and ask a deeper question:“What is our strategy?”

Can you clearly answer how you want your company to be positioned in the market?

Can you articulate the problems you solve better than your competitors?

Can your team repeat the message you’re trying to send every day?

If not, blaming your agency, or any vendor for that matter, is a distraction. Vendors execute. They don’t create your “why.”

Without clear direction, vendors will gladly keep billing you, while flying completely blind.

Why Vendor Relationships Really Fail

Let’s break it down. Here are the actual reasons most vendor relationships underperform—and what to do about them:

1. No Clear KPIs

If you're not tracking results, how do you know what’s working?

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) must be defined before you spend a dime on services.

Otherwise, you’re tossing dollars out the window and calling it “marketing.”

2. No Aligned Brand Message

Even within franchise systems, your local brand presence matters.

What are you known for?

What do you want to be known for?

Without alignment across your messaging, your content becomes noise instead of impact.

3. No Internal Marketing Calendar

This one’s simple, but most teams still miss it.

If you don’t have a clear plan for what you’re posting, promoting, or launching each week, your marketing is reactive, not strategic.

A calendar is more than scheduling, it’s your tool for consistency, analysis, and alignment.

4. No One Reviewing Performance

This one stings: You’re investing 5% of your revenue into marketing, and no one is owning the results.

If you’re not reviewing ROI monthly or quarterly, you’re marketing in the dark.

Assign someone to lead the review process, or don’t be surprised when things stall out.

5. Chasing Tactics, Not Strategy

Shiny objects are everywhere. TikTok ads. New email software. AI tools.

But here’s the thing, none of it matters without a strategy.

Tactics amplify good strategy.

They can’t replace it.

The Fix: Hire the Architect, Not Just the Builder

You don’t need more software. You don’t need a new agency (yet). You need someone to lead the strategy.

That’s the role of a Chief Sales & Marketing Officer (CSMO). This is the person responsible for aligning your sales goals, your brand message, your marketing channels, and your vendor partnerships—into a focused, revenue-generating machine.

Can’t Afford a Full-Time CSMO?

Consider hiring a Fractional CSMO, a seasoned expert who brings high-level leadership, accountability, and structure to your organization at a fraction of the cost.

They’ll:

• Create or refine your core strategy
• Set KPIs for every vendor
• Review performance monthly and quarterly
• Align marketing efforts to business outcomes
• Hold every dollar accountable for ROI

“Don’t blame the hammer for poor construction when you never hired an architect.”

Build the System Before You Judge the Output

Before you cancel your next vendor contract, audit your internal structure.

Do you have a documented strategy?
Do you know who owns it?
Do your vendors even have what they need to succeed?

Because without that, the problem isn’t them.

The problem is no one’s holding the blueprint.

SML