Middle-man agencies are ripping people off. DON’T FALL FOR THE SCAM.
I’m going to let in on a little secret, one I learned from over 25 years of experience in the agency market. Agencies are scamming people. Their entire business model is predicated on your ignorance about the rates they charge vs the talent they pay. They make money because they charge you WAY more than they pay the people who do the work, all while pretending that you’re receiving top talent.
Imagine charging people in excess of $200 per hour for workers who make only $30-40. You rake in huge profits for doing little to no work, all while the customer overpays for work that is under-delivered. That’s the agency business model in a nutshell.
This is even true for business that use overseas talent. You might pay less, but the talent is making even less themselves, and in cases where communication is paramount (ex: marketing, software development) you will end up getting an inferior product that most certainly won’t meet your needs. Businesses struggle already to make things work and turn a profit. The last thing you need is a product that misses the mark all because a middle-man agency is scamming you and talent doesn’t speak your language.
Some agencies use a tiered model, where they have one “expert” who manages a team of juniors. They claim this saves money while providing expert level results. I’m here to tell you that this is a lie. The quality of work is ONLY ever as good as the person doing it. Managers don’t make quality. People do. People with talent and with passion. You’re paying a hefty fee, expecting the best for your money, and agencies are putting the cheapest people they can find on the job. You’re paying for Tom Brady, but getting the backup quarterback from pop-warner.
I once had the displeasure of working with a marketing agency that was so lazy, so devious, that they charged my client top dollar while the work was being done by interns. Interns! Poor young kids just happy to be learning something being exploited and sold out at over $150 dollars per hour. They were clueless, constantly asking questions about how to do their jobs, and constantly being cycled on and off the project. It was a new person every couple weeks, and after a couple cycles I blew up on them. I exposed their scam and needless to say their owner was not happy. He tried (and failed) to get me fired.
This model is not right. It’s morally reprehensible and ethically bankrupt. The owners of these “businesses” think it’s funny, laughing their way to the bank off your dime. They do countless backflips in mental gymnastics to justify their scam, saying things like “we are a business”, “we’re here to make money”, “we provide a real service, we bring people together” all while selling you hopes and dreams and cleaning you out. The good news? There is a better way…
So What Do You Do?
I’ve decided to do something about this. Maybe I’m crazy, a bad businessman, or just plain wrong, but I believe the solution to this problem boils down to transparency. You, the client, the one paying to have your project or your own personal dream made real, should know exactly where, and to who, your money is going. If YOU know the agency cut, the fee the agency charges over the talent for providing management and billing and other services, you can make an informed decision. That is why we at Dark Cloud Media provide exactly that. Our quotes will include the agency rate AND the amount that goes to the people doing the work. You will have access to their resumes, their LinkedIn profiles, and will never be barred from talking directly to them.
If you want to give it a try, send us an email at sales@darkcloud.media and one of our agents will reach out. Quotes are free as are consultations. DON’T LET AGENCIES STEAL FROM YOU! I can guarantee you they will if they can.