How to Get More Money Per Client Without Doing More Work with Raul Hernandez Ochoa

Gray MacKenzie is joined by Raul Hernandez Ochoa, founder of Do Good Work, a growth consultancy that helps agencies increase profitability through strategic pricing and improved sales methodologies. Raul draws from his experience building multiple agencies to address one of the most common challenges agency owners face: thin profit margins, difficult client negotiations, and the feeling that scaling requires doing proportionally more work.

Selling Outcomes Instead of Services

The core shift Raul advocates is moving from selling services to selling outcomes. When an agency prices by deliverable - a certain number of blog posts, social media updates, or ad campaigns - they anchor the client’s perception of value to the work being done. This creates a race to the bottom, because the client can always find someone willing to do the same tasks for less money.

When you sell outcomes instead, you anchor the conversation to the transformation the client will experience. The client is not buying 10 blog posts per month. They are buying a pipeline of qualified leads that predictably converts into revenue. That reframing changes the pricing conversation entirely, because the value of a reliable pipeline is worth far more than the cost of producing content.

Raul emphasizes that making this shift requires deep understanding of your ideal client’s pain points and desired outcomes. You need to know what keeps them up at night, what metrics their leadership team tracks, and what success looks like in their specific context. Without that understanding, outcome-based positioning sounds like generic marketing promises.

Mirroring Client Language in Discovery

One of Raul’s tactical recommendations is using discovery calls to mirror the client’s own language back to them. When a prospect describes their problem in specific terms - “we are spending too much on paid acquisition and the leads are not converting” - you use those exact words in your proposal and positioning.

This technique accomplishes two things. First, it demonstrates that you genuinely listened and understood their situation rather than running through a standard pitch. Second, it creates a natural connection between the client’s pain and your solution, because the language already matches their internal vocabulary. When your proposal reads like something they would have written themselves, it builds immediate credibility.

Raul recommends documenting the specific phrases and terminology each prospect uses during discovery conversations. These become the foundation for proposals, case studies, and even broader marketing language. Over time, you build a library of client language that makes your positioning increasingly precise and resonant.

Building a Unique Methodology

Rather than selling a menu of individual services, Raul recommends building a unique methodology - a branded process that delivers the outcomes your clients care about. This methodology becomes your differentiator because it is proprietary. Competitors can copy your deliverables, but they cannot copy your framework for delivering results.

The methodology does not need to be complex. It could be a three-phase process, a diagnostic framework, or a scoring system that guides your recommendations. The key is that it gives clients a clear picture of how you will get them from where they are to where they want to be, and it positions your agency as the expert who developed this approach through hard-won experience.

On the backend, the methodology also creates operational efficiency. When every engagement follows the same core framework, your team develops expertise in executing that framework well. Training becomes simpler, quality becomes more consistent, and you can predict timelines and costs more accurately.

Tiered Pricing and Backend Productization

Raul walks through how to structure tiered service offerings that give clients choice without compromising profitability. The approach involves offering multiple service levels - each tied to a different scope of outcomes - while maintaining margin standards on every tier. Clients who want more transformation pay more, but even the entry-level tier is profitable.

Behind the scenes, Raul recommends productizing as much of the delivery process as possible. Create templates, checklists, and workflows that standardize execution. Use automation to handle repeatable tasks. Build systems that let your team deliver consistently without reinventing the process for each client.

The important nuance is that productization happens on the backend. On the client-facing side, the experience still feels customized. The client sees a tailored proposal, personalized recommendations, and a strategy built around their specific goals. They do not see the standardized processes and templates that make delivery efficient behind the scenes.

Investing in Personal Growth

Raul closes with a perspective that many agency owners overlook: your agency’s ceiling is tied to your personal growth as a leader. If you stop developing new skills, building new relationships, and expanding your thinking, your agency will plateau alongside you.

He recommends continuously reinvesting in personal capability development - reading, attending events, hiring coaches, and surrounding yourself with people operating at a higher level. He specifically recommends “The Magic of Thinking Big” by David J. Schwartz as a book that shaped his approach to building ambitious goals and maintaining the confidence to pursue them.

Raul also stresses patience throughout the transition from service-based to outcome-based pricing. The shift does not happen overnight, and there will be uncomfortable conversations with existing clients who are accustomed to the old model. Being patient with yourself, with your processes, and with your team during this transition is essential for making it stick.

Resources Mentioned

• Raul Hernandez Ochoa on LinkedIn - Founder of Do Good Work
• Do Good Work - Growth consultancy for agencies
• The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz