The 4 ways you get paid

There are four common ways a B2B lead-gen / appointment-setting business gets paid. You'll usually combine two of them. Here's each, and what to start with.

1. Monthly retainer

The client pays a flat monthly fee (commonly $2,000–$5,000/mo, more for bigger clients) for you to run their outbound and book meetings.

• Pros: Predictable, recurring, paid up front. The foundation of a stable agency.
• Cons: Client expects results; you carry delivery risk.
• Best for: Your core model once you can reliably book meetings.

2. Per-appointment (pay-per-meeting)

You're paid a fixed amount for each qualified meeting booked (commonly $50–$500 depending on deal size).

• Pros: Easy "yes" — they only pay for results. Great for landing the first client.
• Cons: You carry all the risk; income is less predictable.
• Best for: Getting started / proving yourself, then moving to retainer + bonus.

3. Per-qualified-lead

You're paid per qualified lead delivered (a contact who fits the ICP and showed interest), rather than a fully booked meeting.

• Pros: Simpler to deliver than a booked call.
• Cons: Lower value; you must agree exactly what "qualified" means.

4. Revenue / commission share

You take a cut of deals that close from your meetings (a % or fixed fee per closed deal).

• Pros: Highest upside; very easy to sell.
• Cons: You depend on the client's sales team and honest reporting; slow to pay out.
• Best for: Trusted clients with a proven close rate, as an add-on.

What to start with

The cleanest path: land your first client on a per-appointment or small pilot retainer to prove results, then move everyone to a monthly retainer + per-meeting bonus. That combo gives you predictable base income plus upside for performance.

Is the money real?

Yes. Three retainer clients at $3,000/mo is $9,000/mo recurring — with costs that are mostly Scrupp + email tools, not ad spend. The leverage is reusing the same outreach system across clients in the same niche.

Fastest path to your first dollar: offer a low-risk pilot (e.g. "I'll book you X qualified meetings this month") to one ideal client. Deliver, then convert them to a retainer.

Next: a 30-day roadmap so you always know the next step.