The most useful number for managing multiple agencies is not a KPI, but a simple question: How many other clients is your specific team handling? This question reframes your management strategy from performance metrics alone to the operational reality of the partners you rely on. As the hosts of The Bottom Line: Ecommerce Tactics for Profitable Growth point out, this is a very practical question to ask upfront. It's a direct proxy for how much attention your brand can realistically expect to receive.
The answer gives you an immediate signal about an agency's business model. A high number suggests they are a volume-based business, which might be perfectly fine for certain commoditized tasks. But for strategic work, you risk being just another account. As Ian Myers explained on the 2X eCommerce Podcast, a common frustration for brands is hiring an agency for a low monthly fee only to find they're hard to get a hold of and not a priority. In contrast, Marin Ištvanić, speaking on the same show, noted he wants his agency to stay boutique with a limited number of clients. This isn't about being exclusive; it's about being structured to deliver great results without being overwhelmed.
This single data point is the foundation for a healthy client-agency relationship. It moves the conversation beyond price, which is often a misleading indicator of value. The hosts of The Bottom Line even warn that getting the best deal can be the worst thing for your brand. By understanding an agency's capacity, you can better evaluate their plan of action and how they'll actually unlock growth. Andrew Youderian echoes this on The eCommerceFuel Podcast, emphasizing the need to set clear expectations from the start, which is impossible if you don't know where you fall on your team's priority list.
When you're managing a portfolio of agencies, knowing this number for each partner is crucial. It allows you to build a balanced roster of partners, perhaps combining specialized agencies for certain channels with a more integrated partner for brand-level strategy, a structure Adam Butt mentions on Up Arrow Podcast. You can align your expectations with reality, assigning high-touch, complex projects to the boutique partner with a small client list and more scalable tasks to the larger one. This prevents frustration and ensures you're getting the right kind of attention from the right partners.