Is there a real way to pay for new clients only when it works?

Yes. Pay-for-results lead generation is real, but “results” can mean five different things: a contact name, a meeting booked, a meeting held, a reply, or a signed client. The catch sits in three places: what exactly triggers the fee, who decides whether it happened, and what you pay before it does. Get those three in writing and you know what you’re buying.

What does “pay for results” mean, and which results are billed?

It means the fee depends on something happening, not on a month going by. It’s also called pay for performance, pay on results, performance-based or “no retainer”. The names are used loosely, so look at the event that is billed.

Prices and terms are from each provider’s own page, read on November 9, 2026. Links are under Sources.

What is the catch with paying per meeting?

Three details decide what a per-meeting offer is worth.

• The trigger. A provider can bill when a meeting is scheduled, when it is held, or only when it is held and meets written criteria. Under the first, a no-show still costs you.
• The definition. A careful contract writes “qualified” down: that the person turned up, their role, the kind of company, and what is excluded, such as an existing customer. ROI Maximizer, for one, bills only for meetings you approve against six written criteria.
• The fees around it. FunnL’s per-meeting price sits on a monthly retainer from $2,000. CIENCE charges a bonus for held meetings on top of fixed monthly fees. VA Horizon and ROI Maximizer charge a setup fee first.

There is a fuller checklist in Pay-per-meeting lead generation: how it works and what to check.

What is the catch with paying per name, or per signed client?

These are the two ends of the range. A name is cheap because it is the furthest from a client: nobody has answered yet, and all the writing and following up is still ahead of you.

A commission on signed clients is the closest to what you want. It also asks the most of the provider, who would wait through your whole sales process and be paid on how well you sell. In the price lists we read, commission appears once, at Martal Group. There it is added to a flat monthly fee, so money still moves before a client signs.

How does Defrost charge?

Defrost is a done-for-you service for founder-led B2B service firms in the United States. We find companies that fit, write to the right person in your name, and send only what you approve. The only fee is $300, plus any tax, when a new company replies wanting to talk: someone there asks to meet, asks for a price, or asks you to take a look at something. There is no subscription, setup fee, retainer or charge for research or writing.

• One company, one fee. People you already know never count.
• A polite no, a request for a free resource, a referral to someone else and an out-of-office don’t count.
• You set a monthly limit. It starts at ten new companies, or $3,000 plus tax, and a reply over the limit is free.
• You see each reply that counts, and why, 48 hours before it is charged. If it’s unclear, it goes your way.
• You can stop at any time.

The full terms are on the pricing page. There is more on the definition in what counts as a qualified reply.

What is the catch with Defrost?

• A reply is not a sale. It is a new company asking to talk. Holding the conversation and winning the client are up to you.
• It’s by application. You apply in about three minutes, with no card. We read every application and reply either way.
• We choose who we write to. We carry the cost of every email that goes nowhere, so we won’t send more because you ask.
• It’s email only. We don’t make phone calls, send LinkedIn messages or book meetings into your calendar.
• You still have a part. You approve every email before it goes, which takes a few minutes, a few days a week.

What should you ask anyone who says “pay for results”?

• What exactly triggers a fee? Ask for it in writing.
• Who decides that it happened, and how long do I have to object?
• What do I pay before the first result: a setup fee, a monthly base, a minimum?
• What never counts: a no-show, an existing customer, someone I already know?
• Is there a limit on what I can be charged in a month?

Questions people ask

Does “no retainer” mean nothing is paid up front?

Not always. Among per-meeting providers that publish prices, VA Horizon charges a $300 setup fee and ROI Maximizer $1,000 to $3,000 before the first meeting. Ask for every charge that applies before the first result. With Defrost there is none.

Is a $300 reply the same as a $300 meeting?

No. A reply comes earlier. Defrost charges $300 when a new company asks to meet, asks for a price, or asks you to take a look at something, and arranging the conversation is yours. A per-meeting provider is paid for a meeting booked or held. The two are set side by side in our comparison with pay-per-meeting agencies.

What do I pay Defrost in a month when nobody replies?

Nothing. Defrost has no subscription, setup fee or retainer, so a month without a reply that counts costs you nothing.