---
title: "What Are the 4 Ws? A Decision Framework for Agency Owners"
description: "The 4 Ws is a simple framework for agency owners who need to make better calls on clients, hires, and offers. Here's how to use it."
url: https://timkilroy.com/blog/the-4ws
date: 2022-03-07
updated: 2026-05-10T20:36:21Z
category: "Agency Growth"
author: Tim Kilroy
---

# What Are the 4 Ws? A Decision Framework for Agency Owners

_The 4 Ws is a simple framework for agency owners who need to make better calls on clients, hires, and offers. Here's how to use it._


**The 4W’s are the operating principles of your business. ****W**hom do I serve? What's my target market? **W**hat do I do? How do I succinctly and clearly communicate the activities that I do that create value for my client? **W**hat's in it for my client? How do I measure and show the value that I bring in empiric terms? **W**hy should we be hired? Why me? Why us?

**The answers to these questions are the tools that you use to grow your business. **You need to be able to answer them really clearly and really well, because when you can express those answers in a way that creates enormous value for your clients, it positions you as an authority. Take time to figure out what it is about you and your approach to your client’s business that makes it worth the risk of writing you that first check. Ask and answer these questions on a regular basis, and your answers are going to change over time, but if you can’t answer them, [**we should set up a call. **](https://klry.co/3nF6eYh)

[Watch on YouTube (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1DhrV0I_hI)

---
Canonical URL: https://timkilroy.com/blog/the-4ws