I do understand the problem. I work on a combination of affiliate programs, flat-fee advertising campaigns and (to a much lesser extent) CPA.
When it comes to flat-fee advertising, I try to advise the advertiser if I feel their campaign is not geared up to its best potential. Sometimes, though, this makes little or no difference. They feel that their campaign is ready to go and that’s their right to say so. More often than not, they get a poorer ROI than they hoped for and than I could have achieved for them because their campaign is branding-based rather than optimised to attract visitors.