It is a big decision to commit to an agency, whether you are transitioning to a new agency or this is your first time working with one. You have had some good meetings with representatives and the team members they have sent seem sharp and personable. You are ready to sign on the dotted line.
Before you decide, ask the agency the following questions to see if they are a good fit.
1. Do they know their competition?
This question, though simple, can reveal a lot about whether the agency is worth your time. With so many entrepreneurs vying for the attention of potential clients, it can be easy to get caught up in grandiose words and forgetting to look for tangible evidence of experience or success.
2. Would they hire your services?
Marketing is all about taking the position of your respective audience, and being passionate about a product or franchise will allow you to practice them with deeper impact. By finding a partner at a company who already appreciates your work, it is more likely that you'll achieve your objectives.
3. Do you enjoy spending time with them?
Hiring an agency is completely different from any other relationship you have to ask yourself if you genuinely enjoy being around these individuals and trust them. High costs are associated with meeting with a representative to make certain that the expertise required to build your business is out there. If the agency can't show this evidence, then do not agree to see the representative face to face. From there, it is all chemistry.
4. What is their definition of success?
I continue to be amazed at the number of companies that fail to require businesses to define success in advance. Determine the metrics relevant to your business, and present realistic performance forecasts. Be skeptical of unrealistic service achievement projections and recognize which way forecasts are likely to go. Don't give in to weak marketing metrics. Hold firms accountable for agreed-upon definitions of success.
7. Are they transparent?
Ask all the questions related to the topic around technology, challenges, and value-generating offerings, but do not forget to inquire about transparency as well. What is their position on this topic and what will they do to see to it that a fully transparent relationship is maintained?
9. Do they communicate?
In the end of the trade, the partnership between the customer and firm is a partnership, and both parties must give what needs to be done to make work succeed. Whatever tools and resources are offered by a firm, the public relations team should be aware of and use them properly in order to get impressive results for the two parties. This is a symbiotic relationship, so if both work together, they can achieve impressive results.
