1. Who will actually work on our account day to day?

The people in the pitch room are often not the people who will do your work. Ask specifically who your day-to-day contact will be, who will produce the creative, and who will be responsible for strategy. Get names, not titles.

2. Can you show us three campaigns that didn't perform as expected?

Any agency with real experience has campaigns that underperformed. How they talk about failure tells you how they handle adversity and whether they're honest with clients when things go sideways.

3. How do you measure success beyond vanity metrics?

Great agencies connect their work to outcomes that matter: leads, revenue, brand recall, market share. Ask them to describe what success looks like for your specific brief, not just their standard metrics.

4. What would you change about our current marketing before we've told you our budget?

This is the best signal of strategic capability. An agency that gives you a specific, honest assessment is thinking like a partner. An agency that hedges is thinking about winning the account.

5. How do you handle creative disagreements?

You want an agency that can defend their thinking clearly and adjust when the feedback is valid — not one that either caves immediately or digs in regardless of the feedback.

6. What does your onboarding process look like?

A structured onboarding process signals an agency that takes new relationships seriously. No onboarding process signals an agency that treats every client the same regardless of context.

7. Who are your longest-standing clients and why have they stayed?

Client retention tells you more than any case study. If their longest client relationship is 18 months, that's a data point. Five-year relationships mean something different.

8. How do you stay current with platform and algorithm changes?

Ask specifically what they've changed in their approach in the last six months. Agencies that aren't actively staying current will give you yesterday's strategy.

9. What's your exit process if the relationship doesn't work out?

Great agencies have a clear, fair exit process. Avoid agencies that hold intellectual property hostage or make exit unnecessarily difficult.

10. What do you wish clients understood about working with an agency?

Good answers include the importance of clear briefing and fast feedback. Agencies that use this question to complain about clients are showing you their culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many agencies should you shortlist?

Three is the right number. Fewer limits comparison; more creates decision fatigue and wastes everyone's time. Brief all three with exactly the same information and assess responses side by side.

Should you always go with the cheapest agency?

No. Marketing is one of the few investments where the cheapest option almost always produces the worst return. Assess value — capability, experience and output for the investment — not just price.

Is it okay to ask for a trial project before a retainer?

Yes, and good agencies will accommodate this. A defined 4–8 week trial lets both parties assess the relationship before committing to an ongoing engagement. It signals you're a serious client who values quality.

How long should it take an agency to produce a proposal?

7–10 business days for a considered proposal is standard. Agencies that send a generic document the next day haven't thought about your brief. Agencies that take three weeks without explanation aren't prioritising your business.

What's a red flag in an agency proposal?

Generic proposals that don't reference your specific brief. Guaranteed results on channels like SEO or social. Contracts with automatic renewal and no notice period. Vague deliverable descriptions that make it impossible to hold them accountable.