So you’re thinking about hiring an agency partner?
We’ve all been there: you’re nervous, palms sweaty. You think you’re getting along pretty well, but you’re not quite sure if it’s the perfect match.
We get it: You’re hiring an agency.
And whether it’s your first time or your 500th, it’s always hard to put your trust in an organization that, by definition, is not on your team. You’ve got a lot of money on the line, and maybe you’ve been burned before and have lingering PTSD. Perhaps they didn’t deliver on their promises, were hard to work with, didn’t listen, or overcharged.
No matter what your experience, there are some tried-and-true methods to get the most out of any agency partnership. And I should know: that’s my job. As a 20-year veteran of numerous creative and development agencies, I’ve seen plenty of projects go sideways. And as the Principal at Matter Supply Co (a digital product design and development studio based in Portland and Medellín) we’ve worked with all manner of organization and compiled a handful items you should know before venturing into your next agency experience.
Before we dive in, there’s an overarching theme that touches all agency partnerships, and that’s leadership and communication. I don’t mean sending a thousand emails a day and commanding the agency with an iron fist. Rather, you need to be clear and consistent in explaining your goals, and always empower the team to make the right decisions for you, the client. Agencies tend to hire smart people, but we’re not mind readers.
So… how do you turn this budding agency relationship into a fruitful creative partnership? Let’s get into it:
1—Pick the right tool for the job.
You wouldn’t mop your floor with a hammer, and you definitely shouldn’t hire a production agency to do your branding. Every agency has their niche — be it Brand, Strategy, Media, UX, Production — and if it’s not immediately apparent, ask. If the answer is “full service” or “we’re a 360 agency,” keep digging. (No person is great at everything, and neither is any agency.) Have them back up any claims with specific work examples that showcase their strengths. And then ask precisely what they did on the project. Agencies all-too-often take the lion’s share of credit for a relatively minor contribution.
2—Start with ballpark numbers, not exact quotes.
Everything has a price, and unfortunately, with agencies it can vary dramatically, based largely on how unique the challenges are. (The same number of pages and same content might cost considerably more in an immersive experience than with an off-the-shelf Squarespace experience.) If you have no clue what something will cost, you should give the agency rough requirements for a general figure. Agencies are usually able to re-use sketches, strategies and architectures, but if they have to build things from scratch, it’s going to cost time — and increases potential risks. (More on risks in section 7.)
3—Provide a clear budget (and be ready to spend it).
Give the agency a clear budget — not a range. Agencies regularly hire blue chip creative talent, so dreaming big is never a problem. But with a concrete budget, we can dream big, while prioritizing the project demands that fit within the budget. Be warned: any salesperson worth their salt will try to push 5% to 10% over budget. But there’s never any harm in sticking to the original figure.
4—Give the agency credit for their work.
Never underestimate the power of cross promotion. While many clients want agencies to keep quiet about the work, they may be shooting themselves in the foot. First off, agencies like to share their work, so your secret is never truly safe. And second, agreeing to let an agency have their name on the work might compel them to lower costs while producing higher quality work. They’ll also likely do the legwork of submissions for awards and other goodies. So you’d be wise to let them share some of the success — or take all the blame.
5—Let the agency breathe.
You’ve already found the right tool for the job. Now it’s time to let the tool do what it was meant for. The team executing on your project has every intention to deliver unique, outstanding work. How do we know this? Because that’s how they get promoted and find better opportunities.
That doesn’t mean you should be totally hands-off: you’d be wise to help them understand your customer and set them in the right direction. But the more micromanaging you do, the less they’ll be able to execute their particular skills. And don’t try to squeeze every drop out of each billable minute: let the team use extra time to polish the final product. Your customers will thank you.
6—Hold them accountable (but don’t point fingers).
I’ve never heard of a project that didn’t hit a few potholes along the way. But you can plan for them and mitigate the damage by assessing potential risks with your agency partner. They should be upfront about the areas of uncertainty (they always exist) and flag any of your asks that could put delivery at risk.
To ensure you’re getting the full story, though, they need to trust that you’re on their side to help and problem-solve — not to punish them for any errors. Without that trust, everyone reverts to “cover-your-ass” mode whenever the project hits a kink. So build trust over time, and avoid accusatory expressions like, “How did you not see this coming?” — they don’t help them, and they certainly don’t help you.
7—Communicate your objectives (don’t send checklists).
Be honest about what you want to achieve. Keep in mind that big ideas can result in the biggest failures: there’s no roadmap for expansive projects that have not yet been attempted. But there is always a “good enough” solution to opt for as well. If you’re setting your sights a little lower — simply matching a competitor, or just a bare bones approach to get started — let your agency partner know so they can accommodate.
The important focus is big picture goals — not an itemized list of requirements. With a long list, an agency might only deliver on your requirements, since that’s what they budgeted for it. If you communicate in larger goals with only the integral details, it’s up to your partners to achieve all the table stakes and find holistic ways to successfully hit your milestones.
Managing an agency partner can be a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, you have an enormous responsibility in defining your customers, your stakeholders, and your appetite for risks and boundary-pushing. You’re setting the agenda, so you’re responsible for the success of the project.
But as we said before, there’s a point at which you need to loosen your grip and let your agency partners do what they do best. You have the right to demand excellent work for your money, but you need to allow your agency to deliver that excellent work as well. The more space you can create, the higher the quality of the work you’ll get in return.
If you just want to throw it over the fence and hope it gets done, that’s an approach too. Just be sure to give your partners full authority to talk to your customers, and stakeholders and have to stay out of it. There’s no harm in trusting an agency to deliver a polished product to your client. After all, that’s our job and we’re good at it.
