22:10
Faizan
There are a lot of great agencies out there. And there are a lot of bad ones too.
So how do you know what you are really getting when you sign a new agency?
Whether you are large enterprise or a small business, you have a set budget, with a set number of resources and a set amount of time to get it done. Many times you need to rely on a team of partners that can help assure you have effectively spent your budget and are getting the most from it. Research, instinct, and experience aside, since the buck stops with you, it is important to make sure you have the right team working with you.
So, what I thought would be helpful is to share some of my learning's related to choosing the right partner marketing agency to help you through those times when you have questions or need to outsource your entire project to an agency.
Tough Question #1: Who will really be working on my account?
Well, that depends. Some agencies have a hierarchical process structure that requires a single point of contact between the client and the agency itself. It makes life easier on the agency's end. From the client perspective, you would ideally have direct access (phone, email etc.) to all individuals working on your account. This includes everybody from the Production Artist up to the person ultimately responsible for your business (usually an Account Executive or agency principal). Ultimately though, that overhead can cost you time and money, which can make smaller projects more costly.
My personal preference is to work with agencies that have a more senior person connected to my account. One that knows the in's and outs of getting things done or is even doing the project themselves. Its kind of like when I go to a restaurant and order my food. I want a waitress that will listen, identify costs for ala cart items that may or may not be needed, and know that special orders take longer or will cost more. The same works for an agency. What has generally worked for me is to either work with a smaller agency where you get access to more senior staff, or make sure you have an experienced account executive that understands your processes, your business, and their own firm's cost structure (no ala cart, surprise invoices).
So how do you know what you are really getting when you sign a new agency?
Whether you are large enterprise or a small business, you have a set budget, with a set number of resources and a set amount of time to get it done. Many times you need to rely on a team of partners that can help assure you have effectively spent your budget and are getting the most from it. Research, instinct, and experience aside, since the buck stops with you, it is important to make sure you have the right team working with you.
So, what I thought would be helpful is to share some of my learning's related to choosing the right partner marketing agency to help you through those times when you have questions or need to outsource your entire project to an agency.
Tough Question #1: Who will really be working on my account?
Well, that depends. Some agencies have a hierarchical process structure that requires a single point of contact between the client and the agency itself. It makes life easier on the agency's end. From the client perspective, you would ideally have direct access (phone, email etc.) to all individuals working on your account. This includes everybody from the Production Artist up to the person ultimately responsible for your business (usually an Account Executive or agency principal). Ultimately though, that overhead can cost you time and money, which can make smaller projects more costly.
My personal preference is to work with agencies that have a more senior person connected to my account. One that knows the in's and outs of getting things done or is even doing the project themselves. Its kind of like when I go to a restaurant and order my food. I want a waitress that will listen, identify costs for ala cart items that may or may not be needed, and know that special orders take longer or will cost more. The same works for an agency. What has generally worked for me is to either work with a smaller agency where you get access to more senior staff, or make sure you have an experienced account executive that understands your processes, your business, and their own firm's cost structure (no ala cart, surprise invoices).
Posted in: business
