Four questions to answer before you hire an ad agency

The first draft of our “Prospective Client Questionnaire” had 25 questions. It didn’t help make our initial conversations feel fun and inspiring; it felt like homework.

So we cut it down to the four things we really want to know when we talk to a potential client for the first time (ideally over tacos.)

1. Goals. What are you trying to achieve?

If you’re not already pretty clear on this, you’re wasting your time and money. But a good agency can help you refine and express your goal in a way that gets your entire organization on board to achieve it.

2. Tactics. What have you already done?

Talking about what has worked and what hasn’t is the quickest window into the resources and opportunities you have to leverage.

3. Obstacles. What challenges do you face?

Digging into the external and internal forces at play is the first step in prioritizing which negatives can be flipped into a positive.

4. Purpose. What are your values?

Articulating what you really care about and what you stand for is the foundation that a meaningful brand is built on.

We’ve found that these questions not only foster the vibe check you need to decide if a relationship feels like a match, they also form the basis for doing impactful work together.