Ask how the agency understands the problem
Begin with diagnosis rather than credentials. Ask the agency to explain the problem in its own words, identify the assumptions it would test and name the information still needed before recommending a plan. The answer should show whether the team can distinguish your desired outcome from the activities you initially requested.
A useful response includes trade-offs. If an agency agrees with every assumption and promises certainty before seeing the relevant evidence, ask what could change its recommendation. You are testing judgement and curiosity, not looking for an instant finished strategy.
Put this into practice
- What do you believe the real problem is?
- Which assumptions would you test first?
- What information is missing from our brief?
- What would cause you to recommend a different approach?
Make the scope and responsibilities explicit
Ask the agency to walk through what is included, what is excluded and what your organisation must supply. Clarify who creates content, implements recommendations, manages approvals, configures technology and checks final work. Apparently similar proposals often depend on very different amounts of client effort.
Discuss the change process before a change occurs. Ask how estimates are prepared, who can approve additional work and what happens when timing, volume or priorities move. Clear boundaries are not a sign of inflexibility; they make collaboration and commercial decisions easier.
Put this into practice
- Which deliverables and service levels are included?
- What must our team provide, and by when?
- Which likely activities sit outside the base scope?
- How are changes estimated and approved?
Identify the people who will do the work
Ask for the names or clearly defined roles of the proposed team and what each person will own. Confirm who attends regular meetings, who makes specialist decisions and who is accountable when work crosses disciplines. Job titles alone do not show experience, access or expected involvement.
Ask which pitch participants will remain involved after appointment and how substitutions are handled. If delivery relies on another office, freelancer or production partner, understand who selects, briefs, contracts and checks that work. The goal is visibility, not a preference for one staffing model.
Put this into practice
- Who is the day-to-day lead?
- Who performs each specialist workstream?
- How much access will we have to senior reviewers?
- Where are partners or subcontractors expected?
- What is the continuity plan for key roles?
Test evidence, measurement and learning
Ask for examples that resemble your problem or delivery conditions and invite the agency to explain its actual contribution. Then ask how results were measured, what else influenced them and what the team learned. An honest limitation can be more useful than an unexplained claim of success.
For your engagement, confirm the baseline, decision measures and reporting rhythm. Ask which metrics the agency would avoid using as proof and how it responds when platform data, analytics and commercial results disagree. Reporting should support decisions, not simply document activity.
Put this into practice
- What part of this example did your team own?
- What was the baseline, timeframe and result source?
- Which measures will change a decision?
- How will experiments and changes be documented?
- What important outcome remains outside agency control?
Clarify fees, ownership and practical control
Ask for agency fees, media, production, technology, travel, external costs and optional work to be visible as separate lines where relevant. Confirm minimum commitments, invoicing timing and the assumptions that could change the amount. A price is not comparable until you understand what it buys.
Establish who owns or controls advertising accounts, analytics properties, domains, source files, creative assets and working documentation. Confirm administrator access, usage rights, licence restrictions, handover and transition arrangements. These questions are easiest to resolve before the relationship depends on them.
Put this into practice
- What does the agency fee include?
- Which costs are passed through or marked up?
- Who owns each account, asset and source file?
- What access do we retain during and after the engagement?
- What would a transition to another supplier require?
Explore how the relationship works under pressure
Ask how feedback is consolidated, decisions are recorded and disagreements are resolved. Request an example of a time the agency challenged a client, changed direction after new evidence or handled a delivery problem. You are looking for a practical working method, not a story in which nothing ever went wrong.
Finish by asking what the agency sees as the main risks and what it needs from you to do strong work. Compare the answer with your internal capacity. A collaborative agency relationship still needs clear ownership, timely decisions and people on the client side who can remove blockers.
Put this into practice
- How are decisions, actions and approvals recorded?
- When would you challenge our preferred approach?
- How are urgent issues and missed deadlines escalated?
- What do you need from our team each week or month?
- Which risks should be resolved before work starts?
Common questions
Should every shortlisted agency receive the same questions?
Use the same core questions so important areas can be compared fairly, then ask tailored follow-ups about each proposal, evidence set and unresolved risk. Record answers in the same evaluation format.
When should these questions be asked?
Spread them across qualification, proposal clarification, team meetings and contract discussions. Resolve eligibility questions early and do not leave material scope, access, cost or rights questions until after appointment.
What if an agency cannot answer a question yet?
Mark the answer as unknown and agree what evidence or discovery is required. An honest unknown is different from an evasive response. Decide whether the gap can be resolved after appointment or changes the selection decision now.