Measure twice, select once – removing buyer’s remorse when choosing a digital agency.

How can you be sure you’re selecting the right digital agency? How do you remove that “oh no” moment?

Let’s face it. At some stage in your life, no matter what you do, you’ll experience buyer’s remorse. It’s inevitable. That moment when doubt sets in. The second and third moments when doubt turns to realisation. The realisation that you’ve made the wrong choice.

As time progresses you realise everything points to complete remorse. And now you’re stuck with whatever you have bought.

Doh!

When it comes to evaluating and selecting a digital agency, you can remove some of the guess work. Use your head and your heart. Remove buyer’s remorse and replace it with buyer’s delight.

In my 30 years of experience, I’ve spent time on both sides of the fence. I’ve worked in companies where I was responsible for choosing a digital agency, and now I work for one. So I thought I’d share my top six considerations. Some of these may be obvious but may also strike a chord.

1. Skills + capability are paramount.

What’s the difference between capability and skills? Most people can use a hammer but not many people can build a house.

Most agencies have skilled individuals with specific expertise across a range of subject matter. But can they come together to get you the best result?

In a constantly changing digital world, it is critical to understand your agency’s full capability. Can an agency solve problems or will they simply bow to the solution you put in front of them?

An agency’s true value comes out through genuine problem solving. You’re paying them for their expertise and capability, not just their skills. You will likely be with your chosen agency for many years to come, so don’t fall for the trap and select them purely on the basis of a sexy creative concept.

You need to probe and investigate and seek proof that they can actually manage all aspects of your digital marketing needs. From business interpretation to strategy. From design to development. And beyond into digital marketing, hosting, security, search, content, support and maintenance. Look for breadth and depth.

A recent Lunar New Year article by Darren Woolley of TrinityP3 talks about a centuries-old Chinese idiom and highlights how old stories can illuminate today’s lessons. His second example – To Hang a Sheep’s Head While Selling Dog Meat – reinforces the need to do your homework to truly understand what you’re getting. It’s worth a read.

2. Value for money.

As with many industries, in the digital agency world, you generally reap what you sow. That is, you get out what you put in. And I don’t just mean money. Most agencies base their remuneration on resource levels, daily rates and the time it takes to complete a project. Many are building in value-based pricing where possible. The old cliché – ‘you get what you pay for’ – definitely applies.

There are many agencies who provide value well beyond time and materials. There’s no point in screwing an agency down to a point where the margins are so slim that it is not worth the effort for them to work on your business. If an agency is given a decent budget, they’ll go the extra mile for you. You want them on your side batting for you every day.

Another Chinese idiom in Darren’s article highlights the fact that you are better off focusing on what you want to achieve rather than penny-pinching. The title perfectly reflects my point. At the end of the day – ‘wool comes from the sheep’s back’.

It’s up to you to provide enough room in the budget and to invest in the relationship to get the best possible outcome. You need to invest time, money and effort. It’s a two-way street. So take the time to understand how they charge for their services and strike the right balance between value for money, the best price and getting the right outcome. After all, isn’t that what’s most important? To get the right outcome.

3. Experience + strategy + execution wins.

Would you hire a graduate and pay them like an MD just because they were an A-grade student? Of course not. So, why would you select an inexperienced digital agency based on pretty pictures and an untested creative idea?

You need to choose an agency for business reasons first and foremost. It is crucial to ask the following questions:

• Does the agency have the right amount of business acumen?
• Do they have an understanding of your business?
• Do they have the depth you need?
• Can they help you develop a sound digital marketing strategy? And, more importantly, do they have the wherewithal to execute the strategy effectively?

Striking the right balance between strategy, creative and execution is critical. Adopting an approach of flexibility and iteration has become increasingly important in today’s ever-changing world.

Strategy is not linear. It should be seen as cyclical. Your agency needs to be able to support you when things change. But, the best strategy in the world is useless unless it is well executed. Focus on the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ and it will stand you in good stead.

Although a little long in the tooth now, an MIT Sloan Management Review article written by Donald N Sull in 2007 still resonates with me. Closing the gap between strategy and execution reinforces the need to strike the right balance and adopt a flexible, iterative approach. Sull applies the concept to business, but I think this iterative approach is even more relevant to digital marketers in 2015.

4. Culture club.

Values are at the heart of any business. Values drive culture and have a massive impact on how businesses treat their staff, clients and suppliers. If there is a misalignment of values between you and your agency, you are probably doomed from the start.

A leading UK organisation, CIPD, which specialises in HR and people development, published a report last year about the value in keeping culture, purpose and values at the heart of your SME. CIPD put it very simply and define culture as “the way we do things round here”. If there is a miss-match between the way your agency does things and the way your business does things, then you could be in for a difficult time.

Most agencies are genuine; filled with enthusiasm, creativity, energy and good intention.

Ask them what they value. If they spin you a story around ‘award-winning’ work or even worse, ‘bleeding-edge’ solutions – run!

However, if they can genuinely explain how their attitudes and behaviours get better outcomes, then you’re on a winner. Cultural alignment counts.

5. Who’s on first?

It’s great meeting all the wonderful people across the agency. Agency founders. Technical directors. Strategy leaders. Head of design. Content guru. Captain analytics. All are skilled and capable individuals.

But if your account manager doesn’t cut the mustard, you’re on a hiding to nowhere. This role is critical. They become the internal advocate for your business.

Your account manager needs credibility inside the agency and among their peers. You need to be confident that this person can work with you every day and ‘have your back’.

A recent blog post from a coaching forum, inCredible Messages, talks about how important it is to develop credibility and why you should care. It highlights five elements that lead to credibility:

• integrity
• competence
• sound judgment
• sensitivity, and
• likeability

It positions credibility as a package deal.

I agree. If you apply these measures to your account manager, you can begin to see how important it is to have the right person on your side.

Find out if they are the right ‘fit’. The type of questions you might seek answers to include:

• Can they ‘love’ your business the way you do?
• Do they have the right attitude?
• Are they willing to learn and can you work with them every day?

When you meet your account manager, why not interview them as if you were going to hire them. Check them out. At the very least check their LinkedIn profile. If you have concerns then say so. If you are happy, shout it out loud. Believe me, it works in your favour.

6. Big pond vs small pond.

It’s important to understand where you fit within an agency’s client hierarchy. Think about your own organisation for a moment. Not all clients are created equal. It’s sad but true. There’s a natural pecking order. It may not be discussed openly but it is a reality.

Squeaky wheels and big budgets generally prevail. But money isn’t everything.

Agencies may also value projects and clients that provide value in other ways apart from revenue. Things that may help an agency to grow. They could be show-case or ‘stretch’ projects, or projects that simply add to an agency’s ability to engage with community.

Understanding an agency’s client list and exactly where you fit within the spectrum will provide you with a perspective on how important your business is to the agency. It also provides insight into the level of service you can expect.

If you’re unsure, just ask, then listen to their response. You may be pleasantly surprised.

…and

Bonus tip – Ask around.

Here’s one more bonus tip for you. Perhaps it should even be the first thing you do. It’s the most obvious but it’s often the one that’s left to the end or left out all-together, maybe because you’ve been wooed and you’re falling in love. But love, they say, can be blind.

The reference process you adopt is extremely insightful and valuable. Don’t be backward in coming forward. You have every right to ask an agency for references to prove their credentials and verify whether their pre-sales story matches their modus operandi.

We all know that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. This article in Psychology Today simply reminds us that this adage applies time and again. So why not do your homework?

Take the time to determine whether you have the right ‘fit’. Play your cards right and one day you may be the reference.

“Choose wisely, young Skywalker.”

Do you have any others suggestions for selecting the right digital agency and removing buyer’s remorse? We’d love to hear your experiences and thoughts. Good luck.