Most business owners sign with an agency and discover six months later that nothing has changed. The reports look fine. The meetings are pleasant. The numbers aren't moving. This happens so often that it's become a cliche. Agencies know it happens. They count on it. The ones worth working with want you to have a better experience -- which is why they encourage questions. Here's what to ask before you sign anything. ## The Questions That Reveal Whether They Know What They're Doing ### 1. Can you show me a client who was spending X and now generates Y in enquiries? A good agency should be able to point to specific examples. Not case studies from their website -- those are curated. Real clients, with real numbers, who were spending a known amount and now have measurable results. If they can't, or they deflect with "all our clients see improvements," that's a red flag. The inability or unwillingness to show specific results usually means they don't have any. ### 2. What metrics will you measure, and how often will I see them? Listen carefully to the answer. If they talk about impressions, reach, traffic, followers, engagement -- vanity metrics -- walk away. If they talk about enquiries, cost per enquiry, conversion rates, and revenue, they're thinking about your business, not their activity. Ask specifically: "How many enquiries should I expect per month, and by when?" If they can't give you a number, they don't know. ### 3. What happens if the marketing doesn't produce results? This is the question most business owners forget to ask. They assume the agency will fix it if things aren't working. In practice, most agencies will tell you to give it more time, try more tactics, or adjust the strategy -- which often means more spend with no guaranteed improvement. What you want to hear: a commitment to specific outcomes, or at minimum, a clear exit clause if targets aren't met. ### 4. Who actually does the work? Agencies frequently sell you on senior expertise and then hand the work to junior staff. Ask specifically: who will be working on your account? What's their experience? Will you have direct contact with them, or will everything go through an account manager? Some agencies are transparent about this. Others are not. ### 5. How do you approach SEO/Google Ads/social media? Ask them to explain their approach in plain English. If they use jargon without substance -- "we'll optimise your digital footprint for maximum visibility in the algorithmic landscape" -- they're hiding behind buzzwords. Good agencies explain what they'll do, why they'll do it, and what results you should expect. They don't need to obscure their methods in marketing language. ### 6. What's included in the price and what costs extra? This is where agencies make significant money -- on scope creep, additional services, and surprise charges. Get everything in writing before you sign. If they say "it depends on the scope," get them to define the scope explicitly. ### 7. How long before I see results? Most legitimate marketing takes 3-6 months to produce measurable results. If an agency promises results in weeks, they're either lying or planning to generate vanity metrics that don't matter. A realistic answer: 3 months for initial data, 6 months for meaningful trends, 12 months for solid results. Anything outside this window should be questioned. ### 8. What do you need from me to make this work? Good agencies know they can't do it alone. They need input from you -- access to accounts, timely feedback, accurate information about your business. If an agency implies they'll handle everything with no involvement from you, they're either overpromising or planning to fill your website and social channels with generic content. ### 9. Can I speak to three current clients? Not former clients. Not the ones on their website. Current clients, who are still paying them. A good agency should be able to facilitate this. If they won't, that's a problem. ### 10. What's your approach to our specific industry/competitive situation? Generic answers indicate generic thinking. "We do thorough keyword research" and "we'll analyse your competition" is what every agency says. What you want to hear is: what specifically will change about how you appear in the market? What will be different about your position relative to competitors? What terms will you target and why? ## The Questions That Reveal How They Think About Relationships ### 11. What happens if I want to leave? Some agencies make this genuinely difficult -- minimum contracts, exit fees, ownership disputes over your own website and data. Ask specifically: what are the contract terms, what's the notice period, and who owns what if you leave? If they get uncomfortable when you ask this, that's information. ### 12. What happens if I want to pause for a month? Many businesses have legitimate reasons to pause -- seasonal fluctuations, cash flow, internal changes. Some agencies have rigid contracts that don't allow this. Ask before you sign. ## The Question That Most Business Owners Never Ask ### 13. If you were in my position and had my budget, what would you do? This is the question that cuts through all the marketing speak. It forces them to give you an honest recommendation rather than sell you the most expensive package they have. If they give you a straight answer, they're worth talking to. If they deflect, they were never thinking about your interests in the first place. ## What to Do With the Answers A good agency will answer all of these questions directly, without excessive hedging, without getting defensive, and without making you feel like you're interrogating them. They're used to these questions. If they seem annoyed or surprised, that tells you something. The right agency won't mind these questions. If they do, walk away. --- Still evaluating options? [Book a free diagnostic](/contact) and we'll give you honest answers -- including whether we're the right fit for what you actually need.