OK, so I wasn’t going to write this post. But after sitting through another painful client call yesterday—where they described blowing $50K on an agency that delivered zilch—I just had to.
We’ve ALL been there. You hire a B2B digital marketing company. Their pitch deck looks fantastic. Their team seems bright. Six months later? You’re explaining to your boss why that big chunk of the budget produced nothing but some “awareness” and “positioning.” Meanwhile, Sales is looking at you like you’ve lost your mind.
Ugh. Been on both sides of this nightmare. Worked at an agency for seven years before going in-house, so I’ve seen the BS from every angle. Most promise you the moon and deliver a rock. A small, disappointing rock that costs way too much.
So, here’s my hard-earned advice before you sign another agency contract:
First—don’t fall for the slick presentation! Seriously. The best agency we hired had the WORST slides I’ve ever seen. But the guy presenting asked questions nobody else did. He was like, “Wait, back up—why didn’t that campaign work last year?” while other agencies were nodding along to everything we said.
Second—watch out for the jargon trap. Last week, I had an agency guy tell me they specialize in “holistic funnel optimization through content velocity acceleration.” WTF does that even mean? When I asked him to explain in everyday human words, he couldn’t! Red Flag City.
The third thing—and this is crucial—is to talk to their ACTUAL account people. Not just the sales team, but the people who’ll be doing your work day-to-day. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sold by the charismatic agency founder, only to get handed off to some kid fresh out of college who doesn’t know a CTA from a CPL.
Also, check if they’ve worked in your industry before. Had this convo last month:
Me: “Have you worked with manufacturing companies before?” Agency: “We’re industry agnostic.” Me: “So … no?” Agency: “We prefer not to limit ourselves to specific verticals.” Me: internal screaming.
This stuff matters! B2B marketing and B2B lead generation services are complicated enough without teaching an agency the basics of your sales cycle.
Don’t just take the references they offer, either. Obviously, those people love them. Ask around in your network. I found out our last agency had burned through four clients in my LinkedIn circle alone. It would’ve been nice to know BEFORE we signed that contract!
The cost of choosing wrong isn’t just wasted money—it’s the opportunity cost! While you’re realizing things aren’t working, your competitors are out there taking meetings with your potential customers.
My team finally found a great B2B digital marketing company after three strikeouts. The difference is night and day.. They actually care if we’re getting leads! Wild concept, right?
Bottom line: the right agency feels like an extension of your team. They’re in the trenches with you. And they better be able to explain exactly how they’ll help you, without sounding like a marketing buzzword generator gone haywire.
Just my two cents after too many painful lessons. Anyone else been through the agency hellscape? Drop your horror stories below!
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