One of the most common pain points our prospective clients express with their marketing agency is on-time delivery. At Clarity Quest, on-time delivery is table stakes – so much so – we promise it in each proposal.
Four promises
Here are four key promises to look for in every outsourced marketing agency contract:
1. Dedicated account support. You need to be assigned a day-to-day point of contact who will respond within 24-hours. Yes, 24-hours. Responsiveness is key to on-time delivery.
2. Kickoff Meeting. A kickoff meeting should be scheduled within 3 to 5 days of contract signing. In that meeting, you should expect an outline of the project scope, immediate next steps, and the master schedule of deliverables.
3. Master schedule of deliverables. You should expect to see an outline of each deliverable and the corresponding due date spanning the entire engagement.
4. Weekly Progress Reports. Weekly reports keep all parties aligned and encourage dialogue around project priorities and deadlines. Your weekly status updates should review:
- What was accomplished throughout the week.
- Outstanding or overdue feedback, including its impact on the overall project timeline.
- Next steps.
Reconsider
If these basic project management outputs are not in your agreement, it is cause for unwelcomed surprises, late delivery, and overall dissatisfaction, and it might be time to reconsider your agency.
Effective project management relies on your marketing agency having processes. It’s processes that result in positive experiences and on-time delivery.
Isn’t it time you hire a marketing agency you trust and have confidence in to deliver? Partner with Clarity Quest.