I just left an agency search where the client was insistent on bringing in two agencies I recommended against bringing in.

One was very tactical and one was limited in depth of experience in the sector the client operated in.

Neither did a good job of responding to the RFI we shared with them.

Neither did a good job of presenting their thinking in a strategic, well-organized way.

There were two agencies I did recommend that never made it to the table.

The one that did make it to the table (that I did recommend) was head and shoulders above the others – which is great for that agency, but in the end, not the best way to evaluate good, qualified firms.

Who wins in a situation like that?  Certainly not the client.

While they might end up signing on with the better agency and they might prove a great partner, they haven’t given their search the best possible chance to find THE best agency for their brand.

So my suggestion is “listen to your search consultant”.

In every other search we’ve managed (since 2010) clients have told us that we put a great set of agencies in front of them and the decision was difficult.  They haven’t always agreed on everything we’ve put in front of them…but most of the time they do.

This could have been yet another search where our work served the client well.

Why is the search consultant most often (mostly) right?

They’ve seen a ton of agencies.  They know how to read into what an agency presents and delivers in an RFI and the way they talk about their expertise and experience.   Like we talked about last week…they can “look under the hood”.

They might not always be right…but if they’re worth their weight and have been doing this long enough, more often than not, they will steer you in a good direction.

So you say to yourself…great…search consultants are the way to go, but I can’t afford them.

You can afford us.  We do not charge you (the marketer) a dime.  We make it easy.  We are thorough and efficient.  And most importantly, we’ll deliver a great set of agencies to review in support of your business.

Give us a call.  We’d be happy to talk about how we can help (513-559-3101).

Or email us at msneider@rswagencysearch.com.