Talk to the people who know them best.
Is your prospective agency prepared to let their clients do the talking? You can find out a lot about a prospective life partner by talking to the people who know them, so why not do the same with an agency?
Are they forthcoming with clients who are happy to speak to you about how the agency team works and the value they bring? Speaking to existing clients will give you a good sense of whether the agency is right for you.
Are they 'yes people'?
A true partner doesn’t just tell you what you want to hear. When you’re having those initial talks with potential agencies, are they saying yes to everything or are they challenging you in order to get to the bottom of what you really want to achieve? Are they coming up with ideas or can they suggest opportunities to work with other industry connections? A great indicator of a long-term relationship is an agency that is willing to connect their clients or share their contacts.
The best agencies will challenge you to make sure their PR support delivers exactly what you need it to do. They will also go above and beyond to help you because they can – not because they’ll get something out of it.