Tech Marketers: How to Find an Agency That Speaks Your Language

Tech companies, and tech marketing are unique beasts. Tech marketing departments run lean and mean: they produce content, drive leads, generate revenue and manage to stay on top of all current tech trends with less budget, less resources and a minuscule workforce compared to other verticals. Their sales cycles and KPI's are different, SaaS and software companies practically speak another language! You don't have months to spend teaching an agency about your tech brand. This means that tech marketers need to find marketing agencies and other vendors who understand the vertical, those who live and breathe tech. Basically you need to find your agency spirit animal. 

Agencies should be your BFF

Yes, agencies should be industry leading experts but what help are they if all they do is throw options and generic best practice options at you? Sounds like a paradox of even more choice, doesn’t it? An agency should reduce your stress and make your decision making easier, not more difficult. Your agency should be your Marie Kondo--only we won’t make you throw out that sentimental teddy bear you were on the fence about. 

One of the things a good agency does is CALM THE NOISE. They evaluate your marketing and sales departments and give you a no nonsense plan to move forward. They take in all the data, they ask you all the questions, and they narrow your choices down to the ones that make sense and then work as a partner to execute it for you. They make it possible for you to make a good decision. They take on your paradox of choice (aka stress) and give you results. 

Okay, we know you’re all thinking of your last agency horror story. The firm that went 40% over budget on your website, the one that delivered off brand material because they never got to know you. The one who spent all your dollars on meetings rather than results. There are tech marketing firms out there that 

Finding an agency that works 

Here’s how to find a vendor who knows your vertical, can understand your brand AND gives peace of mind. It’s all about the right interview questions, the right way to evaluate reviews and portfolio samples and the right way to read a proposal and figure out who’s on the other side of those words. It’s time to let  your inner Sherlock Holmes out and practice those detective skills!

Your interview checklist

• Standard interview/getting to know you questions of course!
• Ask them about the mission or ethos of their agency
• Give them a real life scenario issue to solve
• Consider if their solution would work for your company
• Note whether they ask you enough questions to get the pertinent details to answer the question 
• Consider whether they offer a short term fix and also suggest a long term solution
• Note the language they use
• Do they present themselves as experts capable of telling you hard truths?

• Consider if their solution would work for your company (do they understand you?)
• Note whether they ask you enough questions to get the pertinent details to answer the question (consider this the “how many meetings will it take to get work done” indicator)
• Consider whether they offer a short term fix and also suggest a long term solution that will make your life easier/prevent the scenario from occurring as applicable
• Note the language they use: are they clear communicators: do they use words or tone to indicate they are part of your team

Reviews and Portfolio Samples

Read their reviews. Seems simple, but sometimes we get busy and skip this step. See if their clients talk about the product/the process or both. See if the reviews are from people in the tech industry and how they talk about the agency’s knowledge of your vertical. Look for comments on making deadlines, offering clear strategy, giving hard love or hard truths (you may not want this but you need it), and being a true partner. Read between the lines. Ask if you can speak to an existing client. Also ask around the industry or town to see if other tech marketers have had good experiences or not.

When reviewing their portfolio analyze the strategy behind each piece. Read how they talk about the project. Do they have a big picture view? Did their work bring in tangible results? Go to a client’s website and be sure that the portfolio examples of work match the client’s brand. This will save you heartache!

Use your detective skills on Agency Proposals

• Is the proposal specific? 
• Do the costs seem inline with the scope and industry standards? 
• Are the terms and conditions standard?
• Do you have a good balance between strategy and execution? 
• Do they provide super star analytic frameworks for retainer clients? 
• Is the proposal specific? Does it include the projects or retainer scope you talked about? This is a good test of listening skills. If it’s vague, run for the hills (unless you were vague when you talked to them!)
• Do the costs seem inline with the scope and industry standards? If they’re offering a new website for $5,000 chances are you’re going to have a nightmare 3-12 months with this agency and then circle back to the one who quoted you a reasonable price in a year. Save yourself the heartache and pay a fair rate to seasoned professionals. It will save you money in the long run. 
• Are the terms and conditions standard?
• Do you have a good balance between strategy and execution? (if applicable for what you went to them for)
• Do they provide super star analytic frameworks for retainer clients? 

Ok, now you have an agency shopping toolkit. You know what to ask, how to research them and how to pick apart their proposal like an AP high school English teacher. That’s all great...but how do you get your leadership team to okay your spend? Well, we answer that question in a related blog!