Hiring an agency is just the beginning. The real work—and the real results—come from how you collaborate. Whether you're working with a marketing agency, design firm, or development team, the way you set expectations, communicate, and provide feedback determines whether you get mediocre output or exceptional work.
Key Takeaways:
- Clear expectations and timely feedback are the biggest drivers of agency success
- Respond to deliverables within 2–3 business days to keep projects on track
- Use one channel for official feedback to prevent miscommunication
- Consolidate stakeholder input before sending revisions to the agency
- Escalate constructively—start with your main contact and be specific
This guide is for clients who want to get the most from their agency relationships. We'll cover setting expectations, communication best practices, giving effective feedback, managing the approvals process, respecting timelines, and knowing when to escalate.
Why How You Work Matters
Agencies deliver their best work when clients are clear, responsive, and collaborative. Vague briefs, slow feedback, and shifting priorities create friction, missed deadlines, and underwhelming results—a pattern confirmed by Clutch's agency research. On the flip side, clients who provide clear direction, timely approvals, and constructive feedback enable agencies to do their best work.
The good news: you don't need to become a project manager. You need a few simple habits that make collaboration smooth and results strong.
Setting Clear Expectations From the Start
Define Success Together
Before work begins, align on what success looks like. What metrics matter? What does "done" mean for each deliverable? Agencies appreciate clients who can articulate goals—even at a high level—so the team knows what to optimize for.
Action items:
- Share your business goals and how this project supports them
- Agree on success metrics (traffic, conversions, brand awareness, etc.)
- Clarify who has final approval and how decisions get made
- Discuss any constraints: budget, timeline, brand guidelines
Establish Communication Preferences
How often do you want updates? What channels work best—email, Slack, scheduled calls? Some clients prefer weekly syncs; others want async updates with a monthly check-in. There's no single right answer, but aligning early prevents frustration.
Common setups:
- Weekly status email plus a bi-weekly call for bigger projects
- Slack or shared channel for quick questions and approvals
- Dedicated client portal for deliverables, feedback, and project visibility (tools like AgencyPro's client portal centralize this)
Clarify Roles and Responsibilities
Who provides what? Agencies need assets, access, and feedback from you. Delays often happen when clients don't realize they're blocking progress. Spell out:
- What you'll provide (logos, copy, access to tools, feedback)
- What they'll deliver (drafts, reports, designs)
- Who approves what and by when
Communication Best Practices
Respond in a Timely Manner
Agencies plan their work around your feedback. According to PMI's Pulse of the Profession, poor communication is the primary cause of project failure. When you take two weeks to review a design or proposal, the project stalls. Aim to respond within 2–3 business days for routine deliverables. For urgent items, same-day or next-day feedback keeps momentum.
If you need more time, say so. "I'll have feedback by Friday" is far better than silence. The agency can adjust their schedule accordingly.
Be Specific in Your Requests
"I don't like it" doesn't help. "The headline feels too corporate—can we try something more conversational?" does. Specific feedback gives the team something to act on. Vague direction leads to guesswork and multiple revision rounds.
Better phrasing:
- "The color feels too dark—can we lighten it to match our brand?"
- "This section is too long—can we cut it to three bullet points?"
- "I'd like to see an alternative that emphasizes X over Y"
Use One Channel for Official Feedback
Email threads, Slack DMs, and verbal feedback in calls can conflict. Choose one primary channel for formal feedback and approvals. Many agencies use a client portal or project tool where you can comment directly on deliverables. That creates a single source of truth and prevents "I thought I said that" confusion.
Don't Over-Manage
Trust the expertise you're paying for. Micromanaging every decision slows progress and can demotivate the team. Share your goals and constraints, then let them propose solutions. You can refine—but avoid prescribing exactly how they should do their job.
Giving Feedback That Gets Results
Use a Simple Framework
A useful structure: What works, what to change, what's missing.
- What works: Acknowledge what you like. It helps the team understand what to keep.
- What to change: Be specific about revisions. Reference sections, elements, or copy.
- What's missing: If something important wasn't included, name it clearly.
Prioritize Feedback
If you have 20 comments, rank them. "Must fix" vs "nice to have" helps the agency prioritize. Not everything can be done in one round—and that's okay if you're clear on what matters most.
Consolidate Stakeholder Input
If multiple people on your side need to approve, consolidate feedback before sending. Ten emails with conflicting opinions create chaos. Designate one person to collect input and send a single, prioritized list to the agency.
The Approvals Process
Define the Approval Workflow Upfront
Who approves what? Creative director? CMO? CEO? How many rounds of revision are included? These details should be in your contract or scope of work. When they're not, projects drag with endless back-and-forth.
Set Internal Deadlines
Give yourself a buffer. If the agency needs feedback by Friday, don't leave your internal reviewers until Thursday afternoon. Build in time for your team to discuss and align before you respond to the agency.
Approve or Request Changes—Don't Sit on It
"Let me think about it" for two weeks is costly. If you're unsure, say so and propose a short call. Often a 15-minute conversation resolves what would otherwise become a long email chain.
Respecting Timelines
Provide Assets and Access on Time
Projects often depend on you: brand guidelines, copy, logins, data. Delays on your side ripple through the timeline. If you'll be late, communicate early so the agency can adjust.
Honor Review Windows
Most agencies build in specific windows for client feedback. Missing those means work gets pushed. If you know you'll be unavailable (travel, launch, etc.), tell the agency in advance so they can plan around it.
Understand the Impact of Scope Changes
"Can we add two more pages?" or "Let's also do social" might seem small, but they affect timelines and budgets. Scope changes often require revised timelines. Discuss them openly rather than assuming the original deadline still holds.
When to Escalate
Red Flags
- Consistent missed deadlines without clear communication
- Quality that doesn't match the agreement after multiple revision rounds
- Poor communication—slow responses, unanswered questions
- Surprise invoices or scope creep you didn't approve
- Personality or culture mismatch that affects collaboration
How to Escalate
- Start with your main contact. Give them a chance to address the issue.
- Be specific. "We've missed three deadlines" is more actionable than "things aren't working."
- Request a conversation. A call often resolves what emails can't.
- Involve leadership if needed. If your contact can't resolve it, ask to loop in their manager or account lead.
- Document everything. Notes from calls, email threads, and timeline history help if you need to renegotiate or part ways.
When to Consider Changing Agencies
Sometimes the fit isn't right. If you've escalated, given clear feedback, and still see the same issues, it may be time to look elsewhere. A good guide on choosing a marketing agency can help you find a better fit. Ending a relationship professionally preserves your reputation and may even lead to a smoother transition.
Summary: Your Agency Collaboration Checklist
- [ ] Set clear success metrics and goals at the start
- [ ] Agree on communication channels and cadence
- [ ] Clarify roles, responsibilities, and approval workflow
- [ ] Respond to feedback requests within 2–3 business days
- [ ] Give specific, prioritized feedback
- [ ] Consolidate stakeholder input before sending to the agency
- [ ] Provide assets and access on time
- [ ] Honor review windows and internal deadlines
- [ ] Discuss scope changes before assuming timeline holds
- [ ] Escalate clearly and constructively when issues arise
Great agency relationships aren't accidental. They're built on clarity, communication, and mutual respect. When you show up as an organized, communicative client, you make it possible for your agency to deliver their best work—and you get the results you're paying for.