Agency Sales Calls: 10 Prospect Questions + Answers
In short
- Agency buyers are buying trust: results for someone like them, the people who will do the work, and fair terms.
- Answer with specifics you can prove; never promise a result.
- Most prospects have been disappointed by an agency before. Ask about it early.
- Qualify the client as carefully as they are qualifying you.
On an agency sales call, prospects mostly want to know three things: have you done this for someone like me, who will actually do the work, and what am I committing to. Nearly every question is a version of one of those. Here are the ten that come up most, with a strong way to answer each.
The ten questions
| Question | What they are really asking | A strong answer |
|---|
| 1. "What results have you got for companies like us?" | Can you prove it? | One relevant case with real numbers, the starting point and the time it took |
| 2. "Who will work on our account?" | Will I be passed to a junior? | Names and roles, and how often they will speak to each person |
| 3. "How long until we see results?" | When can I judge you? | An honest range, with what happens in each of the first three months |
| 4. "Can you guarantee results?" | What if it does not work? | No, and why; what you do guarantee is the work, the reporting and candour |
| 5. "How long is the contract?" | Am I trapped? | The term, the notice period, and the reason for both |
| 6. "Who owns the accounts, data and creative?" | What happens if we leave? | They do. Say it without hesitation |
| 7. "What will reporting look like?" | Will I know what is happening? | Show a real report, with names removed |
| 8. "Why do you cost more than a freelancer?" | What is the extra for? | Coverage, a team of specialists, continuity when someone is ill |
| 9. "What do you need from us?" | How much of my time? | A precise list: access, approvals, one contact, hours a week |
| 10. "We had a bad experience before." | Will you do the same? | Ask what happened before saying anything about yourself |
Answering the two hardest
"Can you guarantee results?"
"No, and I would be wary of anyone who does, because nobody controls the market or the platforms. What I can guarantee is what we will do each month, that you will see every number, and that if something is not working I will tell you before you have to ask."
"We had a bad experience with our last agency."
"I am sorry to hear that. What happened? ... What would you need to see from us in the first sixty days to feel this was different?"
Their answer is your onboarding plan. It also tells you whether the problem was the agency or an expectation nobody could meet.
Questions to ask them
- "What made you start looking now?"
- "What have you tried, and what happened?"
- "What would success look like a year from now, in numbers?"
- "Who else is involved in choosing an agency?" See how to find the decision-maker.
- "What budget range have you set aside?"
- "How do you like to work with an agency day to day?"
More are in discovery call questions that qualify.
Signs a prospect is a poor fit
- They want a guarantee before they will share their numbers.
- They have changed agencies every few months.
- Nobody on their side owns the relationship.
- The expected result and the budget are not on the same planet.
Saying no to a poor fit is the cheapest decision an agency makes.
Have the answers ready
The agencies that win these calls are not better talkers. They have their case studies, team details and terms at their fingertips. Write each answer as a short battlecard, and keep the free 176 agency sales objections guide nearby for the rest.
Crack Sales has a page for agencies: the agency puts its real case studies, team and terms into a Sales Brain, and during a call the answer appears on screen, in the agency's own words, when the prospect asks. It cannot quote a result that is not in the Brain. It is free to use and starts after a 15-minute intro call: book a demo.
Frequently asked questions
What questions do clients ask agencies on a sales call?
Most often: what results you have achieved for similar companies, who will work on the account, how long results take, contract length and notice, who owns accounts and creative, what reporting looks like, and why you cost what you do.
Should an agency guarantee results?
No. An agency does not control the market or the platforms. It can guarantee the work it will do, transparent reporting and honest communication.
How should an agency handle a prospect who had a bad agency experience?
Ask what happened before describing yourself, then ask what they would need to see in the first sixty days to feel it was different. Build that into the plan.
Try it on your own calls
Crack Sales is free to use on your own sales calls, and it starts after a 15-minute intro call. Book a demo.
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