What’s the minimum info you need before a Discovery Call?

Get their goal, timeline (especially launch dates), budget range (retainer $2k–$20k/mo or project $3k–$50k), decision maker, and current channels (Google Ads, Meta, SEO, email). That’s enough to know if it’s worth a 45-minute call.

What access do you need on day one for paid media?

At minimum: Google Ads or Meta Business Manager admin/partner access, GA4 viewer/admin, Tag Manager access, and confirmation that conversions are set (purchase/lead). If they use a CRM like HubSpot, get access to see lead quality and pipeline stages.

How do you prevent scope creep on a monthly retainer?

Define what’s included each month (channels, number of campaigns, creative cadence, reporting) and add a clear change-order rule for extras like new landing pages, extra email flows, or additional ad accounts. Put it in the SOW and reference it in kickoff.

What should you deliver as the first “win” to build trust fast?

Pick something concrete and visible within 7–14 days: a tracking/attribution audit, a cleaned-up campaign structure, a new landing page draft, or brand concept round 1. Avoid vague promises like “we’ll optimize” as your first milestone.

How do you handle urgent client issues without being on call 24/7?

Set escalation rules in kickoff: what counts as urgent (site down, ad account suspended, spend spike), where to report it, and your response window. For everything else, route requests through your project board and weekly check-in.

When should you push for a recurring retainer after a one-off campaign or website project?

During the First Review call. Show a 30/60/90-day plan that includes ongoing testing, creative refresh, and reporting. Tie the recommendation to their budget and goals so it feels like the logical next step, not an upsell.

Customer Onboarding Checklist

New Customer Onboarding Checklist for Marketing Agencies

Marketing agency leads move fast: one missed call during a client meeting can mean a $5,000–$50,000 campaign goes to a competitor. This checklist gives you a repeatable way to capture the right info, qualify fit, set scope, and get to a first “real” deliverable (audit, strategy, or launch task) without chaos.

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1) First Contact (Call, Form Fill, or DM) — Capture + Qualify in 10 Minutes

Reply within 5 minutes with two booking options: a 15-min Fit Call and a 45-min Discovery Call.critical

Prospects comparing agencies often choose the first professional response. Two options lets serious buyers self-select without a long back-and-forth.

Ask what they’re trying to grow and what’s broken (use their words): “leads dropped,” “ROAS tanked,” “GA4 is wrong,” “Meta ads disapproved,” “need a Q4 launch.”critical

Agency prospects describe pain in platform terms. Capturing exact language helps you pitch the right service (retainer vs. campaign vs. rebuild).

Collect deal-shaping basics: monthly ad spend range, timeline, and decision maker.critical

A $2k–$20k/mo retainer and a $5k–$50k campaign require different pacing. You avoid wasting time on non-fit budgets or stalled approvals.

Tag the lead type immediately: Retainer ($2k–$20k/mo), Campaign Launch ($5k–$50k), Website Project ($5k–$50k), or Brand Identity ($3k–$30k).important

Your process, roles, and required access differ by job type. Tagging upfront drives the right onboarding steps and templates.

Ask how they track success today: “What dashboard do you trust?” (GA4, Looker Studio, HubSpot, Shopify, CallRail).important

If measurement is messy, you’ll need tracking cleanup before you promise results. This prevents scope creep later.

Screen for red flags with one question: “What did the last agency/freelancer do that didn’t work?”important

You’ll spot expectations issues (guaranteed ROAS, no approvals, constant pivots) and decide whether to proceed.

If you miss calls often, set a 24/7 capture path (AI receptionist + text/email alert) and route only qualified calls to you.nice-to-have

Marketing agency owners are in client calls or deep work. A tool like SkipCalls can answer after-hours and book the Fit Call so leads don’t bounce to faster agencies.

2) Fit Call + Discovery — Confirm Fit, Scope, and the “First Win” Deliverable

Use a 15-minute Fit Call script: goal, budget, timeline, decision maker, and “what happens if we do nothing?”critical

This keeps your calendar from filling with low-intent calls and surfaces urgency (launch deadline, board meeting, Q4 planning).

On the 45-minute Discovery Call, map their funnel on one page: Traffic → Lead → Sales → Retention.critical

Clients often ask for “more leads” when the real issue is landing page conversion or sales follow-up. This keeps your proposal honest.

Ask for current performance snapshots live: last 30–90 days spend, CPL/CPA, ROAS, conversion rate, top channels.critical

You can’t price or forecast without baselines. Even rough numbers improve scope and help you avoid overpromising.

Clarify deliverables by service type (say it out loud): - Retainer: monthly reporting + optimization + creative refresh cadence - Campaign: launch plan + build + QA + monitoring window - Website: sitemap + wireframes + build + QA + launch - Brand: mood boards + concepts + final kitcritical

Many disputes come from “I thought that included…” This makes what you do (and don’t) crystal clear before contracting.

Define the first completed job output (the “First Win”): e.g., tracking audit, account restructure, landing page draft, or brand concept round 1.important

A concrete first deliverable reduces buyer anxiety and creates momentum. It also gives you a clean milestone for “job #1 complete.”

Agree on communication rules: Slack vs. email, response time, who approves creative, and meeting cadence.important

Agencies lose hours chasing approvals. Clear rules protect your creative flow and keep timelines real.

Book the next two meetings before ending the call: Kickoff + First Review.important

Agencies run on calendars. Pre-booking prevents “ghost weeks” where nothing moves because nobody scheduled the next step.

3) Proposal, SOW, and Payment — Lock Scope and Prevent Scope Creep

Send a one-page scope summary within 24 hours (bullets, not a novel): goals, deliverables, timeline, and what you need from them.critical

Fast follow-up signals professionalism and keeps you ahead of competitors. Bullet clarity reduces misinterpretation.

Price using the right anchor for the job type: - Retainer: $2,000–$20,000/month - Campaign launch: $5,000–$50,000 - Website project: $5,000–$50,000 - Brand identity: $3,000–$30,000critical

Prospects expect agency ranges. Clear pricing tied to deliverables reduces negotiation loops.

Include change-order language: “Out-of-scope requests are estimated and approved before work starts.”critical

Marketing projects attract “quick asks” (new landing page, extra ad sets, extra email flows). This protects your margins.

Define success metrics and what you control (examples: you control ads and landing pages; you don’t control seasonality, inventory, or sales team follow-up).important

This prevents “Why aren’t we at 5x ROAS?” arguments when constraints exist outside your work.

Spell out ownership: ad accounts, pixels, creative files, website code, brand assets, and what happens if they leave.important

Clients care about access and portability. Clear ownership builds trust and reduces offboarding drama.

Collect payment info and schedule: retainer billed monthly upfront; projects use 50/50 or milestone payments.critical

You avoid starting work with no commitment. For projects, milestones keep cash flow predictable.

Send a pre-kickoff “Access Checklist” link in the same email as the invoice and contract.important

Once money clears, the #1 delay is missing access. Pairing these items gets onboarding moving immediately.

4) Client Intake + Access Setup — Get Tools, Data, and Brand Inputs Without Chaos

Send a structured intake form based on service type (separate versions for retainer, campaign, website, brand).critical

A brand identity intake is different from a paid media takeover. Separate forms stop you from collecting useless info and missing critical details.

Collect required access (as needed): Google Ads, Meta Business Manager, GA4, Search Console, Tag Manager, Shopify/WordPress/Webflow, HubSpot/Salesforce, email platform (Klaviyo/Mailchimp).critical

You can’t audit or launch without proper permissions. Listing systems by name reduces back-and-forth.

Confirm tracking basics: pixel/Conversions API status, GA4 events, UTMs, call tracking (CallRail), and lead routing to CRM.critical

If tracking is broken, you can’t prove value. Fixing this early prevents reporting fights later.

Gather creative and brand assets: logo files (SVG/AI), fonts, brand colors, photo library, existing ads, style guide, product shots, testimonials.important

Creative delays kill launch timelines. Getting assets upfront keeps your designers and media buyers moving.

Document compliance constraints: regulated claims, required disclaimers, approvals for health/finance, platform restrictions, and any banned terms.important

Meta/Google disapprovals can halt revenue. Compliance notes keep your copy and creative safe.

Set up shared workspaces: Slack channel + Google Drive folder + project board (Asana/Trello/ClickUp) with named owners.important

Agencies win when everyone knows where files live and who approves what. This reduces “lost in email” chaos.

Create a simple “Client Snapshot” doc: offer, audiences, competitors, pricing, margins, seasonality, and promo calendar.nice-to-have

Your team can produce better work faster when context is in one place. It also prevents repeated questions to the client.

5) Pre-Job Prep + Scheduling — Build a Clean Launch Plan and Protect Your Deep Work

Hold a 60-minute kickoff with a fixed agenda: goals, KPIs, messaging, offer, timeline, approvals, and risks.critical

Kickoffs drift without structure. A fixed agenda keeps you from missing critical inputs that cause rework later.

Create a timeline with hard dates: creative due, build due, QA, launch, first report, and review meeting.critical

Agencies fail when deadlines are vague. Hard dates help clients meet their responsibilities too (approvals, assets, dev).

Define approval workflow: who approves, how many rounds, and what “approved” means (copy + design + landing page).critical

Unlimited revisions and unclear sign-off wreck timelines. Clear approval steps keep campaigns from stalling.

Prepare a QA checklist for the specific job: - Ads: links, UTMs, targeting, exclusions, placements, budgets - Website: forms, mobile, speed, redirects, analytics - Brand: file formats, usage rules, licensingimportant

QA prevents embarrassing launch-day mistakes like broken forms or wrong tracking parameters.

Set your “office hours” and escalation rules for emergencies (disapprovals, site down, spend spike).important

Clients will treat everything as urgent unless you define what truly is. This protects your focus and team workload.

Set up lead capture so missed calls don’t become lost deals: always-on answering + instant booking link.nice-to-have

During Q4 and launches, calls come while you’re in meetings. SkipCalls can book discovery calls automatically so you don’t lose prospects to faster agencies.

6) Day-Of Launch + Post-Job Follow-Up — Confirm Results, Next Steps, and Recurring Service

Send a launch-day message with exact timing and what you’ll monitor (first 2–4 hours and first 24–72 hours).critical

Clients feel calmer when they know you’re watching spend, tracking, and conversions. It also reduces panic texts.

Monitor and document “first signals”: spend pacing, CTR, CPC, conversion tracking firing, form submissions, checkout flow, attribution notes.critical

Early data catches broken pixels or bad links fast. Screenshots and notes protect you when results fluctuate later.

Deliver the first completed job output within the promised window (the “First Win” deliverable).critical

This is the moment trust is created. Hitting the first milestone makes it easier to move the client into ongoing work.

Send a simple results email (no fluff): what shipped, what changed, what to expect next week, and what you need from them.important

Clients want clarity, not a marketing essay. This reduces follow-up calls and keeps projects moving.

Hold a First Review call and present a 30/60/90-day plan tied to their budget and capacity.important

Agencies retain clients by showing a roadmap. It turns a one-time campaign into a $2k–$20k/month relationship.

Set up recurring reporting: Looker Studio or platform exports, cadence (weekly or monthly), and KPI definitions.important

Consistent reporting prevents “What am I paying for?” questions and reduces churn at month 2–3.

Ask for the right social proof at the right time: a testimonial after the first win, and a case study after 60–90 days.nice-to-have

You’ll get better reviews when the client sees progress. This also fuels your next round of leads.