After inheriting hundreds of other agencies' projects, we know exactly where bodies get buried. Ask these before signing anything.
We inherit other agencies' projects weekly — which means we see exactly how bad engagements start. The pattern is consistent: the warning signs were visible before the contract, in answers to questions the client didn't know to ask. Here are the twelve that reveal everything.
About the work
1) 'Who exactly will build my project — names and roles?' (Sales-to-outsource bait-and-switch is epidemic.) 2) 'Can I see a project like mine, live, and talk to that client?' 3) 'What happens to performance scores after launch — will you commit to numbers?' 4) 'Do I own everything — code, design files, accounts, content?' The only acceptable answer is an unqualified yes.
About the money
5) 'Is the quote fixed, and what makes it change?' 6) 'What's included after launch — and what's billable?' 7) 'If we part ways, what's the handover process and cost?' Agencies that lock clients in with hostage hosting and mystery stacks answer this one badly.
About the process
8) 'How often will I see work in progress?' (Weekly demos or equivalent — silence for six weeks means panic in week seven.) 9) 'Who is my single point of contact?' 10) 'How do you handle scope changes?' (A process, not a shrug.) 11) 'What do you need from me, and when?' — an agency that doesn't demand content early hasn't planned. 12) 'What would make you turn down this project?' Honest agencies have an answer; desperate ones don't.
None of these questions require technical knowledge — only the willingness to ask. And if you'd like to hear our own answers to all twelve, ask away. We enjoy this quiz.
Code Craft
Client Strategy at Code Craft — the team behind our published work and products and the 39-plugin product suite.
