Who owns my ad accounts and website?
A good answer gives your business owner access to its domain, website, advertising accounts and analytics, with the agency working through permissions. A bad answer leaves ownership undefined or requires you to buy back your own accounts.
What happens if I leave?
A good answer names the notice period, export process, hosting transition and assets you retain. A bad answer avoids handover details or reveals that campaigns and customer records cannot move with you.
What is your reporting cadence?
A good answer states when you will review work, which account data you can access and how lead quality changes the plan. A bad answer promises a dashboard but cannot explain what decisions its numbers support.
Who actually does the work?
A good answer identifies the people responsible for strategy, production and account communication, including subcontractors where relevant. A bad answer sells access to a senior strategist but cannot tell you who implements or checks the work.
What do you need from me?
A good answer lists account access, source material, approvals and an internal contact, with responsibilities written into the schedule. A bad answer says you can disappear entirely while omitting the inputs needed to publish accurate business information.
How do you measure a lead?
A good answer distinguishes an inquiry from a qualified opportunity and explains duplicates, spam, attribution and CRM status. A bad answer counts every click or form submission as revenue without checking whether your team can serve the prospect.
What is not included?
A good answer separates media spend, software, content production, integrations and work outside scope. A bad answer uses “full service” as a substitute for a deliverable list and discloses necessary charges only after signing.
How long until results?
A good answer separates implementation milestones from uncertain business outcomes and explains dependencies, starting condition and search competition. A bad answer guarantees a lead volume or ranking date without inspecting your offer, accounts and follow-up.
What is your contract term?
A good answer states the minimum, renewal process, cancellation notice and obligations on both sides. A bad answer minimizes the commitment during the sale or makes exit terms difficult to find.
Can I talk to a current client?
A good answer offers an appropriate reference with that client’s permission or explains confidentiality and shows inspectable work instead. A bad answer substitutes anonymous performance claims for evidence and refuses to explain the context of results.
What happens in month one?
A good answer describes access checks, baseline reporting, the initial audit and prioritized deliverables, including what needs your approval. A bad answer jumps straight to campaign launches without checking tracking, conversion or account ownership.
How do you use AI?
A good answer explains which tasks AI supports, who checks output and how customer data and business facts are protected. A bad answer treats AI-generated volume as strategy or publishes material without factual review.