Industry — Retail
Questions to ask a retail marketing agency
Before hiring a retail marketing agency, ask what they think your constraint is — before they propose anything.
8 min read · Reviewed by both partners
Every firm passes the surface tests. These are the questions that separate them.
Sector-specific: ask how product labelling, safety standards, and multi-state tax nexus apply as you grow changes their approach. Vague answers are the answer.
Step by step
What do you think is capping growth, and why?
Asked before a proposal exists. The quality of the guess tells you what they know.
How does this sector’s rulebook change your plan?
In retail, product labelling, safety standards, and multi-state tax nexus apply as you grow. A firm that has worked here answers specifically.
Who is on the account in month three?
Ask for names. This is where most disappointment in this industry originates.
What would make you tell us not to hire you?
A firm that has never declined an engagement is optimising for its own revenue.
What will you report, and can it be deposited?
Impressions and rankings cannot. Cost per customer and payback can.
Common mistakes
Being sold by the client list
Logos prove they can sell. They do not prove the engagements worked.
Accepting a proposal at meeting one
It came from a template. Your business was not in it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions to ask a retail marketing agency?
Every firm passes the surface tests. These are the questions that separate them.
Which of Growth-Scaling’s seven services actually addresses this?
It sits under Retail in the Growth Scaling Method. The next step for an owner is the $1,500 Assessment, which reads your own numbers against everything described above.
What is the investment?
The one-time Foundation runs $4,500. Whether a monthly program follows, and at what level above the $5,000 floor, is a decision the Plan of Action makes with the numbers in hand.
Is there an account team?
No. David Mitroff and Steven Lockhart do the work themselves, which is why capacity is limited and why the diagnosis comes before any commitment.
References
- www.cpsc.gov — primary source
- www.irs.gov — primary source
- www.federalreserve.gov — primary source
Growth-Scaling is a marketing and business-scaling firm. It is not a licensed practitioner in any client vertical and does not provide medical, legal, financial, or contracting services; all industry content on this site is marketing and growth guidance for owners in those fields. Figures describing past engagements refer to specific businesses under specific conditions and are not a prediction of any future result. No outcome is promised.
Written by Steven Lockhart, reviewed by David Mitroff, Ph.D. Figures and regulatory details reflect the cited public sources; requirements vary by state and situation. Growth-Scaling is a marketing and business-scaling firm, not a licensed practitioner in any client vertical.