I’m looking to expand my agency by partnering with specialists in markets I don’t fully understand yet—mostly US-based influencer experts and UGC specialists. But before I hand them actual client work, I need a vetting framework that doesn’t take three months and isn’t just based on portfolio screenshots.
What questions should I actually be asking? How much do I trust portfolio case studies vs. running a test campaign? What red flags should I be watching for?
I’ve seen agencies make bad partnership choices because they didn’t dig deep enough upfront, and I want to avoid that. At the same time, I don’t want to over-engineer this and make the vetting harder than actually working together.
What’s your process? What questions actually reveal whether a partner will be reliable, transparent about limitations, and genuinely collaborative?
The best indicator isn’t their portfolio—it’s how they communicate when you reach out. Do they respond quickly? Do they ask about your goals and constraints, or just pitch their capabilities? Responsive, curious partners usually stay that way.
I’d also call their references directly, not just email them. Hearing someone’s voice and tone tells you way more than a written reference.
One framework I use: 1) communication style assessment, 2) reference checks, 3) small test project, 4) feedback debrief. If someone fails at step 1 or 2, don’t waste time on 3.
Has anyone recommended partners to you directly? That’s often the best vetting.
Ask for specific metrics from their case studies, not just ‘we increased engagement.’ I want to see: campaign objective, budget, timeline, performance (with actual numbers), and learnings.
Partners who can articulate why a campaign succeeded or failed are usually trustworthy. Partners who only show wins are hiding something.
Also ask: what campaigns didn’t work, and why? How they handle failure tells you a lot.
What percentage of their case studies include failure stories? If it’s 0%, that’s a red flag.
For US partners specifically, ask about their market research process. Do they actually understand audience dynamics in different geographies, or do they just assume US trends apply everywhere? Bad partners often don’t adjust strategies by market—they’re template-based.
Good partners ask questions about your brands’ positioning, pricing, and past performance before recommending strategies.
We vet partners by asking: ‘Show me how you’ve handled a setback or a difficult client.’ The answer tells you everything.
Bad partners deflect. Good partners take responsibility, explain what they learned, and describe how they’d handle it differently.
Also ask about their ops: how do they track timelines, handle revisions, communicate across teams? If they can’t describe their process clearly, they probably don’t have one.
Trust your gut too. If the conversation feels off or they’re avoiding answering questions, that’s your signal to keep looking.
Here’s my vetting checklist:
- References—call at least 2, ask specifically about reliability and communication.
- Test project—something small but real, with clear deliverables and timeline.
- Debrief—after the test project, sit down and get honest feedback from both sides.
- Red flags—if they’re vague about pricing, can’t commit to timelines, or get defensive when you ask tough questions, walk away.
The test project is key. It’s cheap insurance. In that project, watch for: do they over-promise and under-deliver? Are they transparent when something goes wrong? Do they ask for feedback?
I usually do a 2-week test project before committing to anything bigger.
How much time and budget do you have for a test project?
From my side—and I’ve worked with a bunch of agencies—the ones I trust are the ones who are clear about expectations from the jump. No vagueness about deliverables, timeline, or payment.
Red flags I look for: agencies that change requirements mid-project, are slow to respond, or don’t respect the work you’re doing. Those patterns usually don’t improve.
When you’re vetting a partner, pay attention to how they treat you during the vetting process. That’s how they’ll treat your clients too.
Do they respect your time? Do they follow up? That matters.
Ask about their process for handling ambiguity and scope creep. Real work is messy. Vetting questions should include: ‘Walk me through how you’d handle a client request that falls outside scope’ or ‘How do you manage a campaign that’s not performing on day 10?’
Partners who have frameworks for these situations are usually reliable. Partners who don’t usually become nightmares.
Also: ask about their worst client experience. If they can articulate it clearly and describe what they’d do differently, that’s good. If they blame the client entirely, keep shopping.
What’s your biggest concern about working with a US-based partner?