How to determine a good client fit (the AWP way).

At AWP we love applying our expertise to create brands with impact. We want to spend our time working with clients who are doing good to help further their missions. We’re a small team so it’s important that we determine a good client fit before we engage.

If you are responsible for creating new client relationships and you work in a small agency like ours, my advice would be to develop a list of qualifying criteria for consideration with each new potential client that contacts you. Having a go-to list will help you stay on course when cultivating the types of client relationships that keep your agency satisfied. Keep your list short, not more than 10 big-picture items that speak to your agency values and principles. Here’s our list:

10 questions we ask ourselves before engaging in a new client relationship

  1. Can we have impact?
  2. Can we seriously get behind their mission?
  3. Is our expertise the right match for their needs?
  4. Do we have experience that will support this relationship?
  5. Will the engagement align with our core principles?
  6. Will our work be supporting something innovative?
  7. Are they socially and/or environmentally conscious?
  8. Will our engagement have dynamic and creative energy?
  9. Is there an entrepreneurial spirit?
  10. Are there respectful and realistic expectations of time and cost?

Take our list as a starting point and adapt it to fit your own agency’s mission. Being able to vet a potential client against your list to determine if they’re a good fit will ensure that your agency’s time and effort is well spent on work that is fulfilling and rewarding.