The first call with a potential new agency is often a painful experience. You’re forced to sit through a 30-slide presentation about how great they are, filled with buzzwords, vague promises, and pictures of their office dog. It’s a sales pitch, not a conversation.

Our first call is different. We call it a diagnostic session. We don't have a slide deck. We won't spend 20 minutes talking about ourselves. Our goal is to listen, and to determine, as quickly as possible, if we are a good fit for each other. That means asking direct questions.

We're trying to answer two things:

1. Can we actually help you?

2. Will we enjoy working together?

To get there, we avoid the softball questions ("What are your goals?") and focus on the things that reveal the reality of your business and your mindset. Here are a few of the questions you can expect from us:

• What happens if you do nothing? This tells us how urgent and important this project really is. If the answer is "not much," it's probably not the right time to start.

• What's one thing your customers always complain about? This often reveals a deeper business problem that marketing may or may not be able to solve. It cuts through the corporate speak and gets to the heart of the user's experience.

• Imagine a year from now, and this project has been a wild success. What does that look like (and don't just say 'more sales')? This helps us understand your real definition of success. Is it fewer, better clients? Is it less stress for your team? Is it a stronger reputation in your industry?

• Who on your team has the final say on this project? A project without a single, clear decision-maker is doomed to fail. We need to know who that person is from day one.

We will also tell you, transparently, if we sense a red flag. If your team seems chaotic, if your goals are unrealistic, or if you seem to be looking for a magic bullet, we'll say so.

This approach isn't for everyone. It can feel blunt. But it's the fastest way to get to the truth. We'd rather have a direct 30-minute conversation and decide we're not a good fit than waste months of your time and money on a project that was destined to fail from the start.