Allison Sparks, Head of Marketing at Shameless Pets -- Learning How Your Community Can Help You Find a Good Agency

Episode Summary The client-agency relationship is a two-way street, and many factors go into building a strong relationship with an external agency. But mutual trust is critical; so, prioritize trust and transparency over everything else if you want to make your partnership work long-term. In this episode of the YouShouldTalkTo podcast, our host Daniel Weiner welcomes Allison Sparks, the head of marketing at Shameless Pets. They discuss the importance of mutual trust, finding a good agency, and why honesty is the best policy. Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Name: Allison Sparks, Head of marketing at Shameless Pets 💡 Noteworthy: Shameless Pets is a startup that makes sustainable dog and cat treats. 💡 Where to find Allison: LinkedIn Key Insights ⚡Agencies can bring immense value to your business. Hiring an external vendor to step in where you need help is always a good idea, and it can add tremendous value to your business. Allison says, "I think it can take some time to build that partnership and relationship and find the right agency, but when you do, especially as a small team, they can help so much and bring so much value to the business." ⚡Mutual trust is vital in a partnership. Without trust, you have nothing. So, if you want to make your agency relationship work, focus on building mutual trust and respect. Allison explains, "Building that mutual trust and partnership — so being really transparent. On the client side, being able to articulate the needs of the business and what you're looking for in an agency. And then on the agency side, being transparent about what kind of strengths and capabilities they can bring to the table." ⚡Your community is the best place to find a good agency. Finding strong agency recommendations is not that simple. But you can always turn to your community for help. Allison says, "I think the people in my network, the people in my company's network, and the extended network say, 'Oh, talk to so-and-so and see if they've had experience with this. Have they worked with other clients who have had a good experience?' And then, based on those closer connections, if you're still looking, go to a Slack community or your LinkedIn community and other digital community spaces. But I think that's where you have the luck and the best ability to vet partners."