Getting the most out of that first meeting with a design agency

I have always been the prospective client, so at first it felt slightly strange to be on the ‘other side’ when I started working for nim design. This was something I was going to have to get used to, and fast!

Having met with more creative agencies than I can remember, I recall the meetings all too well. Admittedly my mind would sometimes drift off thinking about all the other tasks I had to do that day whilst the agency flicked through their 100 pages plus presentation. So, the thought of doing this filled me with slight terror.

To my complete surprise, and relief, I learnt that nim design doesn’t do this. I went to my first client meeting with my colleague Chris and she explained that whilst we understand it is useful for the client to have some background knowledge of the company they certainly do not need to sit through a lengthy presentation. We respect the fact that our prospective client has very likely taken some time to do their background research on us and invited us to meet with them on that basis.

From my experience, having sat on both sides of the table, here are some points to bear in mind before the first meeting with an agency:

  • Have a clear agenda for the meeting including objectives of what you would like to achieve from it
  • Allocate a time for the meeting to start and end and share this information with the agency
  • Have clear timelines for the project
  • Ask the agency for specific pieces of work you would like to see. Relate this back to your own project
  • Confirm who will be attending the meeting from both sides. More people can sometimes mean more talking and meetings may overrun.
  • Take a look around the agency’s website prior to the meeting, that way you can spend more time discussing your project
  • Share your budget with the agencies. This way you will retain only those agencies able to work to your budget.

Working for nim design has really opened my eyes and it is refreshing to see the honest and straight forward approach that we take.

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