We’re continuing our editorial series featuring agencies from our listings, exploring how different teams approach client relationships, communication, and project workflows. In this edition we’re looking into the operational side of agency work – from hiring and quality control to managing scope and timelines. We spoke with Diffco, a San Francisco-based company specializing in AI, custom software development, and staffing services, and Studio2a, a 3D rendering studio creating architectural, product, and interior visualizations for brands worldwide about their approach to some of the key challenges behind delivering consistent, high-quality work.

What Makes a Strong Hire

Building the right team is one of the most critical factors in delivering strong work. But beyond skills and experience, agencies often look for qualities that ensure long-term collaboration and adaptability.

What specific criteria do you use when hiring designers or developers, and what’s an immediate red flag that disqualifies a candidate?

Adam Kruvand, Principal Creative Director at Studio2a:

We look at experience, the quality of the portfolio, and overall practical fit – things like language, time zones, and work style all matter when it comes to collaboration. It’s not just about talent, but how well someone integrates into the way we work. An immediate red flag for us is overly aggressive outreach, like persistent or pushy emailing, which can signal a lack of professionalism or awareness.

Vadim Peskov, CEO at Diffco:

We look for people who are curious, proactive, and constantly improving their craft. Designers and developers on our team need to stay on top of new tools, workflows, and industry shifts, because the pace of change in our field is extremely fast. A strong candidate is someone who experiments, learns quickly, and integrates new technologies into their daily work. A major red flag for us is when someone isn’t using AI as part of their workflow. Today AI is a core productivity tool across design and development. If a candidate isn’t actively learning, testing and incorporating AI tools into their process, it usually means they’re already falling behind – and that mindset doesn’t align with how we operate.

Managing Revisions Without Scope Creep

Revisions are a natural part of any project, but without the right structure, they can quickly lead to scope creep and misaligned expectations.

How do you structure revisions and amends in your contracts to prevent scope creep while keeping clients satisfied?

Adam: Our process is collaborative, so the client has more input and ownership throughout the process. Minor tweaks are part of this process, so we rarely need to push back on those. Major changes trigger a change order based on an hourly rate or a new project phase altogether. Because expectations are set early, most clients understand and are comfortable with this structure.

Vadim: For SDLC projects, we work exclusively on a T&M basis. In product development, scope naturally evolves as the product grows, new insights appear, and priorities shift. Trying to lock everything into a rigid revision structure usually creates unnecessary friction between teams and clients. With T&M, revisions and adjustments are simply part of the ongoing process rather than something that needs to be negotiated each time. This removes the typical back-and-forth around amendments and allows the team to focus on progress and outcomes. The client maintains flexibility, and the project can adapt in real time as the product matures.

How Teams Stay Aligned on Quality

When multiple people are involved in a project, maintaining consistent quality becomes both more important and more challenging.

What internal process do you use to ensure consistent quality across projects when multiple team members are involved?

Adam: We rely on a standardized internal process that’s been refined over years of creating assets and delivering projects. This structure helps ensure consistency regardless of who is working on a given task. Before anything reaches the client, it goes through an internal review stage, which acts as a quality control checkpoint and keeps our output aligned with our standards

Vadim: Consistency comes from structure and accountability. Every project follows shared technical and design standards that the whole team adheres to. We also conduct regular code reviews to ensure best practices are followed and that the quality of implementation stays high across the board. In addition, each project has a senior lead responsible for overall quality and decision-making. This person acts as the owner of the final output and ensures that the work from multiple contributors remains cohesive. Before anything is presented to a client, we also run internal demos so the team can review the work collectively and catch issues early.

When Projects Start to Drift

Even well-planned projects can go over budget or timeline. Understanding why this happens is key to improving processes and setting more realistic expectations.

What is the most common reason projects go over budget or timeline, and how have you adjusted your process to prevent that?

Adam: Some delays are inevitable. Ours is a collaborative workstyle, so we set the feedback expectation with the client pretty early on. However, there are usually more factors on the client side that interfere with our timeline. We mitigate this by asking upfront who is involved in the process and what problems may occur. This helps us predict a more accurate project delivery schedule and budget.

Vadim: The most common reasons are unclear requirements at the start and strategic pivots that happen during development. As products evolve, new ideas emerge, and priorities shift, which can easily affect both timelines and budgets. To manage this reality, we rely on the T&M model and maintain close communication with clients through frequent weekly syncs. These regular check-ins allow us to surface changes quickly, adjust priorities when needed, and ensure that nothing drifts too far off track before it’s addressed.

Lessons from Client Acquisition

Finding and winning the right clients is an ongoing challenge for most agencies. Not every strategy works – and often the most valuable insights come from what didn’t go as planned.

What have you tried for client acquisition that didn’t work, and what did you learn from it?

Adam: Even after 25 years, we’re still experimenting with finding a reliable, semi-automated approach to lead generation and CRM. It’s something we’ve tested in different ways, but nothing has fully clicked yet. If anything, the takeaway is that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and it’s an ongoing process of trial, adjustment, and learning – so if you’ve figured it out, we’d love to hear it!

Vadim: We experimented with outbound sales targeting large enterprise projects, but the results weren’t particularly effective for us. The sales cycles in that segment are extremely long, procurement processes are complex, and conversion rates are relatively low. What we learned from that experience is that our strongest growth comes from warm introductions and demonstrating value quickly. Rather than relying on cold outreach, our approach works best when relationships already exist and we can prove our expertise through direct collaboration.

Final Thoughts

From hiring and internal processes to managing scope and acquiring clients, the operational side of agency work plays a crucial role in delivering successful projects.

As Diffco and Studio2a show, there’s no single way to approach these challenges – but clarity, structure, and continuous adaptation remain consistent themes. Whether it’s building the right team or refining how projects evolve over time, these decisions ultimately shape both the work and the client experience.

Explore More Agencies

Looking for the right creative or marketing partner? Norobots connects brands with trusted agencies, designers and startups from around the world – explore the listings and find the collaborators that fit your needs. And if you’re an agency or designer, join our listings to showcase your work, increase your visibility and become part of our growing network of trusted businesses.

Welcome to our new short editorial series featuring agencies from our listings, where we ask them a few simple questions about how they approach client work, make decisions, and manage project processes. The goal is to share real perspectives from the people behind the work and highlight how different teams navigate the everyday realities of agency life.

Strong client relationships are the foundation of successful agency work. But behind every finished campaign, brand identity, or marketing strategy are countless decisions around expectations, communication, and collaboration.

When do you say “no” to a client? How do you spot early signs of a problematic project? And what happens when a project loses momentum?

To explore these questions, we spoke with two agencies working in different corners of the industry: Greatergood® Brands, a London-based brand design and marketing agency specialising in consumer-facing brands and packaging design, and Phoenix Media, a Thai-British digital marketing agency focused on performance marketing, SEO, advertising, and tailored digital strategies.

Here’s how they handle some of the most common aspects of client relationships.

Saying “No” to Client Requests

One of the most delicate moments in any agency relationship is knowing when to push back on a client request. Whether it’s about scope, timelines, or expertise, saying no requires both clarity and diplomacy.

At what point in a project do you say “no” to a client request, and how do you communicate that without damaging the relationship?

Daniel Hinde, founder and creative director of Greatergood® Brands:

Over the years we’ve become well known and specialised in the work we do in brand and packaging design for FMCG & CPG brands – we often get client requests outside of these categories and will turn the work down, as it simply isn’t our speciality. Another time we would say no, is when clients aren’t aligned on budgets in a realistic manner – due to the nature of our work in packaging design, projects can span 3 to 6 months or even longer. The nature of manufacturing is never linear and from a time perspective we really have to make sure we are accounting for that in our project proposals. We always like to help clients understand project fees and how those are made up, that the number isn’t just plucked out of thin air. If we aren’t matched on budget, we always check in with clients and encourage them to come back to us at a later date.

Robert Wee, founder and managing partner of Phoenix Media:

We try to handle most client requests until the point they become unreasonable, which is usually when they require additional time. In those cases, I explain that the task is time-consuming and would require an additional charge. We believe that saying no to clients, or them saying no to you, comes down to being reasonable. If a request is unreasonable, it is typically due to the time involved. For example, if they request a fully bespoke report, I would explain that we do not have the time to complete it. However, if they would like us to include it within their monthly campaign, we can factor it into their quote and proceed accordingly. Rather than saying no outright, I explain why we are unable to complete the request as it stands, and offer the option to include it at an additional cost if they would like us to proceed.

Client Feedback That Matters

Feedback comes in many forms, but some stand out more than others. For agencies, certain types of client feedback can shape how they see their work and the value they bring.

What is the most valuable feedback you ever received from a client?

David: The most valuable feedback we have received from a client – is always around our experience and insights. We have now worked across hundreds of products within the consumer brand landscape, and countless categories. This gives us a really deep insight (and opinion) into how these brands grow and scale and the challenges they face along the way. When clients tell us that they see us as the “expert”, and we can see them taking notes on our calls – it gives us that validation in the work we do, and the value we add to our clients businesses and projects.

Robert: I am not sure if valuable is the right word, but we have quite a lot of clients who may be tempted elsewhere and move to another agency or try something different. Quite often, they come back, which reinforces our belief that we provide a good service and a good product. I have personally worked at several agencies where you are often aware of what you think are better agencies, when in reality they are not. When clients return after going elsewhere, it gives us confidence and reinforces that what we offer is a good service and a good product.

Early Warning Signs Of Problematic Projects

Not every project goes exactly as planned, and often the first signs appear earlier than expected. Recognizing these signals can help agencies avoid bigger challenges down the line.

What is a small early sign that a project might become problematic?

David: I think this is a general attitude check. We really like to do work for good people which we enjoy working with, it is the driving force in doing good work. Founders and business owners in general can have some pretty big personalities. In our first introduction call if we find a client to be rude, demanding, or generally just not pleasant to communicate with – it will be a real teller for us in how a 3 month project with that person is likely to progress.

Robert: I think any time you enter into something unfamiliar, whether it is a campaign, a website, or another project, it can become problematic. For example, rebuilding a website that was previously custom-built, taking over an existing campaign, or offering a service you have limited experience in can all create issues. If you stick to what you are experienced in, it generally helps to prevent unforeseen and problematic circumstances.

Setting Expectations From The Start

A lot of project issues can be traced back to unclear expectations at the very beginning. Getting that first meeting right can make all the difference – so how do agencies handle it?

How do you set expectations in the very first meeting with the client?

David: In our first meeting with clients we like to talk fairly informally and discuss more the problems which the client is facing, and share some insights which they may find useful. We are a small team and value open, honest and straight to the point conversations with clients on budgets, timelines, deliverables and expectations on both sides of the table. We stress to clients that we will never take on work which we realistically cannot do, but will recommend you to someone great who can. We appreciate that clients are taking a risk in working with us (or any agency), so we like to help them address any concerns they may have – which are entirely valid.

Robert: We always qualify the client on budget and expectations to ensure that what we propose aligns with what they are expecting. If their budget or expectations are unrealistic, we address this during the initial call. For example, if a client is targeting an extremely low CPA, we would ask where that figure came from. They may be part of a marketing team that has been given KPIs by senior stakeholders, which could be unrealistic. In that case, we would question how those KPIs were determined, what they were based on, and whether they are achievable. As long as it is something we are confident in, we have a clear understanding of what a suitable KPI should be. If their expectations are significantly misaligned and they are unwilling to adjust, we would set expectations accordingly.

When a Project Loses Momentum

Even well-planned projects can sometimes slow down, especially when the priorities shift on the client’s side. How agencies respond during these moments often determines whether the collaboration stays productive.

What do you do when a project loses momentum on the client’s side?

David: Again this comes back to being open and honest in how we communicate. Project timelines help keep us all aligned, but we also like to be realistic in terms of the challenges a brand owner or a founder is also likely facing. For a challenger brand in FMCG – a founder is also likely juggling two full time jobs, managing manufacturing and supply chain headaches, and challenges with bootstrapping and fundraising early on in their journey. We really like to support our clients throughout our time working together serving them in an advisory capacity as well as the project deliverables and scope.

Robert: Assuming this relates to a website project, we would try to arrange a meeting and, if that is not possible, set clear deadlines and a timeline to work towards. If it is a marketing campaign, maintaining more frequent contact with the client is helpful. Regular check-ins, even short calls, help ensure everything is progressing well on their side and demonstrate that we are being proactive on ours.

Final Thoughts

While agencies may operate in different markets and specialise in different services, the principles behind strong client relationships remain remarkably consistent.

Transparency, honest communication, and realistic expectations help agencies and clients stay aligned – even when projects become complex. As Greatergood® Brands and Phoenix Media demonstrate, the most successful collaborations are often the ones built on trust, expertise and a shared commitment to making the work better.

Explore More Agencies

Looking for the right creative or marketing partner? Norobots connects brands with trusted agencies, designers and startups from around the world – explore the listings and find the collaborators that fit your needs. And if you’re an agency or designer, join our listings to showcase your work, increase your visibility and become part of our growing network of trusted businesses.