Picking the right presentation design agency can be tricky. This is partly because a lot of agencies out there can help you with designing a presentation, but not every agency is exactly the same when it comes to quality and service. Having worked on hundreds of these types of projects, we’d like to share some of what we’ve learned to help you avoid the frustration that can come from working with the wrong partner.

6 Questions to Ask Your Presentation Design Agency

Here are six useful questions to ask yourself when selecting a presentation design agency to help you narrow down your options.

1) Do they have a strong portfolio of presentation design work?

This may sound like a no-brainer, but choosing a presentation design agency with focused experience in presentation design will help your team get the most out of your time and money. When searching through potential agencies’ websites, you should be able to find good examples of the type of work you want. Bring these examples up on your call with them to learn more about each project (e.g., what they cost, how long they took, etc.).

2) Do they have a clear production process for how they work?

Presentation design projects can be rather complex depending on the content development needs and scope, which is one of the main reasons that the agency you decide to hire should have a clear-cut process for production.

A well-defined process should include a direct and easy-to-understand workflow from start to finish, with a timeline explaining the deliverables (e.g., content doc, sketch, wireframe, etc.) that you can expect to receive along the way, as well as an upfront explanation of what is needed from both the client and the agency for the project to run smoothly.

3) Do they have narrative development experience?

The ability to develop a compelling narrative is a service every presentation design agency should offer. In our experience, clients typically come to us with many ideas for what they want to do or say and a lot of content to draw from, but they need some help. We jump in to help narrow down everything into a succinct story to engage their intended audience.

An agency’s ability to help you craft and refine a story is crucial to producing a strong final presentation—even if you’re a very strong writer. Remember: A well-written initial content document doesn’t always result in a great final presentation design.

Throughout the production process, you can expect the original content to be refined, reworked, or even scrapped altogether in order to ensure each point is clearly communicated. If you’re like most people, you’ll likely need some help doing this, and it’s nice to be able to lean on a group of professionals with expert experience when the time comes. This is where picking a team with storytelling chops comes in handy.

4) Do they have other legitimate and/or relevant clients?

Find your answer by looking through an agency’s portfolio or viewing the client listings on their site. It’s safe to assume that the learning curve for an agency that’s worked with clients in the same industry will be less steep than if they have no prior relevant industry experience at all. This is especially true if you work in a specialized or niche industry.

Keep your eye out especially for testimonials—they’re a great indication of trust and a good litmus for understanding an agency’s work ethic and culture.

5) Do they have experience developing presentations for your specific use case?

Whether it’s for raising a Series B or developing B2B lead-gen content such as e-books, picking a partner who’s previously worked on the same type of content you’re looking to develop should help the project move smoothly, with a low margin of error.

The ability to understand a brand and share its voice with a specific audience—whether using visuals or written word—is a skill set that takes time to refine, and the best agencies are capable of stepping up to help in whatever ways best meet the given goals and objectives.

6) Are they a good value?

Don’t confuse this with finding the cheapest presentation design agency to work with. Another way of asking the question is, “Are they worth their asking price?” Assuming you’re hoping to avoid scrapping projects, consider the value of knowing you’re in good hands with a partner who has your best interest in mind.

We’ve taken on countless projects mid-stream, from clients who tried to work with a smaller shop or freelancer, only to scrap the project halfway through and come work with us. Not only can this end up costing more down the road, but this situation can be very stressful, especially if deadlines are missed and it causes other workflow problems.

TL;DR: You get what you pay for. You also may be able to find an agency or freelancer who will work at reduced rates, but the type of relationships formed (assuming you want to develop a partnership) often aren’t tenable in the long run and can end up going south over time.

We hope this helps. As mentioned, this is meant more as a general overview than a comprehensive list. You may have other questions specific to yourself, your brand, and what you’re hoping to accomplish, which aren’t address here. If that’s the case, let us know in the comments section below, and we’d love to discuss.

If you’re interested in learning more about presentation design, check out 11 Ways to Make Over Your Presentation Design. Want more on creating great content marketing?

• Find out how to get the most mileage from your content by Maximizing Your Publishing with Microcontent.
• Learn everything you need to know about visual content in The Ultimate Guide to Visual Content Marketing.
• Get the most eyes on your content by reading The Ultimate Guide to Content Distribution.

Of course, if you need a little help with your content, we’d love to chat.