That Time Three Agencies Got Ghosted (And Why It Wasn't Their Fault)
Picture this: An anonymous email lands in my inbox. The sender? A business owner confessing they'd ghosted not one, not two, but THREE different agencies.
My first thought was, "Wow, that's a lot of awkward unread messages."
But here's where it gets interesting – it wasn't about bad work or blown budgets. The real culprit? They had absolutely no idea what they actually wanted.
Record scratch.
Yep, this entrepreneur had been speed-dating agencies without knowing what success even looked like. And before you think, "Well, that would never be me..." – hold that thought.
Why "I'll Know It When I See It" Doesn't Work
Look, I get it. Sometimes you know you need help, but articulating exactly what help feels like trying to describe a color you've never seen.
But here's what happens when you start a project with fuzzy goals:
- You build a Frankenstein's monster of features. One week you want a sleek mobile app. The next, you're asking about AI chatbots. Before you know it, you've got a half-built... something... that does nothing particularly well.
- Money disappears faster than cookies at a PTA meeting. Without clear targets, agencies throw everything at the wall hoping something sticks. Spoiler alert: it rarely does.
- Nobody can tell if you're winning. It's like playing darts in the dark. Sure, you're throwing things, but who knows where they're landing?
The Better Way (That Nobody Talks About)
Here's the thing – defining goals doesn't have to feel like homework. Let me break it down:
- Start with your frustration. Seriously. What keeps you up at night? What makes you want to throw your laptop out the window? That's usually where the gold is. Maybe customers can't find your contact info, or your ordering process is more complicated than assembling IKEA furniture. Start there.
- Get annoyingly specific. Instead of "increase sales," try "get 20 more customers to complete checkout each month." See the difference? One is a wish. The other is something you can actually track.
- Have the awkward conversation early. Share these goals with your agency partner BEFORE you sign anything. If they look confused or start tap-dancing around your questions, that's your cue to keep looking.
Here's What Success Actually Looks Like
When you nail your goals from the start, something magical happens. Suddenly, every meeting has a purpose. Every feature request gets filtered through "does this help us reach our goal?"
You'll know you're on track when:
- Progress reports actually make sense
- You stop feeling like you're speaking different languages
- You can see the finish line (and it's not moving)
The anonymous emailer? They eventually found success – after learning this lesson the hard way. But you don't have to ghost three agencies to figure it out.
So here's my challenge to you: Before you reach out to any agency (including ours), write down exactly what success looks like for your project. Not in corporate speak. In plain, "explaining it to your neighbor" language.
Because fuzzy goals don't just sabotage projects – they sabotage relationships. And nobody wants to be the person sending that anonymous email.
What's been your experience with project goals? Too rigid? Too loose? Just right? Drop a comment below – I genuinely want to know what's worked (or spectacularly failed) for you.
P.S. If you're ready to have those clear-goal conversations, we're pretty good at helping translate "I need... something" into actual project plans. No ghosting required. Let's talk: https://digitallabs.pro/contact-us
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