Ask how the pieces will work together. An ad can be ready while its destination page still has an outdated offer. A campaign can generate inquiries while no one owns the response. A useful scope identifies those dependencies instead of treating each deliverable as an isolated task.
Separate what is included from what is assessed. Creative production, campaign operation, website improvements, inquiry follow-up, and reporting may involve different people and fees. The agreement should name the work, who performs it, and how an issue outside scope is raised before it creates an unexpected bill.
Initial involvement should have a purpose: explaining the products, supplying accurate materials, identifying decision-makers, and arranging appropriate access. Ask what can be reused from your existing setup and what is genuinely necessary to begin. Giving an agency a password is not a substitute for an agreed access process.
After setup, distinguish day-to-day execution from business decisions. Scheduling the agreed creative is different from approving a new offer or changing product claims. Confirm where client input is needed, how unresolved decisions are escalated, and what the team can handle without you coordinating every task.
Finally, ask what reporting will lead to. A useful review explains what happened, what remains uncertain, and the proposed adjustment. Clarify account control, creative ownership, and handover terms in writing. Those terms should not be assumed from the phrase “managed service.” The aim is a defined working relationship, not a promise that the owner will never be involved.
Ask the team to explain one campaign from preparation to reporting—including dependencies and the decisions that remain yours.