16 truths every marketing/advertising/design client should know

1. Think twice about using a traditional review process to choose your agency. Those "free samples" you're getting cost these shops real money—and if you use their work without paying for it, goblins will eat you. Without ketchup.

2. You hired expertise and strategic insights. You didn't rent a vending machine that spits out projects.

3. You don't always want what you think you want. How many times have customers asked you for one thing when they really needed something else?

4. Limit the number of participants in your in-house approval cycle. Otherwise, you'll turn more than one diamond into coal.

5. Be clear about what you like or dislike. If you're not sure what prompts either reaction, think it through so you can offer actionable feedback.

6. Read the copy. Carefully. Twice. It's not just words. It's your message.

7. If you have to reject a concept, be respectful of the effort.

8. Any time you say the words, "Yes, but," understand what you really mean. Are you disagreeing to protect your ego, or because something's really wrong?

9. Resist the temptation to ask for crowded ads with no breathing room. Sometimes—well, let's be honest, almost always—less really is more. You're paying for the space, but that doesn't mean you need to clutter it.

10. Don't treat account service people like order takers at a fast-food restaurant. When they ask you questions about changes and reactions to the work, remember they're trying to fulfill your strategic imperatives, not make your life difficult.

11. Realistic deadlines give your agency time to do the work properly. Avoid rush jobs—and never invoke them unless they're necessary. Unrealistic deadlines cost money and cramp working relationships.

12. When you receive material for review, give yourself (and it) enough time for a reasoned, well-rounded response.

13. If you decide to write copy for something because you "know more about it" than some agency staffer, remember that you can have all the facts and lack the ability to showcase them. Just because you're literate doesn't make you a writer.

14. You've really "always done it that way"? Ever thought about why? Ever dreamt of alternatives?

15. Ask questions. Expect answers.

16. Avoid being unavailable when campaigns need your final sign-off. Unless you want to miss a deadline…