Marketing Agency Pitch BS Detector
Grade an agency proposal on substance vs. vanity-metric theatre.
Mixed signals. The gaps, usually attribution and pipeline linkage, are exactly where agencies hide behind impressions and reach. Push for specifics before committing budget.
The tell is always attribution: an agency that can't explain how it connects work to revenue will report on whatever number looks best that month.
About this calculator
Every agency deck has a slide with a chart trending up and to the right, and a surprising number of them can't tell you why. This detector isn't here to be polite about it, it grades a pitch on the things that actually predict whether you'll get pipeline or just a monthly reel of impressions and vibes, and it tells you plainly when the answer is "run."
How to use it
- Answer six questions about the pitch honestly, not how you wish it went: does it tie work to pipeline or revenue, does it explain attribution, is reporting transparent, are the references relevant, do you retain ownership of accounts and data, and does it avoid guaranteed-results promises.
- Rate each "yes clearly," "somewhat/vague," or "no/avoided it."
- Read the credibility score, the BS meter, and the verdict before you sign anything.
Methodology
Each check carries a weight reflecting how much it predicts real accountability: tying work to pipeline is worth 25 points, explaining attribution 20, transparent reporting and relevant references 15 each, you owning the accounts and data 15, and avoiding guaranteed-results promises 10, totalling 100.
Each answer scores full weight for "yes," half weight for "vague," and zero for "no," and the weighted total becomes the credibility score. The BS meter is simply 100 minus that score.
A credibility score of 75+ is credible, negotiate scope, not trust. 45-74 is proceed with caution, the gaps are usually exactly where agencies hide behind impressions instead of results. Below 45 is high BS risk.
Attribution is the tell across all of it, an agency that can't explain how its work connects to revenue will always find a metric that looks good that month, impressions, reach, engagement, whatever moves. Clear attribution is the one thing spin can't fake.
FAQ
Because no legitimate agency can guarantee pipeline or revenue, too many variables sit outside their control, your product, your sales team, your market. An agency that promises guaranteed leads or rankings is usually selling confidence instead of substance, which is precisely the kind of vanity pitch this tool is built to catch.
Vague attribution. If they can't clearly explain how a specific piece of work connects to a specific pipeline or revenue outcome, everything else in the pitch, the case studies, the reporting dashboard, the references, becomes decoration. Push on this question first.
Possibly, but negotiate the specific gaps before signing: get attribution methodology in writing, ask for data and account ownership as a contract term, and request references that match your actual industry and stage, not just impressive-sounding logos.
Because an agency that controls your ad accounts, CRM data, or analytics setup can quietly become impossible to leave, and can also make performance look better than it is by controlling what you see. Owning your own accounts and data keeps the relationship accountable and makes switching agencies possible if the results don't hold up.