Something interesting is happening in the online business world, and I don’t think anyone’s clocked it yet.
For business development purposes, I low-key stalk decision-makers on LinkedIn and look at their job postings regularly. I’ve started to notice a curious phrase pop up everywhere:
“We’re looking for candidates with agency experience.”
This is a pretty big signal with major cultural and generational relevance. Because I have “agency experience,” I don’t think it’s what these decision-makers really mean.
Let me explain…
Every year, I hire contractors for various projects—brand design, web design, Pinterest management, SEO, and more. As a service provider myself, I’ve experienced being the client for everything from budget to premium services.
I’ve had some interesting experiences as the client of other service-based businesses.
These experiences have changed who I’m willing to take a chance on, what questions I ask during discovery calls, and whose website I immediately exit after reviewing their About page.
After just one discovery call, I can tell who has worked for another organization in a professional capacity for at least 5 years and who hasn’t.
I’m not knocking anyone who’s stepped away from the “traditional” workplace—it’s a GREAT path for many (hello, I did it too! 🙋♀️).
However, since starting my business over 6 years ago, I’ve encountered more and more service providers who don’t know how to deliver a professional client experience. 😬
Their work? Stunning!
But the delivery? Left me hesitant to recommend them to others.
As more people leave or skip the traditional workforce, traditional workplace skills are disappearing. Don’t “okay, Boomer” me. The skills I’m talking about are the ones that get you hired again!
Back to my LinkedIn stalking habit…
Businesses hiring freelancers with “agency experience” want professionals with traceable experience because contractors with previous “real world” experience are more likely to complete projects in ways that match client expectations.
There’s less risk. Or at least, that’s what these decision-makers think. (Don’t shoot the messenger!)
Here’s what companies really mean when they say they want “agency experience”—and how YOU can deliver it even if you’ve never set foot in an agency:
#1. What they say: “We want someone who can collaborate cross-functionally”
What they mean: “We want someone who knows how to work with other team members & contractors without making our lives harder”
How to deliver this: Get really good at working with other service providers.
Know your role in the bigger project ecosystem. Most clients have multiple contractors working simultaneously. Your job is to understand others’ strengths and motivations and help move the project forward.
If you’re a copywriter working alongside a brand designer and photographer, your timelines will overlap. Find ways to coordinate so everyone stays aligned—otherwise, your client might end up with images that clash with the brand palette or messaging that fights with the visual direction.
Arrange a meeting with team members or at least send an email introducing yourself, letting them know you’re available to chat if questions arise.
#2. What they say: “We need someone with reliable communication skills”
What they mean: “We’re tired of contractors who go MIA for weeks”
How to deliver this: For the love of Chappell Roan, communicate more.
I use Dubsado workflows for client communications with automated sequences for all my signature services. My clients never go more than a couple of days without hearing from me—even if that message is just “I’m hard at work and you’ll hear from me by the end of the week.”
Your clients should always know what you’re working on, when you plan to complete it, when your next meeting is, and what the next steps will be (even if you’ve outlined the timeline in your proposal!). Become communications obsessed.
#3. What they say: “We want someone who understands client relationships”
What they mean: “We need someone who makes clients feel valued & prioritized”
How to deliver this: Prepare for your meetings. Seriously.
I’ve definitely sprinted to my office in workout clothes 20 seconds before a meeting. But you know what I did before logging off the previous day? I prepped for that meeting.
Different clients need different versions of you—some need hand-holding, others need confidence, some need expertise, and others just need an update. Nothing erodes trust like feeling the person you hired hasn’t thought about you since you sent the deposit check. Take 5 minutes to consider what this specific client needs from your interaction.
#4. What they say: “Looking for someone with project management experience”
What they mean: “We need someone who actually delivers when they say they will”
How to deliver this: Stick to the timeline.
Especially when other projects depend on your completion dates. This doesn’t mean life can’t happen. I have two kids. Someone is always puking. Understanding clients will accept occasional delays for emergencies. But when your email arrives and their first thought isn’t “I’m excited!” but instead “Oh no, what’s the issue this time?”—you have a problem.
→ Know thyself. If you think something will take 3 days, tell the client it will take 5. Then deliver on day 4 and take a “rot day” or work on other parts of your business stress-free. It’s like buying yourself time!
#5. What they say: “Must be detail-oriented and follow through on commitments”
What they mean: “We’re sick of people who say they’ll do something and then don’t + deliver sloppy work.”
How to deliver this: Be meticulous about tracking action items and triple-check everything before delivery.
In an agency, someone else reviews your work before it reaches the client. When you’re solo, quality control falls entirely on you. I’ve worked with web designers who use pre-delivery checklists to catch mistakes when their brains are tired. I perform “Copy Sweeps” to review everything from clarity to SEO to grammar.
After every client conversation, immediately document what you promised to deliver or look into. Did you say you’d research a competitor? Send examples? Fix something on page 4? Track it, schedule it, and then—here’s the important part—actually DO IT. Nothing builds trust faster than consistently delivering on every promise, no matter how small.
#6. What they say: “Must be open to feedback and revisions”
What they mean: “We need someone who is open to making changes to the project.”
How to deliver this: Learn how to interpret feedback and apply it.
This isn’t just about staying calm when a client says they want something to “pop.” It’s about reading what’s beneath that feedback and intelligently adjusting deliverables.
Is their feedback actually about not feeling heard? Is it about feeling overwhelmed or not knowing enough to give confident approval? (Remember that clients are often hiring you because they don’t know how to do your job, which means they also don’t know how to evaluate it.)
Maybe you’re giving too many options when they need you to say, “Based on these options, I recommend this path because of X reasons related to your goals.” Maybe you misinterpreted parts of their questionnaire and went in a not-wrong-but-not-quite-right direction.
#7. What they say: “Looking for someone with industry expertise”
What they mean: “We have audience-specific needs and generic advice from an Instagram marketing guru isn’t going to cut it.”
How to deliver this: Develop expertise beyond the usual suspects.
Too many service providers parrot the same advice from some course or guru. Instead, pull from diverse sources—traditional marketing textbooks, psychology research, competitor analysis, adjacent industries, or completely unrelated fields. The best insights often come from unexpected places.
Create a personal “swipe file” of interesting approaches, campaigns, and strategies from outside your industry. I get my best marketing insights from bus stop ads and non-business podcasts interviewing diverse experts. This gives my recommendations relevancy and perspective clients can’t find elsewhere.
The Bottom Line
We’re seeing this “agency experience” requirement everywhere, and it’s unfair to the MAJORITY of service providers who deliver excellent service and have probably developed more skills in one year as business owners than anyone repeating the same mind-numbing work for five years.
Instead of fighting the trend, let’s lean into delivering polished, professional experiences our clients deserve—while maintaining all the flexibility and innovation that makes us freelancers and small business owners worth hiring in the first place.
Want more tips on delivering a premium client experience? Subscribe to my newsletter “Letters From Your Editor” for weekly insights on messaging, copywriting, and marketing and business development for freelancers.
