Running a Useful Monthly Review Meeting With Your Agency

Many agency relationships include a monthly report and a monthly meeting. Too often, the meeting becomes a long walkthrough of slides while the client nods along, then everyone returns to work without any real decisions. A month later, the same thing happens again.

A good monthly review is short, focused and ends with clear actions. It keeps both sides aligned, surfaces problems early and turns reports into decisions. Here is how to run one.

Set the purpose

The monthly review exists to answer three questions:

1. How did we perform against our goals last month?
2. What did we learn?
3. What will we do differently next month?

Everything in the meeting should help answer one of these. If a slide or discussion does not, it can probably be skipped or shared in writing.

Prepare before the meeting

Ask the agency to send the report at least a day before the meeting. Read it in advance and note your questions. This lets the meeting focus on discussion rather than presentation.

On your side, gather information the agency may not have:

• Sales or enquiry numbers from your own records
• Feedback from customers and your sales team
• Upcoming events, promotions or changes in the business
• Any concerns about quality, timing or communication

Tip: bring one or two real customer comments or enquiries to every review. They ground the conversation in what customers actually say, not just dashboards.

A simple agenda

A 45 to 60 minute meeting can follow this structure:

1. Quick recap of goals (5 minutes): remind everyone what you are trying to achieve this quarter.
2. Results against goals (15 minutes): the key numbers, compared with targets and the previous month.
3. What worked and what did not (10 minutes): campaigns, content and channels, with reasons.
4. Upcoming plans (10 minutes): next month's content, campaigns, launches and dates.
5. Feedback both ways (5 minutes): what is working in the relationship and what could improve.
6. Actions and owners (5 minutes): confirm who does what by when.

Keep to time. If a topic needs deeper discussion, schedule a separate session.

Focus on the numbers that matter

Ask the agency to lead with metrics tied to business results, such as enquiries, sales, cost per lead and conversion rates. Supporting metrics like reach and engagement are useful for context but should not dominate. Our guide to agency KPIs helps define the right ones, and our article on paid ads reporting covers ad-specific metrics.

Compare the agency's numbers with your own records. If they differ, discuss why. Tracking issues are common and worth fixing.

Ask good questions

Useful questions during a review include:

• "What is the one thing that had the biggest impact last month?"
• "What would you stop doing if this were your own business?"
• "Where are we losing potential customers?"
• "What do you need from us to do better next month?"

These encourage honest insight rather than defensive reporting.

Give honest feedback

The review is also a chance to discuss how the relationship is going. Share what you appreciate and what frustrates you, calmly and specifically. Ask the agency for its feedback too. Perhaps approvals are slow or information arrives late. Addressing small issues monthly prevents them from becoming big problems. Keep the tone constructive. The aim is to fix the way you work together, not to assign blame. If the same issue comes up three months in a row, agree on a specific change, such as a new approval deadline or a different point of contact, and check whether it helped at the next meeting.

End with clear actions

Every meeting should end with a short list of actions, each with an owner and a deadline. For example:

• Agency to test two new ad creatives by the 15th
• Client to provide product photos for the new range by Friday
• Agency to fix contact form tracking this week

Ask the agency to send these actions in writing after the meeting, and review them at the start of the next one.

Do a deeper review every quarter

Monthly reviews handle tactics. Every three months, hold a slightly longer session to review strategy: are goals still right, are channels still the best fit and is the budget allocated well? Our guide to building a 90-day marketing strategy fits well with quarterly reviews.

FAQ

Who should attend the monthly review?

Your main decision-maker and the day-to-day contact, plus the agency's account lead and key specialists. Keep the group small.

Can the review be done over video call?

Yes. Many reviews happen online. Share screens for key numbers and keep cameras on for better discussion.

What if results are consistently poor?

Discuss causes openly, agree on a clear improvement plan with targets and a time frame, and review progress. If nothing changes, it may be time to reconsider the partnership.

A useful monthly review is short, prepared and action-focused. Look at results against goals, learn from what happened, give honest feedback and leave with clear next steps.