Finding the best brand consulting firm to leverage can feel overwhelming. This is more so when making the hiring decision for the very first time. With the large pool of branding agencies out there, you might find yourself making a hiring decision that you’ll live to regret for the rest of your life.

But how can you tell whether or not you’ve made a bad hire? Well, there are numerous signs to watch out for once you sign on the dotted line and have them handle your branding. Below are some of the most notable ones.

Branding is one of those tasks that can’t just be done by about anyone. And this doesn’t come as a surprise since there are so many things you must get right from start to finish. Branding agencies have over time perfected the art of crafting great reviews and testimonials. But basing your decision on these two alone could prove costly.

To avoid ending up with a branding team that lacks the necessary skills, be sure to carry out a background check on the prospective brand consulting firm. Take this as the opportune time to ask them any question in mind. That way, you can easily tell whether or not they have the required skills for the job.

We all agree that experience is the best teacher. If a prospective brand consulting firmkeeps repeating the same mistakes over and over again, be sure to take it as a big red flag and run for your heels.  Such an agency might lack the experience to make your brand a force to reckon with in the industry. Alternatively, they may be ignorant of the work assigned to them.

Not every brand consulting firm out there is worth hiring. Some only want to mint money from unsuspecting business owners only to end up disappearing in thin air. No wonder you should make it the norm to carry out detailed research on the prospective agency before you finally make a hiring decision.

Feel free to ask them as many questions as possible and keep a close eye on how they respond. Do they seem to be hesitant or don’t answer questions to maximum satisfaction? If so, there is a good chance they don’t know anything about branding.