The art of playing with open cards: How transparency creates better partnerships
By Michaela Krause
We recently turned down a pitch that looked perfect on paper: cool brand, big budget, exciting market. But after NDAs were signed and hours of talks, the info trickled in slower than Wi-Fi on a Deutsche Bahn train (no offense folks!).
And you know what? Saying no felt fantastic.
Not because we enjoy turning away business (our financial team would like a word about that), but because after 15+ years in this game, we've learned that information transparency in the RFP phase is the single best predictor of how a client relationship will unfold. If they're treating strategy sessions like classified intelligence briefings before we've even signed a contract, what happens when we're six months deep into a campaign and need quick decisions?
Here's the plot twist: we've discovered that being picky about transparency doesn't just save us headaches. It actually leads to better work, happier teams, and stronger client relationships. 🚀
Why the mystery game backfires for everyone
Let's be honest about why some clients play information close to the chest during pitches:
The trust test: "We don't know you well enough to share everything." (Fair, but counterproductive.)
The genius challenge: "If you're really good, you should be able to strategize without context." (Spoiler: even Einstein needed data.)
The internal mess: Sometimes briefs are vague because internal strategy isn't clear yet. (We get it, but let's acknowledge it.)
The placeholder pitch: The dreaded scenario where the winner is already chosen and others are just filling quotas. (It happens, and it's nobody's favorite.)
But here's what we've learned: clients who withhold information during pitches often continue that pattern throughout the relationship. And agencies that accept information scarcity from day one are training clients to keep them in the dark forever.
What transparency actually looks like (and why it's magic)
Real transparency isn't about handing over your entire strategic playbook on the first coffee date. It's about creating conditions where good work can happen:
Context over secrets: Share the real challenges, not just the pretty ones. "Our last three agencies couldn't crack this market" is infinitely more useful than "we want to increase awareness." What’s the point in sending us in a wild goose chase to come up with something that works, at the risk of risking hearing again and again the same PR safe bets that should work but didn’t work for you for whatever reason?
Access to humans: Let agencies talk to people who actually know the answers. Product managers, sales teams, customer service folks. The gatekeepers can coordinate, but they shouldn't translate.
Honest timelines: If you need results by Q3 because the board meeting is in October, say that. We're not going to judge you for having real business pressures.
Budget realities: You don't need to share exact figures upfront, but "five-figure campaign" vs. "six-figure strategy" or even a ballpark range helps everyone calibrate expectations appropriately.
The beautiful thing about standards
Here's what changed our perspective: we stopped seeing “difficult” clients as inevitable and started seeing them as optional. When you're clear about what makes partnerships successful, you can spot misalignment early and address it directly.
Sometimes that conversation works wonders. A client realizes they've been operating in secrecy mode out of habit, not necessity. They open up, the pitch process becomes collaborative, and everyone wins.
Sometimes they don't change, and you walk away. And that's when something magical happens: you create space for the clients who do value partnership. You end up working with people who trust your expertise, share context readily, and celebrate successes together.
It turns out that having standards doesn't shrink your opportunities. It focuses them.
For clients reading this: How to make agencies fall in love with your RFP
Want to see agencies bring their absolute best thinking to your pitch? Here's your playbook:
Be specific about what success looks like: Not just "increase sales" but "we need to move from 15% market share to 20% in the DACH region within 12 months."
Share the messy bits: Previous campaigns that flopped, internal stakeholders with strong opinions, competitive pressures you're facing. This isn't weakness; it's strategic context.
Be respectful of the process: Establish a realistic timeline for your RFP process. Consider the ask, adapt the timeframe to deliver it. Be open to showing any flexibility you can when an agency has a great chemistry call, but the deadlines don’t work.
Make the actual humans that will make the decision available: Chemistry calls with just the procurement team won't reveal whether your marketing director and the agency creative team will mesh.
Keep them informed: for the love of everything that is holy and evil in your belief system, do not go radio silent after receiving their proposal. Ghosts are the absolute worst: what does a “Hi, After careful consideration, unfortunately, we will not be going further with your team for this particular process. Thanks for the time you put into it, we really appreciate the effort this represented. Best regards, XOXO” cost these days?
The ripple effect of good process
When clients approach pitches with transparency and agencies respond with strategic thinking instead of desperate guessing, everyone wins. Campaigns launch with clearer objectives, stakeholder buy-in happens faster, and results improve because strategy was built on solid foundations rather than assumptions.
Plus, the working relationship starts from a place of mutual respect instead of information warfare. Novel concept to some, I guess.
So to all the clients out there preparing RFPs: yes, you're evaluating agencies. But we're also evaluating you. Make it easy for both of us to figure out if this partnership has the potential to be one of those client crushes we love to see.
Because the best campaigns aren't born from mystery and secrecy. They're born from trust, context, and the kind of collaborative energy that makes everyone excited to show up on Monday morning.
Game recognize game, as they say. And transparent clients get the most game from their agencies.