A brand once asked for their money back because we moved too fast. ⠀ Not too slo
By Paul Harvey · November 4, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
A brand once asked for their money back because we moved too fast.
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Not too slow. Too fast.....
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They were a very good Amazon seller. They'd done all this before. Just not on TikTok Shop.
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Month one, we did what we always do. Researched and messaged thousands of creators. Sent samples. Briefed them. Set up the ads.
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To us, that's the job. To them, it felt like losing control of their own brand.
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They weren't wrong to feel it. We were wrong not to warn them.
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The warning sign was a sentence I hear on most first calls: "Let's test it for six weeks first."
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Sounds sensible. Small budget, low risk.
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But TikTok Shop doesn't pay out in week six. It pays out in months two and three, when the creators you sampled start posting, and the ones who sold post again.
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A six week test measures the bit where nothing has happened yet.
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So my rule now is four months minimum, or we don't start. If a brand can't fund four months of samples, commission and ads, it can't afford TikTok Shop yet.
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I'd rather lose the deal than win a refund.
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I wrote up the five things I listen for on a first call, and the one question to ask before you send the proposal. Link in the comments.
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Agency owners: what's the sentence on a first call that tells you how it ends?
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#TikTokShop #AgencyLife #Ecommerce