Five Questions to Ask a Marketing Consultant

In our last blog I told you about some of the things you need to have prepared before hiring a marketing consultant. But something else you need to have prepared is a list of questions that you will want to ask a marketing consultant before you sign any contracts.

People are sometimes skeptical of marketer, associated marketing with pushy advertisements.  But marketing is not just advertising so please don’t think of us like a slick, used-car salesman.  It’s very rare that you will encounter a consultant who is greedy and just out to screw you over.  Highly skilled, quality marketers adhere to very strict policies and procedures.

But just to make sure you’re comfortable with the working relationship here is a list of questions you will want to ask.

1.       How will you direct my marketing only to prospective clients so I don’t waste money on reaching the wrong people?

The marketing consultant should ask you what type of customers you want to attract.  You should have a general idea of your target market but the consultant should be able to help you refine it.  With this information the consultant should be able to give you some ideas on how to best reach these people.  Any knowledgeable consultant will give you some ideas during your initial interview but will let you know that your overall communications plan will develop over time, with a plan and a strategy created before any communications are implemented.

2.       What qualifications do you have in marketing and business?

College or university courses alone will not create a competent marketing person.  But it’s at least a step in the right direction.  I personally have both a college diploma in Business Management and a university degree in Marketing Communications.  However, real world experience allows the consultant the opportunity to apply what they learned in school to real situations and to learn what works and what doesn’t.  Your consultant should be able to provide you with a portfolio of work they have completed, including clients you can call for a reference.

3.       Have you ever worked in sales?

Working in sales is the best way to learn how people make buying decisions.  I actually started working when I was 15 years old and almost all of my jobs have been in some sort of sales role.  I have over 20 years of experience in the retail industry, having been a sales associate, a store manager, an area manager and a regional manager.  I have won several awards over the years for my selling and management skills and in the process I learned a lot about people; how they think, how they solve problems and how they make buying decisions.  Hiring a marketing consultant who has an extensive understanding of sales, the selling process and the buying process as well as insight into consumer behaviour is a huge advantage to you when developing your marketing plan.

4.       What is your marketing background?

There are lots of people out there who claim to be a “marketing consultant” or “marketing service provider”.  But let’s make something very clear here.  Marketing is not advertising.  It’s not just about writing a press release or creating a logo.  Nor is it about creating a website or writing a blog.  It’s about developing an overall marketing strategy to work to deliver your core message to your specific intended target market.  Many people understand methods of communication or are very creative and talented in their own industry.  But marketing relies on both the method of communication AND the message.  The most powerful methods are of no value if they deliver a poor marketing message.  So, make sure the consultant you hire has in-depth experience in marketing, not just design.

5.       Besides marketing, in what areas do you consult?

None.  In fact I limit my consulting to a specific type of marketing, a specific type of client and a specific type of relationship.  I specialize in working with small businesses, but not all small businesses.  The clients I help are small business owners with companies that employ less than 100 people and are located in off-the-beaten-path, rural areas of the country.  My clients have very specific needs that are unique to them because of their proximity to (or lack thereof) services often only available in large urban centres.

Marketing has branched out into dozens of sub-specialties.  When looking for a marketing consultant you need to determine if their specialty is right for you.  There are some marketing consultants who say they do it all.  However, they generally have experience working with many types of clients but often not many of any one type.

Asking these few questions will give you a feeling about whether or not this will be a good working relationship.  Remember that when you’re hiring a marketing consultant, this is a relationship you will want to nurture over a long period of time.  As your business grows and changes, your marketing needs will also change, so having a consultant you can trust is vital to the success of your business.

 

Things You Need to Know Before Hiring a Marketing Consultant

Have you ever watched the show Dragons Den?  Or the American version, Shark Tank?  I’m addicted to watching those shows every week.  There are a few of the Dragons and Sharks that I would love to partner with in business and some that I could do without.  Some of the Dragons and Sharks have changed over the seasons and some have made a big impact on my own business decisions. 

I think what’s really amazing to me when I watch Dragons Den or Shark Tank is the sheer number of people who come on the show completely clueless about doing business.  Time and time again, people have spent countless hours and money developing a new product.  But they obviously have not done their research first.  People go out there on national television absolutely, solidly believing in their product but it’s clear that the market doesn’t want or need it.  Their valuations are often ridiculous too, usually because they have valued their company at a million dollars or some other crazy number but they haven’t made any sales yet.  But what really gets me (and I think it’s because I’m a marketer) is the people who go out there and have no clue who their customer is.  They go into this dramatic sales spiel about their product but then one of the dragons cuts them off and says, “But who’s going to buy it?”  It amazes me that they often can’t answer that question.

Whether you’re going on Dragons Den or Shark Tank to pitch a product or you’re approaching a consultant to help you move your business forward, there are things you need to do to prepare for this meeting.  So, here are some thoughts about what you need to know before hiring a marketing firm.

·         Do you have a business plan?  If you don’t have one that’s an issue because it shows me that you haven’t taken the time to do your research.  And if you wrote a business plan 5 years ago and haven’t looked at it since, you need to do that and update it.

·         Do you know your numbers?  You need to know how much it costs to produce the product, how much to sell it for, what your expenses are, what your profit will be and an accurate sales forecast for the next 12 months.  You also need to know how much you will be allocating to marketing expenses.  I can help you with that, but you need to come in prepared.

·         What are your marketing objectives?  Many clients come to me and say, “I need help with my marketing.”  Well, that encompasses a lot of things, so what exactly do you want help with?  What are your goals and how do you think various marketing activities will help achieve those goals?

·         What makes your product so different and special?  I can help you further define your differentiating factors and help you align those with the right target market, but you need to be able to clearly tell me why this is such a fabulous product and why anyone would buy this from you as opposed to buying it from a competitor.

Marketing is one of the most time consuming and expensive aspects to operating a business and it is absolutely crucial to any business.  But you can’t expect to sit back and just let it happen.  You need to do your homework first.  Here is also a list of questions to ask your marketing consultant before signing any contracts with a marketing firm.