How To Hire A Marketing Consultant
There are 1,032 flavors of marketing consultants.
I happened to offer sage counseling and seasoned advice, and I’m not for everyone. But that’s okay.
Jayne, a long-time subscriber to my blog, asked me a few weeks ago why hire a marketing consultant? Why not just hire some marketing employees instead? She has a mid-sized company with about 20 employees offering interior design services. She wants to do more marketing to get more clients but isn’t sure how to get started.
So, I wrote Jayne a friendly email, and with her permission, I’m sharing what I wrote. Maybe it will be helpful to you too.
Dear Jayne,
We, marketing consultants, are a funny bunch. Each of us does something a little different from the other. Many have experience in your industry, but some don’t. Lots of them will brag about the accomplishment and awards they have won. Some come from large consulting firms like Accenture or McKinsey, and some just gained experience by working at different jobs during their career. A few may have been entrepreneurs in their past life too.
Marketing consultants can do lots of things – and you want to make sure you have a great fit. A good marketing consultant will be strategic at first, before jumping into tactics.
How To Hire The Right Marketing Consultant
- You need an experienced marketing professional who will listen to your problem carefully – before they speak. Someone who comes in with all the answers is a waste of your time. No one has all the answers. Find someone who listens and starts by working hard to understand what’s not working in your business. A promising sign is someone who asks lots of questions means they are trying to help get at the root problem. Until they understand more about your business and budget, they may be recommending tactics that are wrong for you. Find a good listener.
- You are unsure what type of help you need, so you don’t want to hire someone who has the great skills, but they may not be able to solve your marketing problem. The best consultants strive to agree on the problem to be solved before jumping into the tactics. Hiring someone with specific marketing skills comes when you know what is needed. Strategy – a plan should come first before figuring out how to get something done. When a plumber diagnoses a leak, you get a quote on fixing it. You don’t start hammering or messing with the pipes until you know what problem you need them to solve. Find someone who will help you uncover the root cause of the problem, before you jump into tactics.
- They want to walk slowly with you – not get you signed up for a long-term retainer. After a few meetings, you get comfortable with them and their style. They move at the right pace you need. Not to slow and not too fast. You feel pleased that their knowledge of the subject matter (marketing, branding, e-commerce, events, reputation management, etc.) is solid. And, they have plenty of references who will validate any concerns you have about hiring them. Find someone whose pace aligns with your own.
Jayne, I have consulted with about 50 companies over the last five years. But there were another 50 I spoke with, and we weren’t a good match for each other. And that’s okay. I’m glad I turned down work when I doubted we would be successful.
An effective consulting engagement should be a collaboration between you and the consultant. Sometimes you lead because you have subject matter expertise, and sometimes they lead. Most importantly, you build trust working together. And you talk about expectations and progress upfront.
As a consultant, I turned down an opportunity about four months ago. The clients’ expectations were unrealistic, and I told him that. He didn’t want to hear it, but I refused to pretend that he could grow revenue with so little marketing investment. He was kidding himself and I didn’t want to play along and I had a hard time getting him to listen to reason.
When I shared a metaphor with him, he got angry. I kindly said to him that he reminded me of someone planting seeds and then being frustrated the next day that he couldn’t pick any fruit. I told him you must water and fertilize a garden, just like a business. You have to prune and care for the garden and give it time. And, your hands will get dirty.
He thought I was a bit too poetic for his taste – which was my signal to part ways. But that’s the point. Find the right match who you can learn from and who has the temperament needed.
I hope these thoughts are helpful. If you want to chat for more advice, let me know. I’m a good listener and I believe that you reap what you sow and nurture slowly over time.
Sage regards,
Jeffrey
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
