How to successfully outsource your marketing

1. The consultant has no qualifications

It is important to clarify the question of qualifications of any marketing consultant you meet or plan to hire.

One of my frustrations is meeting consultants who have no qualifications in what they claim to be expert at. There are many types and levels of qualifications available, and if you’re a committed professional marketing consultant or marketing manager, then there is no excuse but to get some qualifications.

Government departments such as Small Business Victoria have started to take a lead in this area by only having certified practising marketers from the Australian Marketing Institute listed on their Find an Advisor database.

2. The price seems too low

Finding the service you want at the best possible price can be a tricky situation. Obviously you don’t want to pay any more than you need to, but in my experience, a very low price is a good way of identifying someone who won’t be in business for very long.

You’re in business to make a profit, and your consultant should be too. If their rates are too low, they will either go broke or realise they can make more money from being a paid employee and close up shop.

If you’ve spent time briefing and working with a consultant who ends up going out of business, then you’ll pretty much be back at square one. Do you really want that?

3. The consultant’s business card looks cheap or free

Like many other people, I’ve used cheap printing companies for Christmas cards and calendars for family and friends and have found them great for those circumstances.

However, as a marketing consultant, I recommend that my clients invest heavily in their brands and marketing communication tools, and I believe it’s important that I practice what I preach.

To me, a marketing consultant who uses free templates or cheap graphic design or printing services is not serious about what they do. If you’re serious about your brand, don’t you want to work with a marketing consultant who’s serious about theirs?

4. Lack of written agreements

Do you want the easy come easy go approach? Think of the last time you bought a car. Aside from the nice sales person and free cappuccino and biscuit they offered you, at the end of the day you were asked to sign a contract of some type. If your consultant is serious about working with you, they’ll ask you for to do the same and will be in it for the long term.

Written agreements are an important way of managing client expectations. At the very least, you should expect to receive a written proposal and heads of agreement and/or terms and conditions documents to sign.

5. No copyright or confidentiality clauses

Copyright and confidentiality can be tricky topics to discuss from both the perspective of the client and the supplier. To avoid the awkward conversation, my own marketing proposal template states upfront that we pass on copyright to our clients and are willing to sign confidentiality agreements if asked. It’s all done and dusted, in writing and clear from the very beginning of any client relationship.

If your own consultant doesn’t do the same, don’t be afraid to raise the subject yourself, and ask for confirmation in writing. If a consultant isn’t prepared to assign copyright to you or to commit to working in confidence, you’re best advised to find someone else to work with.

Bonus tips

Other points you may like to ask a marketing consultant before you outsource your marketing include:

• Can I have an exclusivity agreement for my industry?
• Can I have two references to call to check your work?
• Do you agree to my payment terms?
• What key performance indicators do you recommend we focus on for my business?

Have you engaged external marketing expertise for your business? If you have any additional tips for outsourcing your marketing, please share them below.