| Choosing a marketing consultant is rarely an easy | | | | bringing in external help. |
| decision to make for most small business owners. For | | | | These areas are:a. Differentiation and Messaging |
| one, consultants don't come cheap. Second, they | | | | In my consulting practice, I have found that |
| usually make lots of sensible and intelligent-sounding | | | | uncovering and articulating a clear differentiating |
| recommendations, but then you still end up with no | | | | argument is the foundational step in building a |
| more time or resources to do the work they | | | | marketing process that is systematic and duplicable. |
| recommend. As a result of these realities, you may | | | | Questions #2, 3, 4, and 10 all help you define and |
| end up avoiding a marketing consultant whose | | | | communicate this core argument which is called a |
| services may just be the cure for your business | | | | Unique Selling Proposition (USP).b. Referrals and |
| woes. | | | | leveraged marketing |
| Here are 10 questions to ask yourself (and your | | | | A referral marketing system is one of the most |
| staff) about your business before you talk to any | | | | powerful tools you in your marketing arsenal if you |
| marketing consultant about their services. | | | | have a small business. Answering Questions #1, 2, 5, |
| | | | 6, 9, and 10 will help you determine whether you |
| 1. Are our current customers happy with our services | | | | have an easily referable business. One of the easiest |
| or the quality of our products? | | | | ways to become a highly referable business is to |
| 2. Are we talking to a segment of our market for | | | | focus on a particular solution for a niche segment of |
| which we are the only logical choice? | | | | your larger market.c. Operational Capacity & |
| 3. Is there a completely clear difference between us | | | | Improvement |
| and our competitors? | | | | It makes no sense to spend money, time and energy |
| 4. Are we currently doing a good job of telling the | | | | marketing your company to new customers when |
| marketplace why we are unique? | | | | you have broken operations, substandard offerings |
| 5. How can we use free or affordable tool on the | | | | and unhappy customers. You can also avoid growing |
| internet to get our message out? | | | | pains that result from attracting new clients without |
| 6. Can we leverage any memberships or networks | | | | double checking that your operations can deliver on |
| we currently have to market our business? | | | | promises made. Asking questions #1 and #7 will help |
| 7. How much new business can we handle without | | | | you assess the current state of your business |
| adding new operational or manpower costs? | | | | operations.d. Success criteria |
| 8. What are our business goals for revenues, profits, | | | | Before you hire an external consultant, you should |
| and cash flow (or working capital)? | | | | have a clear picture of what success will look like. |
| 9. How can we get our current customers and | | | | You should have clearly defined growth goals (see |
| suppliers to send more referrals our way? | | | | question #8 above). Knowing your goals will help you |
| 10. Do our current marketing materials and | | | | during the process of choosing a marketing |
| communications deeply educate our prospects and | | | | consultant and also when you implement the |
| customers? | | | | suggested strategies. |
| While many marketing consultants are merely sales | | | | Many businesses unwittingly pay for marketing |
| reps in consultant clothing, a good marketing | | | | consulting services before they take care of the |
| consultant should be concerned with your strategic | | | | basics. As a result, they are unable to properly exploit |
| business goals and bottom line results for your | | | | even the positive results of any subsequent |
| business. The 10 questions are designed to bring your | | | | campaigns. You will find that asking yourself these |
| attention to 4 crucial areas in which you can improve | | | | questions and diligently answering them will give you |
| your marketing and business performance without | | | | a marketing action plan that brings bottom line results. |