How to hire the right marketing consultants

Beware of marketing consultants (like me).

We’re slick talkers. We talk a really good game and make marketing sound exciting.

After all, we’re marketers who also know how to sell.

Before you hire a marketing consultant, here are a few things to consider:

• What’s the pain, problem, or gap to be fixed or addressed? For example, your Website could be ugly and it’s not converting visitors into customers. Your first instinct would be to hire a designer to make it look pretty. But the real problem would be confusing messaging. A good consultant will help you focus on fixing problems, not symptoms.
• Don’t hire someone because they have a high profile or they’re a friend of your uncle. Hire someone with a track record of success and a boatload of happy customers. Ask for references.
• Hire someone that you can trust. In some respect, hiring a consultant is a leap of faith. You hope they can do the job but there’s no guarantee. But if you can trust someone – and if you like them – the hiring decision is easier.
• Be clear about your expectations, what needs to happen, and when. Consultants thrive when they know what the client wants and what needs to be done.

The right consultant is a catalyst, sparkplug, godsend, and someone who makes things happen. If you find the person, you’re off to the races.