Boston Sales and Marketing Consultant - Hire a Marketing Consultant

Be Leery of Marketing Consultants
What you need to know before hiring one.


Written by: Sharron Senter
Boston-based marketing and sales consultant
 

www.SharronSenter.com


Risky headline, don’t you think? Especially since I’m a marketing consultant.

Why should you be leery? Let me tell you a story…

I recently posted an ad looking for a freelance marketing consultant to help me coordinate the grand opening of my second business’ retail store. I needed another set of hands. The post was simple: it read:
 

Here’s what happened, my interpretation and why you need to be leery of marketing consultants…

#1 -- One consultant wrote a two-computer-screen in length cover letter.

INTERPRETATION: The number one rule of email marketing is: short is best. I deleted the email after reading seven lines of copy. Many marketing consultants will try to convince you that long sales letters sell. My comeback is, “Who has time to read all this? Either your product or service can help me or not. Just get to the point. Almost everyone I know complains about how little time they have.” In short, long emails are not effective. Always refer your email readers to another document or Web site landing page for “additional” details. Email should be used to entice, not expound.

#2 -- Only one response, and there have been 17 to date, included fees.

INTERPRETATION: There are two primary reasons why consultants don’t post their fees.

One, they want to see what your budget is so they can charge you more. It’s commonly done in the industry, i.e., if you look like a big business they’ll mark up their rates. For you it’s very difficult to tell, since many business owners think project-based pricing is best. The problem with this thought is that most consultants beef up fees, since they don’t know if they’re going to end up with an overly needy client.

By asking for project-based pricing, although not always a bad thing, you force the consultant to mark up their rates just to cover things that you’ll end up asking for, because you simply didn’t know to ask for them at the beginning of the project. Of course, an effective marketing consultant will know how to manage you and get all the information they need, so they can price appropriately.

A good example of when to request project-based pricing is when you hire a consultant to work on a very large project, such as writing your marketing and advertising plan. An experienced marketing consultant knows how long this takes.

The second reason marketing consultants don’t post their fees is that their rates are negotiable. Never, never pay what someone is asking if they hide their pricing. It screams – “I’m open to negotiation.” On my Web site I clearly mention my pricing. I don’t want to waste a smart business owner’s time. Either they think they can afford me, or they can’t. I actually asked one respondent, “What’s your bottom-line?” She came back with $25 an hour less. Hey, it adds up.

TIP: Never lower your prices unless your customer gives you something in return, i.e., signs a contract, commits to high volume orders, etc. For if you do lower your pricing, simply because I asked you to, then how can you justify having asked for your price in the first place? Don’t undermine your pricing.

#3 -- About 15% of the responses sent me an email with no information other than,
“It sounds interesting, please tell me more.”

INTERPRETATION: Don’t waste your time with consultants to whom you have to sell yourself. Work with people who are hungry for your business, even if they have less experience. You’ll enjoy a far better relationship with the latter, instead of chasing a real “pro” to get the job done. Said another way, choose a consultant who thinks you’re a big fish!

#4 -- About 20% were looking for a “job.”

INTERPRETATION: I didn’t post a permanent job opportunity, rather, a freelance opportunity, a.k.a. help me for a few weeks. Thus, if you’re shopping around for marketing help, make sure the consultant concerns themselves with your issues. Ask them to regurgitate back to you what your goals are. If they can’t, walk. If they can’t understand what you want, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to attract more customers for you.

A caveat: Don’t be frustrated by a marketing consultant who keeps asking questions about your wants, goals, customer habits, etc. They need this detailed information in order to understand who your customer is, in order to quickly find you more similar customers. The latter assumes your exciting target audience is making you money. If not, then the consultant should be asking twice the amount of questions to help requalify who your perfect customer is. In fact, if the consultant isn’t delving deep into who your customers are before beginning your project, I would be concerned. It amazes me how many consultants simply “start creating” before even determining what audience they’re creating something for! This bad habit is very common within my industry, unfortunately.

#5 -- About 50% sent me a resume attached.

INTERPRETATION: Anyone who knows anything about online marketing knows that you never send attachments unless asked. I did not ask for attachments. What’s more, consultants don’t have resumes. They have “Bios” or “Backgrounders.” A resume is distributed when looking for a permanent job. If a “consultant” sends you a resume, then they’re not a marketing consultant; rather, they’re dabbling in it.

#6 -- Only 40% had Web sites.

INTERPRETATION: A professional marketing consultant always has a Web site and business cards. There are two types of business cards today - printed and electronic. If the “consultant” doesn’t have one, they have missed one of the most affordable marketing tools that great marketing consultants know about.

#7 -- Only one followed up.

INTERPRETATION: One of the key skills that distinguishes consultants is their follow-up skills. You’re better off working with a consultant who has five years experience versus someone with 10, if the latter’s follow-up skills are sub par. Hard work alone often gets the job done. Many marketing consultants would disagree. They’d put creativity as number one. However, most ideas are simply “creatively” reworked from another. Never mind that; if you can’t follow up on a great idea, what good is it?

#8 -- Only two customized their message.

INTERPRETATION: Out of my 17 responses, only two marketing consultants actually delved into the problems I was having and addressed them individually. Think about it, if your customers have problems, it’s the consultant’s job to create branding that communicates the solution to these problems. If they don’t acknowledge your customers’ problems in the first place, how could they possibly write effective sales copy that addresses the solution?

#9 -- Only 25% had their own domain name email.

INTERPRETATION: There is absolutely NO EXCUSE in not having a professional email address [your name@yourcompanyname.com] It’s simply unacceptable to use free email accounts such as Yahoo or Gmail, or AOL, which is not free, when conducting yourself as a consultant of any kind. If a consultant you’re considering hiring won’t invest approximately $25 a year to get a professional email address, one really has to wonder……

A Caveat: When subscribing to online newsgroups, ezines, etc., I always use a free email account, but only because I’m trying to minimize SPAM. And I don’t want to be badgered by sellers’ autoresponders.

CONCLUSION
Overall, I was embarrassed by the people who considered themselves to work in my profession. One woman did impress me, however, with her initial email stating her interest and her excellent follow-up skills. Another woman, after I told her that her rates were too high [and I had to ask for them] actually had the nerve to say, “Well if you can’t afford me, perhaps I can help you brainstorm how to find someone who will fit in your budget.” I thought the latter ludicrous.

Seek the WOW Factor
The Internet is a fantastic opportunity for you and your business. It allows you to work with consultants from anywhere in the world. Never settle for someone who doesn’t WOW you. What’s more, never settle for a consultant who won’t, at minimum, provide you a quick, five-minute email answering your questions.

Consultants with Phone Phobia – A Common Trend
Have you ever tried to have a quick phone conversation with a consultant, but find it difficult to get them on the phone? Why is this? Mind you, you haven’t put your money where your mouth is, but you just want to get on the phone with them and get a feel for their competence, understandably.

I too struggle sometimes with getting on the phone with prospects. The reality is, I’m always consulting. Someone calls and starts to ask simple questions. I can’t help but provide answers, since most of it comes so easily. This is true for many consultants, which is why they screen you first using email, and aren’t always quick to get on the phone with you.

Unfortunately, the Internet is rampant with tire-kickers, people looking for ongoing free advice. As a consultant, one has to balance this by asking if the person is serious about their business or just kicking some dirt around. I know immediately through email if someone is serious. I also try to create this initial serious communication by using qualifying sales copy on my Web site. Once I discern that someone is serious, I pick up the phone. It’s the best way to establish a relationship and express that I want the business.

It’s understood that you want to be cautious with whom you invest, but the consultant also needs to be paid. So don’t be offended if you need to tango for just an email or two. Tire-kickers are in abundance the world over. The Internet has forced quality consultants in a corner, unfortunately forcing them to qualifying the sincerity of prospects constantly.

Of course, if you’re not being qualified, it prompts the thought, “This consultant must have a lot of time on his hands.”

Keep searching.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sharron Senter is a Boston-based marketing and sales consultant, who has been helping businesses generate more revenue for 15 years. Her marketing focus is cash-flow-centric; if you can’t make money from it, don’t do it! Her core expertise is generating low-cost sales leads for businesses earning $2+ million in sales. She’s the author of several tactical marketing reports that teach any size business how to find more customers. She’s also a professional marketing speaker facilitating engagements throughout the U.S. and Europe, as well as the cofounder and executive vice president of marketing for www.VisitingGeeks.com, an on site computer repair, networking, wireless and security company serving homes and small offices north of Boston.

To learn more about Sharron and to receive her free monthly marketing tip, visit www.SharronSenter.com/about.htm

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