Marketers are good talkers, and I include myself in that.
We're paid to write messages that make people want to say yes, so it shouldn't be a surprise that we're hard to resist in a sales meeting.
That makes hiring a marketing agency or consultant tricky, since everyone sounds good. Here's the process I recommend to founders, and I've seen it from both sides of the table because I've been hired as a consultant for years and I've also hired agencies on behalf of clients.
Step 1: Get clear on why you're hiring
Start with the reason. Are you trying to solve a specific problem, like leads drying up, or fill a gap on the team, or catch up to a competitor? Or does marketing just seem like the right thing to do? Be honest, because the answer changes who you should hire.
Then set goals, whether that's more qualified leads, more demos, better conversion on the website, or a launch, and decide how much money you'll put behind it and whether employees, freelancers or the agency will do the work.
It also helps to know where you're starting from. A marketing audit of what you're doing today, and how well it's working, gives any agency or consultant a much better brief.
Step 2: Decide who owns it internally
Someone on your side needs to own the relationship, because agencies left to their own devices tend to drift and need direction, feedback and someone who can make decisions.
If you have a marketing team, make sure they actually want outside help, because from experience a project has very little chance of success if the internal team doesn't buy in. I've had clients where the marketing people didn't want me there because they believed marketing was working fine. The decision came from the top, but without the team's support it was uphill the whole way.
Step 3: Build a short list
Go back to your goals. If you need more leads and sales, look for people with experience in customer acquisition in a market like yours. Think about the channels your buyers actually use, since someone who's great at Instagram doesn't help if your buyers never make decisions there.
Decide whether you want a generalist or a specialist, and whether you want an agency or a consultant. A large agency offers one-stop shopping but costs more, while a boutique agency or consultant is usually more affordable and brings in partners for the rest.
The best sources are usually referrals from people you trust, followed by industry contacts and people whose work you've seen. Then do your homework on each one:
- Read their website and look at who they've worked with.
- Read case studies for clients with problems like yours.
- Pay attention to how fast they reply. If someone takes more than a couple of days to get back to you before you're a client, that's a sign.
- Have a call to learn how they work and get a feel for their personality.
- Ask for references and actually call them.
Step 4: Talk about money early
Be clear about your budget from the first conversation. If you have a Toyota Corolla budget, don't spend time with someone who sells Cadillacs.
I learned this the hard way when I hired an agency to build a website for one client. Three weeks into the project, they told us their pricing was four times our budget, which was a failure for the agency and for me because we should have settled the money before anyone started work.
Step 5: Ask for proposals and check who does the work
Ask your short list for proposals with a clear scope and timeline. Scope creep is how most marketing projects get out of control, so be specific about what's included.
Ask who will actually do the work. At larger agencies, the senior people often win the business and then hand the account to someone junior. That isn't always bad, but you should know before you sign.
Step 6: Set the rules of engagement
Once you've picked someone, agree on how you'll work together. How long is the engagement? How often will you meet? What gets reported, and when? What happens if there are delays, or costs go up?
Set milestones and deadlines on both sides, since most problems with agencies come from expectations that were never written down.
A note on long retainers
Many agencies want a long retainer from day one, which makes sense for them, but for a smaller company I'd rather start with a defined project or a two to three month engagement. If it goes well, you can talk about something longer, and if it doesn't, you can part ways without a lot of pain.
Agency, consultant or fractional CMO?
If you already know your strategy and need execution, an agency is often the right fit. If you're not sure what the strategy should be, hire for that first, then bring in an agency to carry it out. My comparison of a fractional CMO, an agency and a full-time CMO goes through when each one makes sense.
If you'd like help writing the brief or picking a partner, get in touch.