Hiring a Small Business Marketing Consultant?
In the world of small business marketing consultants, quality varies widely. I’ve often had the conversation with new clients after they’ve had a bad experience with a competing small business marketing consultant. They share the horror stories of broken promises, missed deadlines, outrageous fees and lost opportunity. They’ve experienced website crashes, dysfunctional ecommerce, awful designs, sloppy writing and disastrous campaigns. Sometimes, their previous small business marketing consultant simply ghosted them.
It pains me to hear how much trouble and anxiety these small business owners have gone through. So, if you’re looking to hire a small business marketing consultant, ask these questions before you accept the proposal.
5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Small Business Marketing Consultant
- How long have you been doing this? New, fresh talent can be an amazing asset in the world of marketing, but a track record indicates that the consultant can make commitments and has delivered success for clients.
- What’s the average length of your relationships with clients? It shows a certain level of reliability and expertise when consultants maintain long-term client relationships.
- Do you do the same thing for every client? You want a small business marketing consultant who personalizes their approach to the client’s needs, not a consultant who applies the same methods to everyone.
- Can you describe what you understand about my business? Know the consultant has been asking the right questions and listening by having them summarize their knowledge.
- What do you think about the marketing efforts we’ve done in the past? A thoughtful answer to this question will show that the consultant did their homework and has an expert opinion.
If the answers to these five questions make you feel comfortable with this small business marketing consultant, you’re ready to take the next step and see what they recommend for your marketing. If you are skeptical about any of the answers, that’s a good clue you should keep interviewing other consultants.
Ready to hire a small business marketing consultant? Contact us, and let’s start a conversation.
