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3 Key Factors to Choosing the Right B2B Marketing Consultant

by Jennifer Beever

3 ThreeExpert marketer. Marketing guru. Dynamic speaker. Prolific writer. Experienced. The list of superlatives used by B2B marketing consultants goes on and on (and on) today. How do you choose a B2B marketing consultant that can get you the results you want and more?

Today experience, marketing expertise, great speaking and writing abilities, a strategic approach and a broad understanding of marketing tactics are what you should expect in a quality marketing consultant. But what key qualities are the ones that result in success for your business and for you as a person?

1. Great marketing consultants focus on client results.

Getting results for you and your business should be your marketing consultant’s number one priority. Whether it’s sales growth, brand awareness, or increase quality leads, your marketing consultant should be able to deliver. Ask them to provide you with some of their success stories, and then check the reported results against the actual client by calling or emailing them to get a testimonial.

2. Great marketing consultants don’t offer cookie-cutter solutions.

Your marketing consultant should listen to you, ask a lot of questions, and assess your situation in order to customize their marketing recommendations and programs for your business. Marketing is not a one-solution or one-specialty business. Sure, hire a branding expert for a better brand image or a social media expert for excellent social media presence, but hire a great marketing consultant to provide a road map of what you need to do to get results (including branding, social media, digital marketing, etc.).

3. Great marketing consultants should challenge you to change and grow.

You marketing consultant should understand your industry and find opportunities that you have not leveraged. They should provide new insights which, if they are actionable, can transform your marketing and possibly your business. The insights should challenge you to change your strategies, tactics and/or attitudes. (By the way, this is a proven success factor. I just heard in a presentation by Business Development Consultant Brad Grob that trusted advisors who challenge their clients perform better than advisors who merely deliver their product and maintain the relationship.)

So if you’re looking for help to achieve your business goals, make sure you choose a marketing consultant that focuses on results, customizes the engagement to fit your business, and challenges you to change in a positive way. You’ll get better results if you take the challenge!

 

Photo by Kyle May on Flickr. Some Rights Reserved.

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