Are you having a hard time finding new customers or retaining the ones that you have? Are you having issues keeping your customer acquisition costs down? If so, you may be in the market for a new marketing consultant. What are some other signs that you need someone else to handle the marketing for your business? Here are 5, courtesy of Progressive Dental Marketing.
Marketing is all about knowing people and having the ability to develop relationships. If your marketing consultant is overly shy, has trouble talking to people or cannot take direction, it may be time to get rid of this person and find someone who enjoys getting to know the customer.
What may have been a winning marketing strategy five years ago may not work today. While focusing on online marketing is great, it is not the only channel that a business can take advantage of. Sometimes making a phone call or getting local press can be the most advantageous way to gain a new customer or exposure for the company. By focusing on one marketing strategy, you could lose sight of innovative ways to make money. The company could also fail to take advantage of data that may help make current marketing efforts more effective.
If the amount of money that you are making per customer or the number of customers that you acquire has not gone up since hiring the consultant, he or she costs too much. While there may be some instances where you have to spend money before you make money, you should be seeing a solid return on investment. If you are not seeing that investment, you might as well do your company's marketing on your own.
Does your consultant understand what your business is about and who your target market is? If not, he or she could be chasing a demographic that isn't interested in your product no matter how good it is. A good example of focused marketing can be found Unless you have asked your consultant to find ways to expand your customer base, you want that person to focus on people who will spend money on your products.
Companies hire consultants because they are looking for insights into their business. They want to know about hidden opportunities to make more money or ways to make current customers spend more on premium products. Although making money is a priority, companies also hire consultants to cut down on the cost of advertising and the cost of customer acquisitions. If your marketing consultant cannot deliver those insights or help you develop ideas that you already have, you are wasting money on someone who cannot help you.
A marketing consultant can be a great resource for companies looking to expand and grow. However, now all consultants are created equal. If your consultant isn't helping you come up with new marketing ideas to grow the business, that person should be replaced as soon as possible.