Tom Smisek Marketing Consultants
Does your company have a Marketing Consultant?
While some businesses do their advertising in-house, or with freelancers and web services, astute marketers have found engaging the services of a Marketing Consultant provides an overall comprehensive marketing strategy, maximizing efficiency and reduces costly risks of misguided efforts. Whether your firm is in-house or has someone doing your marketing now, it is worth looking into upgrading and augmenting your marketing efforts by considering a Marketing Consultant.
What is a Marketing Consultant – We are professional, independent contractors who offer an array of coordinated marketing services for our clients. We work much like corporate attorneys who provide legal services and CPA’s that handle business financial services. We are not vendors, freelancers or part-time employees. All we have to sell is our TIME, TALENT and EXPERIENCE.
What we do- Marketing Consultants are the Architects and General Contractors of a total marketing campaign. We work with outside services (Subcontractors) to create, produce and implement all aspects of our clients Marketing, Advertising. PR and Sales Promotion programs. We work in harmony with our clients sales/marketing team to bolster and enhance their capabilities and resources for optimum results.
How we work – By interfacing with company management, Marketing Consultants offer a combination of services based on individual client needs, their objectives and budget. We work on an hourly Consultation basis to advise, oversee and offer ideas… on a Project Basis, to produce specific promotional elements, … or a on Contract basis, which covers all aspects of a comprehensive, coordinated marketing campaign.
How we bill- Hourly Consultation rates are based on the experience and expertise of the Consultant. The average hourly rate for Marketing Consultants is about $150.00 per hour with some novices billing as low as $75.00, and high-end Marketing Firms can be over $1,500.00 and hour. On Projects, costs are estimated based on the objectivities and parameters of each individual project. On Contracts, monthly time is allotted which is an estimate to perform all of the campaign services to design, produce, coordinate and implement the entire campaign. Contracts are initiated by a Monthly Retainer.
A Marketer Consultant / Client relationship is based on:
Mutual Respect – Rapport between the Marketing Consultant and Client must be based on mutual respect. It is understood that the client will always have more knowledge of their products, services and sales history than any outside professional. The client needs to appreciate that the Marketing Consultant is working in their best interests and respect their time and input.
Open Communications – The Client must provide the Consultant with unbiased, candid input on sales performance, marketing data and industry information… the good the bad and the ugly… in order for the Marketing Consultant to provide objective suggestions and direction. The Marketing Consultant should be free to openly discuss marketing concepts, ideas, options and recommendations.
Unhindered Creative Freedom – While the Client provides input and preferences, they need to allow the Marketing Professional to use their talent and experience to develop and present a strategy based on their objective evaluation. The client should ask questions but not dictate how to do it. That is why you are paying them.
How to select a Marketing Consultant – The most important factors to consider are the experience, creativity and capabilities of the marketing professional. Experience does not mean that the Consultant has to have worked with a direct competitor, but having knowledge of the industry is important. Experience in similar or allied industries is a plus. Creativity is a key factor and can make the difference of a dynamic marketing campaign or a lack-luster advertising effort. Check out how the Marketing Consultant has handled past marketing challenges. As for Capabilities, they are not only what the Consultant personally provides, but also their resources.
Getting started – In order to select the right Marketing Consultant for your firm, you can start by checking out their website, read their Blogs and Newsletters, all of which will give you an overview. To find out specifically what the Marketing Consultant can do for your business, we recommend a Marketing Analysis Consultation at your location. You will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face and the Marketing Consultant will be able to garner enough information to discuss concepts, ideas and options. The Marketing Consultant can then follow up with a Marketing Proposal specific to your business. Based on the presentation of the proposal, you can then determine if, how and when to proceed.
Information provided by Tom Smisek Marketing Consultants Orange County California. For more information: http://smisek.com/about-us/