Last week I wrote a post on when a startup should consider outsourcing sales and marketing based on a blog post from Mark Evans. Today’s post is meant to provide some key points that should factor into your decision when selecting a startup consulting firm for your sales and marketing efforts (if you deem it a good option for your organization).
 

All sales and marketing consultants tend to differ in terms of focus, types of accounts targeted, and the range of services that they provide. It’s a diverse market that ranges from small time sales reps and marketers to agencies that typically work with larger organizations (and thus try to shoe horn their services to fit the needs of a startup). Choosing sales and marketing consultants is a very important decision that can have tremendous impact upon the success of your sales and marketing initiatives.
 
Here are four important questions to remember when selecting part-time sales and marketing consultants for your startup.

1. Do They Have Experience Working with Startups?

 
There is a world of difference between working with a large company and working with a startup. Typically, the hallmarks of a startup are a lack of money, limited resources, and fewer people available to help. If your sales and marketing consultants aren’t used to operating within these constraints, they won’t be able to effectively help you grow your business.
 

2. How Do They Create Your Plan?

 
The ability to quickly understand your business and solution and create an effective plan is not an easy thing.
 
Understanding how the sales and marketing consultant prepares their strategic plans is a key barometer for success and helps to shed light upon their processes and how they work. The biggest disconnect I often see is overly complicated and expensive plans that are impractical and far too hard to roll-out. Reaching for the stars is great, but a good sales and marketing consultant will help keep your feet on the ground and deliver real results.
 

3. Will They Roll-up Their Sleeves and Help?

 
There’s a big difference between advice and execution, and rhetoric does not equal results. Many times, consultants will happily provide advice but don’t work to help implement their advised strategies and tactics. In all likelihood, if the plan doesn’t work, it wasn’t executed well. Make sure that any sales and marketing consultant is willing to provide both strategic and tactical support.
 

4. Is There a Feedback Loop?

 
Startups and growing firms are often forced to pivot their solutions, which can drastically affect sales and marketing plans. A good consultant works to establish a well-oiled feedback loop that enables all sales and marketing tactics to be understood and tweaked over time.
 
In the end, you should evaluate a consultant as if you were hiring a full time employee, because a good consultant will become an extension of your organization. If you’d like to set-up a meeting to determine if our part-time sales and marketing services could be a fit for your organization, or are looking for outsourced sales and marketing in Toronto or Southern Ontario, please feel free to reach out to me.