Working with email consultants #3: How?

So we looked at when you might need outside help with your email marketing. And discussed what to look for in a consultant. How do we make the deal work?

What mindset helps you get the most out of the relationship with the email marketing consultant or agency?

Dylan Boyd, VP Sales & Strategy at eROI highlights three points that underpin a successful partnership...

Be aware of costs

With email often positioned as a low-cost tactic, you need to accept the idea of spending money on it. Don't hold back just because it's email, but, obviously, you must still ensure you get a return for that outlay.

Dylan tells us:

"With taking something that you deem as a non cost from an internal effort and going to a paid services model, you must be able to justify the cost versus the improvements."

Think partner, not vendor

Since email marketing should be tied up with other elements of marketing, like branding and social media marketing, it's no use expecting to hand everything over without further input from you.

Dylan says:

"You need to approach an agency or consultant as a partner in this plan...and not as a simple vendor."

"When you engage someone to dig deep and implement great change to your processes you must work as partners in order to be successful. When you simply approach with a vendor mentality you will not get the best results out of the relationship."

Simms Jenkins, CEO of BrightWave Marketing adds:

"A collaborative partnership is the clear model for success as the client must be engaged and willing to advise and push back on what's working and what's not."

"...it works best when we walk in step with the client and as an extension of their team, rather than as a vendor who manages the email marketing program."

Think longer term

If improvements were simple, you wouldn't need a consultant. So take a longer term view.

Dylan notes:

"If you're looking for immediate turnaround without giving the consultant the proper amount of time to learn everything, explore the solutions, and implement the plan then you are setting yourself up for frustrations."

"This is not and should not be a one-time thing. Getting your email marketing to where it needs to be should be approached as a series of steps: understanding, planning, and testing."

"Now when I say testing this is not 'let's test it and call it good,' but a review of touches, interactions and campaigns so that you can progressively fine tune your programs and evolve them to top performance."

"Email is a fickle interaction point that needs constant review, measurement and change. Plan to take this approach and you will have greater success."

List of consultants and services | Tags: email marketing consultants

Tags: email, email marketing