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From Joe

1. Objective Suggestions. Consultants who are paid fees are more likely to give you unbiased advice than consultants who earn commissions based on the amount of cash you spend. If the consultant earnings from ad agency commissions, he has an inherent conflict of interest simply because th...

As we quickly approach the new year, many firms are preparing to launch their 2006 advertising and marketing efforts. If you are pondering about hiring a marketing and advertising specialist, make sure you contemplate these 17 important points.

1. Objective Advice. Consultants who are paid charges are far more most likely to give you unbiased advice than consultants who earn commissions based on the amount of income you spend. If the consultant profits from ad agency commissions, he has an inherent conflict of interest since the more you spend, the much more he makes.

two. Expertise. Marketing is so specialized and complex that I suggest you hire an individual who has supplied advertising solutions for a minimum of 15 years. But, do not assume that because the particular person has been in company 15 years, he has the information, ability, judgment and encounter you need. Make positive you completely interview all consultants you are contemplating.

3. Workload. Does the law advertising and marketing specialist do the operate for you? Or does the advertising individual serve as a coach and simply tell you what you need to be performing?

4. Service. Do you really feel that the consultant wants to give you with the help you require to make your system succeed? Or do you get the impression that he is searching for bigger fish to fry and that you are just a small fish in the ocean?

5. Access. Is the consultant hidden behind a wall of secretaries, account executives and administrative assistants? Or is he readily obtainable to you by telephone, fax, and e-mail?

6. Stability. Has the consultant been supplying advertising services for some years? Or is he new to marketing and advertising -- or new to lawyer marketing -- and just waiting for the chance to move on to one thing else?

7. Advertising and marketing Focus. Is the consultant a full-time marketing and advertising professional? Or does he provide tips in other disciplines, such as management, human sources, education or finance?

8. Authority. Does the consultant have sufficient encounter that he is a recognized authority in his field? Or is he nonetheless a relative unknown?

9. Size and Efficiency. Does the consultant have a large staff and/or a penthouse workplace that his clientele pay for? Or when you create a verify, are you paying for his high level of knowledge, ability, judgment and knowledge?

10. Markups. Does this consultant mark up outside solutions he hires on your behalf, such as graphic artists, printers, photographers, web site technicians, and so forth? Or does this consultant give these solutions to you at price?

11. Travel. Does the consultant travel around the country from 1 client to subsequent, running up airline bills? Or does the consultant keep costs down by functioning efficiently with you by phone, fax and e-mail?

12. Coverage. Does the consultant have a competent marketing specialist who covers for him when he travels? Or are you relegated to an account executive or administrative assistant who takes messages and tries to relay them to the consultant while he is on the road.

13. Attention. Does the consultant have so a lot of clients he can not give you with the individual care and interest you deserve? Or does he limit his services to a few choose clientele who obtain the greatest he has to offer you?

14. Perform. Does the consultant himself carry out the operate on your behalf? Or does the consultant delegate your operate to a junior associate?

15. Marketing Specialization. Is the consultant a marketing and advertising specialist who works only with one variety of marketing? Or does he try to be a "jack of all trades" so he can give whatever marketing services you want to acquire?

16. Writing Abilities. In advertising and marketing, nothing is much more critical than for your consultant to have superior writing skills. And don't expect the consultant's writing to adhere to the rules of what you and I learned in school simply because marketing and advertising writing is different from academic writing. To sample your consultant's writing style, study published articles and advertising supplies that your consultant wrote. You'll know correct away regardless of whether they come across as warm and friendly -- or if the writing appears cold and impersonal. The way the consultant writes for himself will be equivalent to the way he writes for you. So make sure the consultant you decide on has a writing style you admire.

17. Testimonials. Does the advertising and marketing consultant have comments from other lawyers you can evaluation? The consultant you happen to be thinking about ought to give you with at least 30 or 40 testimonials from other lawyers. If he provides only a handful of, you may possibly be reading comments from his in-laws. [ We're Listening To You]