Buyer beware! Shopping for marketing services

Shopping for marketing services is an art form in and of itself. If you don't currently have a vendor who supplies the unique combination of skills your company or industry requires, you're likely to get less for your money if you don't understand the art. Companies who are newly engaging professional marketing assistance as well as those dissatisfied with their current vendors can benefit from understanding some common pitfalls.

Avoid the first pitfall by recalling that you're actually buying services--not durable goods. This trap is fairly easy to fall into if you're shopping for a specific and tangible end result (e.g., a brochure). The extent of the market analysis, copywriting skills, and visual design skills applied to a task can cause huge variation in the success of the end result--even if the general printing or Web site specifications are identical. So approaching the situation as you'd approach buying a car isn't going to get you the most for your money.

So, the next consideration might be to try to understand the hourly rate and number of hours that will be applied in providing the services you're requesting. One of the pitfalls of this method is trying to determine whether the rate you're being charged is reflective of the talent being applied. High rates don't necessarily reflect quality. They may reflect high overhead or that you're paying for an agency name even though junior staff members are the only people involved with your project. Similarly, number of hours is a poor indicator if you don't know the calibre of the people expending those hours.

An open kimono can work for you!
While many cost-conscious shoppers feel that exposing the marketing budget is a foolhardy approach, it can actually help you obtain the most for your money. You may be able to afford and engage the services of highly skilled professionals--if you don't waste time requesting countless proposals because you have a budget cap but won't expose it.

Here's one approach that can prove effective. Narrow your field to a few vendors, meeting with each to let them know 1) your budget, 2) what you deem as essential services for that amount of money, and 3) that you want the proposals to include any appropriate additional services that can be provided within that budget, and 4) that others vendors are being provided the same information. With everyone on equal footing and knowing that they're competing, you'll be able to quickly observe which vendors are really interested in your work. While the length of a proposal is not a good way to evaluate the capabilities of any vendor, a brief and hastily-prepared response is a good indicator of a general lack of interest--because the vendor is too busy or the nature of your request didn't register on their radar scope. Evaluate proposals for clarity and indications that your request was uniquely evaluated. And finally, evaluate how well the proposal matches your expectations and needs. As you finalize the decision, talk with the vendor you've selected to understand who was involved in the development of the proposal and how they'll be involved in the project to ensure that you receive services of the calibre described.

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