By Carlee Driscoll

As a company that partners with our clients for the long term we are often being asked how businesses should choose which consultants and companies they should work with.

Whether jumping into bed with a media partner or working on a long term relationship with a marketing consultant, business coach, accountant, solicitor and so on you need to be sure it’s going to work for you and for your business…

• Is it a good fit? Do they share similar values to you? Your company brand, company values and staff ideals are fundamental to who you are and it is crucial to work with companies that are a good cultural fit. What is important to them needs to resonate with you. Think about what values you want to share… do you want the relationships and outcomes to be dynamic and progressive, do you want them to be conservative and safe, do you want them to be challenging and assertive…
• Have you checked their credentials? We have all heard horror stories on Today Tonight or ACA of embellished CVs, fake testimonials, overpromises and worse. Luckily, in the real world (as opposed to TV Land) these instances are hopefully few and far between in our professional circles. Reputable companies will be happy to share their staff’s experience and let you meet the team or see examples of their work so you can be confident they are what they say they are. Go and physically visit them in their offices to get a feel and trust your instinct when you meet people – it’s usually right. And keep those credentials in context, people can be very well credentialed but check they have the experience and hands on skills to deliver what you need on a day to day basis.
• Can they deliver? Do they have the skills, ideas, people power and the resources to do what you need them to do? Do they have strong specialist skills and a team big enough to cope with your demands? Do they have a proven track record in delivering results for clients? Ask those questions of your potential partners.

Choosing a good fit marketing partner is just like choosing the right mattress… you should be comfortable and able to sleep at night know you are in safe hands. 

Carlee is the Strategic Marketing Planner for Chilli. If you’d like to see how Carlee and the Chilli team can help you grow your business call 5437 7788.