Strategic Marketing Consulting Without the BS
Over the last decade, I have been fortunate enough to work with some exceptional clients. I’ve worked at all levels and been exposed to multiple layers of leadership. Having started, run and sold numerous times over, I’ve learned the value of listening and asking the right questions. Frequently, businesses miss the ‘Why’ when building their marketing strategy and then make the ‘How’ harder to do and rarely consider the ‘Now what’. It isn’t because they are bad at running their business or department, it’s because there isn’t an impartial ear in the room.
What I do is different from other Marketing Consultants. I embed myself in with the team, listen and ask the right challenging questions. When things become clear, I join the dots between people, concepts, channels and technologies and work with the business to build an intelligent strategy.
My style of coaching people to think critically and build an integrated picture, generates better buy-in, accountability and traction. All translating into a better bottom line, happier teams and customers.
What sort of things can I help with?
- Building a strategy and getting the long-term buy in from your team;
- Fulfilling an interim CMO role to build a strategy and team;
- Auditing your strategy and approach to maximise returns;
- Integrated marketing strategy and governance;
- 1-2-1 leadership coaching;
- Technology and approach reviews;
- Interviewing and resourcing support;
- Marketing agency due diligence;
- Tell me your story. There’s lots more I can help with.
I don't enter awards, I JUDGE them!
Do you want to work with me?
Do you have questions?
Having worked with many, as well as being one, the distinction is clear to me. A great marketing consultant should be much closer to a coach than in most cases they are. I find that embedding in a team, listening and asking challenging questions before delivering anything is critical. If your organisation are coached into a strategy, it is a lot less abrasive and a lot easier to adopt.
Typical consultants come in with a book’s worth of tactics and methodologies they’ve delivered over and over. Shoe-horning the process into every requirement. Doing that makes things feel awkward to build internal buy-in, challenging to keep traction and in some cases creates inter-team friction. My approach is more like a business growth therapist who focuses on marketing than a consultant who checks off boxes.
There is much more info in my article on the subject of finding a Good Marketing Consultant.
My consulting focuses more on thinking than doing. In a nutshell, my coaching-based approach is deeply considered and well ordered, so that your teams or outside agencies can execute the strategy.
A marketing agency is typically more focused on the execution than the planning. The reason behind this is that agencies are usually very bottom-heavy. They drive in business with their expertise and ability to scale, but the scaling is almost entirely execution-focused.
There is much more info in my article on the subject of Consultancy v Agency differences.
Pricing is based entirely on a day rate that I agree on a case by case basis. Fees range from between £500 and £1,000 per day. Usually, fees depend on the scale of the requirements and I’m always up-front about what to expect when we first talk.
There are never hidden fees or additional add-ons. That’s the sort of thing typical consultants or agencies do. I much prefer a single, clearly layed out Scope of Work and agreed fees. When we’re in the discovery phases we can talk about any tools, technologies or people you may need to consider bringing on but that decision is internal to your business and based on your available budget.
There is much more info in my article on the subject of Marketing Consultant Fees.
Realistically speaking, the most significant consideration in whether to bring in a marketing consultant should be “Are we prepared to listen and be challenged to change our approach?”. If the answer is ‘Maybe’ or ‘No’, it may not be the right time for you. Being challenged is critical to the success of the engagement.
A business also needs to be ready to make the changes agreed on; in most strategy, there is room for flexibility. However, there are usually essential requirements to overcome challenges that can’t be ignored.
There is much more info in my article on the subject of when the right time to hire a mrketing consultant may be.
There are a couple of ways to see this:
- You lack the internal resource or skillsets to get your marketing on the right path. You might have tried, with some success but feel there is possibly something missing;
- It would be best if you had the top-down, big-picture perspective that came from the outside. Having that allows the entire business to buy into the purpose and maintain traction. A fully committed team who are coached into a perspective they wouldn’t have seen builds much more accountability; &
- You don’t want to hire a full-time member of staff to fill this requirement when a project-based approach is much more productive and cost-effective.
There is much more info in my article on the subject of why you might want to hire a Digital Marketing Consultant.
