Handing marketing to an outside team is a big decision, especially if it has always lived with someone you know. It helps to know what the first three months should look like, so you can judge whether things are on track.
Discovery
A good partner starts by listening. Expect interviews with leadership and sales, a review of your website, materials and current spend, a look at competitors, and a close look at how leads are handled once they arrive.
At the end of discovery you should have a short, plain document: what is working, what is not, where money is leaking, and two or three clear options for what to do next.
Foundation
This is where the plan starts to take shape in the real world. Typical work includes sharpening the message, fixing the website so it captures inquiries, setting up tracking so every lead is counted, and cleaning up the follow-up process with sales.
The first goal is a foundation you can measure. Campaigns come after.
First campaigns and first numbers
With the foundation in place, the first campaigns go out: search, email, sales materials or recruiting, depending on the plan. From there you should see a monthly report that ties spend to leads in terms your leadership already uses.
What you should expect throughout
- One senior person accountable for the plan and the results
- A clear view of every task, deadline and approval
- A monthly conversation about what the numbers say and what to do next
If you have those three things, the partnership is working, and the next stage is about doing more of what the numbers support.
