Being screwed is just part of being a marketing/PR consultant. It's tough to put a claim or patent on a strategy specific to an individual company. However, there are some ways that you can prevent a lot of stress, headaches and general shenanigans. I've only been in the consulting game for 6+ months but I've learned enough to throw together a few tips and suggestions.
1. Get Money up Front. Companies now have entire departments devoted to controlling the cash that goes in and out of a company via delaying various charges from ending up on company books. As an independent consultant (or small consulting firm), often your fees are smaller then the average vendor. Your entire fee may be equivalent a down payment to a large company. So be bold and get at least a small percentage up front.
2. Bait the hook, but don't use fois gras. We all want to win the bid. However, it's important that we don't hand deliver a marketing plan, strategy and projected results before the actual project begins. I've learned this lesson the hard way... So keep it interesting, but leave some gas in the tank. You do want to actually execute your proposal after all.
3. One Size Doesn't Fit All. Don't be lazy. Custom build a project to each one of your clients' specs and give it the individual attention it deserves. The same thing that applies with PR applies here: you wouldn't make a weak pitch to a journo, why make one to a company?
4. Choose your battles. Think the client has a craptastic idea? Don't take the project. Or do and work with the client to find a solution that works for both of you. We all have personal brands and the desire to maintain legitimacy but remember who pays the bills.
5. Know the demographic (pyschographic), product and company cold. Common sense? Yes. But I've seen these proposals fall flat on their face based on a slight lack of knowledge regarding a company. Basically, know the history of their marketing efforts, corporate policies/structure, and the general direction they want to go. This way you both win.
Just a few simple things that I've been chewing on over the last month. I hope they prove helpful to at least a few people. Another tip: Don't start your consulting firm in a recession, apparently it's kind of a bad idea. Hehe.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment, showing us some social love or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.
tagged as consulting cya, cover your ass, cya, knc, marketing consulting, pr consulting, pr cya, public relations consulting, social media consulting
I try my best to avoid writing proposals - except in the most enticing, exceptional circumstances. I much prefer to talk on the telephone and do the proposing there... or let them propose to me... on why their project is interesting. I'm not always successful at this but I try to stick to the guns because that is the kind of aura and way of doing things I wish to create.
I have found that a lot of people who want proposals are just shopping around or looking for free information - or they're expecting to work with an agency. I'm not an agency, I don't have a biz dev staff, and I'm too busy working on stuff and staying current with social media to write unpaid strategy reports. I try and say this to them indirectly. Some people balk (and they find some XYZ Interactive with a biz dev guy with bleached teeth who will promise them the Earth is Microsoft Word format) but the people who are genuinely interested in working with me, this Brett guy, almost never do. And they usually turn out to be the least formal, least "corporate vibe" clients.
But we gotta do what it takes! My contract schedule is getting thin so it's time to make a move on something.
- spam
- offensive
- disagree
- off topic
Like