Do you have an email marketing consultant that you work with as part of your marketing? Do you have a healthy relationship with them? While most people are aware of the dynamics of an unhealthy relationship in their personal lives, when it comes to business relationships it can be a little harder to know what is to be expected. You may be getting the short end of the stick and it may be time to move on.
Here are a few signs that it may be time to break up with your email marketing consultant:
They Are Too Busy to Get Back to You
This one is pretty obvious, but good communication is key in any relationship and your business relationships aren’t any different. Do you have a hard time getting ahold of your consultant? Do you feel like they leave you hanging all of the time? If you do, it’s likely you aren’t high on their priority list and it may be time to consider someone who will make your business a priority.
They Say One Thing and Do Another
There’s nothing more frustrating than when someone promises something and doesn’t follow through, especially when you’re paying them money. You’re probably busy managing a lot of stuff, and maybe email marketing is the last thing you want to think about (and that’s why you hired it out in the first place). However, you should keep tabs on what agenda items come out of your meetings. If they aren’t acted on, your email marketing will suffer unnecessarily.
It Doesn’t Feel Like a Good Fit
Do you “connect” well with your email marketing consultant? There should be some “same page” dynamics going on when you meet with them. Do they get your goals and share in them? Do they understand your company? And just as importantly, do you go along with and understand their methodology? This isn’t usually a right or wrong situation but more of a gut feeling. You are trusting them with an important part of your business, so feel free to say you’re just not “feeling it."
It’s Just Not Working Out
One thing about a business relationship is that the numbers have to work out. You’re not just in this for the heck of it. If you're getting poor performance, you are not only wasting money but will never move forward like you need to. Email marketing isn’t a standalone item, your email communication may be responsible for a lot of your conversions. If it isn’t, there could be tons of potential there – so don’t let performance slide indefinitely. Besides, you can always tell them “It’s not you, it’s me”.
You Don’t Have any Fun
While fun isn’t everything, there should be some element of fun as you plan out your email marketing and interact with your consultant. It can help build trust if you enjoy working with each other, and a little fun can go a long way in your marketing efforts to your customers. While you don’t have to hang out with them on the weekends, make sure there is some fun in the relationship.
We hope you are having a lot of success with your email marketing, and that you really like your email marketing consultant. Email marketing can work, and it can work well. Consider these signs of a bad relationship, and if you would like more information contact us or sign up for your free marketing assessment below:
Since 2002, Half a Bubble Out has been dedicated to providing marketing, advertising and small business consulting that meet the needs of our clients. We specialize in powerfully telling stories through Inbound Marketing to grow your business filled with more passion and provision. Based in Chico California, we serve clients throughout Northern California and across the country to New York.
