Taking the Fear Out of Outsourcing

Marketing is best done by pros but be careful to choose the right one

In today’s hurried work environment, outsourcing marketing is often necessary and has proven to help firms with branding and increased sales. But outsourcing can be expensive and non-productive if you don’t know how to select the right firm and what to expect in terms of fees, contracts, and more. The key to success is understanding best practices related to hiring such consultants.

Different Consultants Offer Varying Skills
To begin, not all marketing agencies are the same. Matching your needs with the core services and expertise of your chosen agency is essential. For example, most full-service agencies will work with you on branding efforts; create marketing, sales, and advertising materials; and handle web site development and electronic marketing including social media. Contrast these services with a graphic design or web design firm, both of which may or may not possess any copywriting expertise. And, while some agencies offer public relations services, another option is partnering with a firm that specializes specifically in publishing, technical writing and the PR process. Other options include market research, telemarketing, trade show, specialty giveaways, or event planning firms.

Further, your chosen marketing firm must understand the concrete industry. After all, why would you trust your marketing and branding efforts to a firm that knows nothing about your business? Your consultant may have won a variety of awards for television commercials, billboards, and point-of-sale displays in grocery stores, but if you have to spend hours explaining that your office is made of concrete — not cement — and that the "latest design trends" does not mean the clothing seen on a New York runway, be careful.

Understanding the Cost of Services
Adhering to the same philosophy you probably present in your sales efforts – that owners should not select a firm or product based on low-price alone – don’t select a marketing firm with cost as the only criteria. But fully understanding how your consultant charges for services is important. Many agencies will propose a retainer basis, which is ideal if you are working on a variety of projects and want to dispense with the constant back-and-forth with contracts and project estimates, but be sure to ask for an accounting of hours each month, and goals for the upcoming month, to ensure you are on the same page with your consultant.

Lump-sum project fees also are common. Expect to pay for a portion of the contract upfront and be sure to review standard costs that are typically passed on to the client, such as camera-ready artwork, film, couriers, overnight shipping, and stock photography and images. Also be sure to agree on who owns the final product.

The Selection Process
With a strong understanding of the services you desire, begin your selection process. For branding, strategic planning, or other large marketing efforts, an RFP is completely acceptable, while interviews may suffice for smaller projects. Regardless of project size, be sure to speak with other clients they have worked with and obtain all estimates in writing with a detailed scope of work.

Finally, ask your consultant for an exclusive agreement that prevents them from working with your competitors. After all, you will need to share your marketing strategy, goals, and objectives with your consultant to arm them with the information they need to create success.

Kimberly Kayler

Kimberly Kayler, CPSM, serves as president of AOE, a full service association management and marketing consulting firm with special expertise in the concrete industry. A marketing professional with extensive experience serving technical industries, Kayler served in business development and marketing communications roles at engineering firms as well as an editor at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base before she started Constructive Communication, Inc. (CCI) in 2001. In 2018, CCI merged with CAM to expand its offerings to the industry. Rebranded as AOE, the firm provides association management, marketing, public relations, accounting, HR event planning as well as technical consulting to those in the design and construction industry. AOE’s client list includes more than 30 design and construction-related organizations and associations, as well as companies in chemical, aerospace and industrial sectors.

A past member of the Board of Direction for the American Concrete Institute (ACI), Kayler chaired the ACI Marketing Committee and is a past member of the Construction Liaison, Membership, Convention, Financial Advisory and Chapter Activities Committees. Past Task Group membership includes the International Conferences, 2030, Strategic Planning, Branding, convention Opening Session, as well as the Communications Platforms for Delivery of Services and Products. She also is the past chair of the Global Marketing and Research Task Group.

Kayler is Co-Founder of the Women in Concrete Alliance (WICA) and leads efforts to create networking programs for women in the concrete industry. In this capacity, she represented WICA on the U.S. Secretary of Transportation’s Women in Transportation Roundtable.

She has authored more than 2,000 articles and is the co-author of Leading with Marketing, a handbook for marketing and business development professionals. She has given presentations at the World of Concrete and for many industry organizations and associations during the last 20 years related to marketing, leadership and branding. In 1999, she was the first person in Ohio and one of the first 20 in the nation to earn the Certified Professional Services Marketer designation from the Society for Marketing Professional Services and she still holds this designation.

Since 2009, Kayler has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Integrated Marketing Communications Department at Columbus State Community College, Columbus, Ohio. She received her B.A. in Journalism from The University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., and her M.S. in organization and management with an emphasis in leadership from Capella University.

She can be reached at [email protected]