People have said my marketing approach is unique. They’re pleasantly surprised when I talk about voice of customer interviews, message mining and competitive analysis.

It’s good and bad, right?

It’s good I have a differentiating process! It’s bad because the fact that others aren’t doing this means businesses are wasting their marketing dollars.

It also gives us worthy service providers a bad rep.

Many people tell me the money they’ve spent on “marketing experts” who didn’t deliver. I had one person talk for 20 minutes about how her SEO person “didn’t do a thing.” She’d spent like $5,000 yet didn’t see any return on her investment. That’s a lot of money!

I have a client who wrote a book. Several members on her team who were contracted to help promote the book never. actually. read. the. book.

That’s so crazy to me.

When I work with someone, I get into their business, like INTO it. First, it’s the only way to pull out effective messages. Second, it’s so much fun to learn the ins and outs of a company, whether it’s a team or a solopreneur. I love every second of it.

And you, as a business owner, deserves someone who’s going to work for you.

So, here’s some friendly advice.

When looking to outsource any aspect of your marketing, make sure they ask you these 3 crucial questions. If not, keep looking.

1. Who is your ideal client (aka target customer) — and why?
2. Who are your competitors — and why?
3. What are your business goals — and why?

For the record, I’m super simplifying things, and that’s my point. There are many insights needed for success, and these 3 are baseline.

Anyone marketing on your behalf, from copywriters to social media managers, from website designers to SEO experts, needs to consider these aspects in order to drive your ROI.

When you’re interviewing them, ask them about their process. Straight up ask, “what do you need to know about my business to maximize my return?”

Their answer will tell you all you need to know.