Truth 9. Finding the right partner

If you do decide you're ready for some help, you need to determine what kind and why. Hiring someone to conduct a broad audit of your entire email program is very different in scope than seeking outside assistance in analyzing your metrics, improving response rates, or evaluating email templates.

If you aren't sure where to start, a good first step in selecting a partner is to focus on a fundamental piece of any email marketing program: the strategy. Email strategy is often overlooked, but working with a partner can give you a fresh perspective. Proper email strategy often requires a step back from the daily rigors of the email process and a holistic review of the entire email program. While many marketing or email managers can barely lift their heads up from their inbox, an outside email strategy partner is sometimes necessary to bring the programs in line with industry best practices and ensure optimization of internal and external efforts. Besides, who wants to get left in the dust by the competition?

Hiring an email partner can be a complex process in and of itself, so take a look at these key things to consider and steps to take when evaluating potential firms. These will help you determine the right partner for any type of outside email expertise (such as compliance or deliverability), but I am going to focus them on strategy since it is the foundation of any successful email program.

Dig internally and know what you want

Start by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your email program. Hopefully, you've already defined the goals for your program, but if you haven't, you'll need to get that ball rolling. Set goals beyond “achieve an X percent open rate,” and include success measures such as “generate Y in revenue” or “increase website traffic by Z percent.” In working with clients, this process has uncovered breakdowns in the clarification of email goals. I've seen quite a few email managers who could not tell me what the end goal was for the email campaigns they managed. If you or your key day-to-day personnel cannot speak to the big-picture goals of your email program, it's a sign that you need help.

The early stages of an email strategy project are probably the most important part of the engagement and will set the tone with the firm you choose. If you don't know what to ask for, be prepared to be disappointed. The more specific areas you can identify as the ones you want deeply investigated (for example, newsletter layout, frequency rules, internal policies, and procedures), the more you'll receive in return. This will help you develop a request for proposal as well.

Use referrals and reputation as a guide

Like selecting a doctor, lawyer, or accountant, referrals by existing clients or peers are important, as is industry reputation. Be sure to contact several client references from the firms you are talking to. Not only do you want to gauge their satisfaction, but you also want to try to get some additional insight into other key areas, such as how much hand-holding the firm needed and whether they immediately disappeared after the final deliverables were submitted. The most relevant question is this one: Did they implement some of the suggestions, and were they successful? That answer can often tell you if your money will be well spent.

Avoid conflicts of interest

Ask potential finalists if their company is aligned with a technology vendor or if it is part of a bigger parent company that has additional service or product offerings. While this isn't necessarily grounds to eliminate a company, you need to be prepared to be upsold, and you should immediately identify any conflicts of interest.

For example, if one of your key areas of focus is growing your email database, a company that has a sister database company may heavily push list rentals or something else that generates incremental revenue for its company. Be sure to verify a company's independence so it has your best interests at hand and no hidden agendas.

For a niche project, use a niche firm

Generally, a company with a proven email practice is your best choice. Traditional direct marketing firms may offer some interesting segmentation or customer contact advice but may not be intimately familiar with email deliverability issues or creative best practices. The same goes for broad interactive shops. Most have generalists who assist with email design or campaign management and are limited in deep expertise in the email arena. Whoever you choose, make sure the company has a deep understanding and focus on email marketing. I have come across some great interactive shops that I would recommend to any client building a microsite but would not refer my worst enemy to for email marketing expertise. Like anything, make sure you do your due diligence and end up with the great partner, not just the right firm.

I asked one interactive executive for advice he would offer to marketers considering an email partner. Klaus Werner, director of e-commerce for Lowe's, has hired firms several times in his career to assist in email marketing. Werner provided this insight:

“One of the most positive takeaways I had from hiring an email marketing consulting team is that they were able to help us focus on the right things, prioritize our pain points, and bring a tremendous amount of thought leadership and industry knowledge to the table. Without the consulting resources, it would have taken us years to put together a comprehensive email marketing strategy.”

Werner added

“As it is with most corporate environments, the teams are focused on execution over 90% of their time, leaving 10% or less of their time to focus on strategy and industry best practices. A quick way to remain competitive and up to date on emerging technologies and practices is to bring a capable SWAT team of resources to conduct initial reconnaissance, do an assessment, help neutralize poor practices, and leave us better prepared to handle future situations.”

You don't know what is best for your organization until you identify what you need. With the right steps, finding the right partner can impact your entire email program in a meaningful fashion.