In selecting a marketing partner, there are a number of critical issues that a reseller or VAR, or any company for that matter, should carefully evaluate and consider. Performing due diligence to gain a strong level of comfort in these areas will help ensure that the right decision is being made to help you integrate with the most effective marketing partner for your organization.

These key factors focus on three integrated, yet distinct resources: Database Resources, Human Capital, and Knowledge Assets.

Database Resources

The quality and reliability of any marketing database is an extremely important factor. The relevance, ability to segment and verify aging data represent key issues that can make or break a marketing initiative.

Quality of data immediately translates to results – results that can be used to create intelligence, develop appropriate messaging and targeting, and ultimately, articulate the value proposition of your products and services. Analysis of the data becomes a powerful tool in planning new campaigns. Understanding the results of campaigns, targets, segments, and other key information will provide you with not only an invaluable marketing tool, but also critical marketing intelligence for your product management.

Human Capital

Human capital is also a vital factor in considering a marketing partner. Simple outbound phone dialing is not rocket science. What a marketing partner needs to provide is personnel with strong intelligence and capabilities. Decision makers should evaluate the quality of personnel — their skill set, background, stability, and as importantly, their knowledge and experience on the subject matter.

Knowledge of the market, and specific products and services, is key to ensuring that a marketing partner can provide the capabilities to effectively represent your organization.

The individuals doing the outbound calling need to be capable of capturing feedback as the voice of the customer, articulating that information back to your organization for product assessments, and enabling future planning, in addition to the inherent marketing value.

Additionally, it is important to recognize the potential for personnel to visualize a target organization — to understand where the decision– making process lies, and know how to get to the correct contacts. This comes from having a good market understanding and business acumen.

With only about 15 seconds available to engage a contact and begin to articulate the message, the caller must be adept and comfortable in knowing how to get through to the right person and raise interest and awareness immediately.

Knowledge Assets

Knowledge assets are the third key element in the evaluation and decision–making process. A knowledge base that is effectively applied to information creates business intelligence. The application of knowledge assets to create industry–proven processes and methodologies, supported by experience in hundreds of marketing initiatives, creates a positive direction for successfully representing our clients. This knowledge, and experience, should be offered in a consultative role to help guide you through the marketing planning and execution lifecycle.

The maturity, longevity and stability of a marketing partner lends credibility to the success of a firm. It is imperative that your leadership feels the utmost confidence that your marketing partner can effectively represent you with the highest level of professionalism.

To be successful in any endeavor, a company should know that their marketing partner brings substantial experience in their target market, and specific experience in their sector.

For your company, a marketing partner should not be viewed as a replacement for internal marketing operations. They should be considered in terms of providing an augmentation and support of your executive leadership direction.

It is important that the marketing partner is viewed in a role of providing support, assistance, and recommendations. Value should be gleaned from the expertise and knowledge within your organization to benefit the marketing initiatives. The bottom line is achieving results that support your marketing plan and business development efforts.

Founded in 1990, Winn Technology Group is a leading provider of global, multi-channel marketing solutions for the technology industry.   For both direct and channel sales, Winn supports demand creation, account-based marketing, channel management, digital marketing, social media, teleprospecting, lead nurturing, event marketing, database services, and inbound response management.