I was recently in a meeting with a prospective client, and she asked me if Lenz was the best marketing company in Atlanta for her particular business. I told her that I believed we were, due to our many years of experience in her field, and then I gave her some advice as to what I would do if our roles were reversed.
If I were looking to hire a marketing firm, I would take a multi-pronged approach:
The first step would be to use Google to find out who claimed to be the “Best” in my area. And by going through their web site, I would quickly find out how good they are by evaluating their client list as well as the work that they have done. You can tell who is trying to game the search engines by just looking at the content of the sites you visit.
Secondly, I would ask my trusted business network about who they used, and if they had any recommendations.
Thirdly, I would contact a few companies that I was interested in, and see if I could talk to some of their current clients. Nothing beats a referral from a satisfied client.
Once identified, the final step for me would be to meet with the marketing firm and make sure we were compatible before going forward. I wouldn’t want to waste their time or mine.
After I gave her my honest advice, she felt like she could trust me and I closed the deal (she had been referred to me by a previously-satisfied client.)
I promised her that after we were done with the project, she would also have the impression that Lenz is the best marketing advertising company in Atlanta.