ask your agency #10

This is the third post in our “Ask your agency” series. Today we’re sharing question number 10. Below this post you’ll see links to the previous posts in this series.
The Top 10 Questions You Must Ask Your Agency (or Consultant)!

If you use a consultant or an agency to help with your fundraising or marketing you have to ask these 10 questions…and be happy with the answers you hear back.

Number 10 on the list of Top 10 Questions You Must Ask Your Agency:
“Can you validate that you’re an expert?”

Alexandra Rampy (@socialbttrfly) had a blog post back in February that caused us to think about this whole concept of being an expert. She posed the question: “Expert versus asset: which one are you?” You can jump over and read it for yourself here.

The key point she seems to make in her post is that an expert needs to be much, much more than self-proclaimed — much more than a legend in their own mind. Anyone can put “expert” on their bio. And anyone can be an expert at theory.

A real expert should be:

Known. Does anyone else know them as experts?

Relevant. Have they delivered recently or only in history?

Experienced. Have they helped one or many? Are they tenured?

Learning. Are they using the same techniques over and over or are they students of new strategies?

Interesting. Do they know something about the world and people?

Humble. Are they their own favorite topic?

Asset. Do they deliver tangible, measurable results?

Servant-minded. Are they about more than their billing?

Authentic. Are they real people?

And finally, when it comes down to it, are they the people you want to depend on for the future of your organization?

So what about you, what do you look for in an expert?

Here is the list of questions to ask so far:

Question 1: (not announced yet)
Question 2: (not announced yet)
Question 3: Have you disclosed all commissions?
Question 4: (not announced yet)
Question 5: Have you worked in a ministry?
Question 6: (not announced yet)
Question 7: (not announced yet)
Question 8: (not announced yet)
Question 9: (not announced yet)
Question 10: Are you a real expert?

Steve Thomas
Partner, Oneicity


(photo credits: alancleaver_2000)