Marketing Consulting
The wrong marketing consultant does not just fail to help — they make things worse. In 7 out of 10 cases, small businesses and SMEs that hire the wrong consultant end up doubting themselves instead of questioning the advice. Here is what to watch for before you sign anything.
You have invested in marketing. Maybe paid for ads, an agency, a freelancer. The results were not there. Now you are considering bringing in a marketing consultant — someone who can actually diagnose what is not working and tell you how to fix it.
That is the right instinct. But it can cost you considerably if you repeat the same mistakes most businesses make when hiring one.
Simon Förstemann here. I have founded 6 companies, scaled each to seven figures, and now work 1:1 with founders and business owners as a growth strategist and marketing consultant. What I see repeatedly: the budget is rarely the problem. The decisions made before spending it almost always are.
Below are the 5 mistakes I observe most often — and the ones that cost the most.
Key Takeaways
A portfolio tells you what someone has done. It tells you nothing about how they think. That distinction is everything.
A marketing consultant who built outstanding campaigns for a fashion brand can be entirely wrong for your B2B SaaS company — not because they lack talent, but because the mental model that works in one market fails completely in another. Context is not transferable the way credentials are.
What to do instead: In the first conversation, ask a specific question about your actual problem. Watch how the consultant thinks — not what they show you. Anyone who presents a solution before understanding your business is working from templates, not from your problem.
In the first meeting, a good marketing consultant should ask more than they talk. If after 30 minutes you feel like you have sat through a presentation, find someone else.
This is the single most common and most expensive mistake in marketing consulting.
Consulting and execution are two different things. A consultant thinks with you — they analyse, prioritise, build strategy. They do not write your copy, run your ads, or build your campaigns. That is not a failure of scope; it is the point.
A business that hires a consultant and expects delivery will be disappointed. A business that hires an agency and expects strategic clarity will burn money on well-produced work pointing in the wrong direction.
The question you must answer first: Do you know what to do but cannot get it done? Then you need execution. Do you not know what to do — or are you unsure whether you are heading in the right direction? Then you need consulting.
Strategy without execution is theory. Execution without strategy is expensive trial and error. Both have their place — but you must know which one you actually need right now.
Marketing does not operate in a vacuum. When brand, marketing, and business structure are misaligned, every tactic underperforms — no matter how well it is executed.
Simon Förstemann sees this regularly: a company invests in content marketing, but the message does not match the brand. Or it runs performance ads into a leaky funnel. Or it builds an audience that talks to a segment that will never buy. The marketing itself is fine. The architecture around it is broken.
A marketing consultant who looks only at the marketing activities — and not at the whole picture — solves the symptom while the root cause keeps compounding.
What to check: Does the consultant understand your business model, your margin structure, your sales logic? Or are they only talking about channels and formats? A consultant who treats marketing as separate from the business thinks too narrowly to help.
Every consultant can talk about strategy. Very few can say: For this client, we solved problem X, in Y months, with result Z — here are the numbers.
That is not because most consultants are incompetent. Many simply do not measure what their work actually produces. Or they measure the wrong things — clicks instead of revenue, reach instead of qualified leads, activity instead of growth.
The one question you must ask: "Can you give me a specific example where your consulting led to measurable revenue growth?" If the answer stays vague, that is your answer.
From Simon Förstemann's own work: in one project, we grew an e-commerce business's revenue by 74% over 16 months — without increasing the marketing budget. Not by spending more, but by rebuilding the entire marketing architecture and underlying processes from the ground up. That is the difference a good marketing consultant can make.
A consultant can help you solve a defined problem. They cannot efficiently — or cheaply — help you discover what the problem is in the first place.
If you enter a first conversation without knowing what you want to achieve — specifically, measurably, within a timeframe — you will spend a significant number of expensive hours finding out together. In most cases, that is entirely avoidable.
Before you contact any marketing consultant, answer these three questions for yourself:
1. What is the concrete result I want to see in 6 months? Not "more growth" — something specific: more revenue, more qualified leads, a new market position, a working acquisition channel with defined targets.
2. What have I already tried, and why did it not work? This saves valuable time in the first meeting and shows the consultant immediately how well you understand your own problem.
3. What am I prepared to invest — in money and in time? Consulting without your own commitment does not work. A consultant can think and steer. You — or your team — have to execute.
A good marketing consultant will ask these questions in the first conversation anyway. If you have already answered them, you get to the substance faster — and save yourself several sessions of orientation work that you are paying for by the hour.
Next Step
Simon Förstemann, growth strategist with 14 years of experience and 6 successful ventures, offers a free 30-minute call — not a sales pitch, but an honest conversation about your business. Where you stand, what is blocking you, and whether working together actually makes sense. If it does not, you will hear that directly.
Book a free intro call — no obligation →30 minutes · No pitch, no pressure · Directly with Simon Förstemann
What does a good marketing consultant actually do?
A good marketing consultant diagnoses the root cause before recommending any action. They think across brand, marketing, and business structure — not in isolated silos. And they measure their success by concrete business outcomes, not by activity levels or reach metrics.
What is the difference between a marketing consultant and a marketing agency?
An agency delivers outputs — ads, content, campaigns. A consultant thinks with you — helping you make the right decisions before you spend money. Both have their place. But if you get the sequence wrong, you end up paying twice: once for the agency's work and again to fix the direction.
How do I find the right marketing consultant for my small business or SME?
The right marketing consultant asks more questions than they present solutions in the first conversation. They can name specific, measurable results from previous projects — with numbers and timeframes. And they tell you honestly when your problem sits outside their area of expertise, even if it costs them the engagement.
How much does a marketing consultant cost?
It depends on experience, format, and scope. Hourly rates for experienced marketing consultants typically range from £150 to £400 (or equivalent in other currencies). Day rates run between £1,200 and £3,000. Project-based or retainer models often offer better cost predictability than pure hourly billing for ongoing work.
When is the right time to hire a marketing consultant?
When you know something is not working but are not sure why. Or when you are facing a significant decision — a new product, a new market, a repositioning — and need an independent perspective. Ideally before significant money has already been lost, not after the fact.
What questions should I ask a marketing consultant before hiring them?
Ask for a specific example where their consulting led to measurable revenue growth — with numbers, a timeframe, and real context. If the answer stays vague, that is itself an answer. Also ask how they separate a marketing problem from a business model problem, and what they would not do for a client in your situation.
About the author
Simon Förstemann
Growth strategist & marketing advisor with 14 years of experience. 6 ventures founded, 3 exits, Red Dot Award and German Design Award winner. Works 1:1 with decision-makers — no agency, no workshops that lead nowhere.
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