Should you really select this customer ?

1. Can you deliver spectacular results? If not, consider letting someone else have the job. It's good to stretch yourself professionally, but taking on work that is not a good fit for your expertise is like writing a book, doing a triathlon, or acting—it's a lot harder than you think.
2. Do you really want to do the work? As you meet with a prospective client, find out whom you'd be working with and the nature of the work. Listen to your instincts. Do you want to work with the people you've met? Will the work be interesting enough to satisfy you beyond the money you'd make? Do you have a passion for helping the client reach the desired outcome? If not, consider walking away.
3. Are there big "whys" for the project? Why does the client need to do this project? And, why now? The answers will clue you in to the importance, relevance, and value of the project. If you want to grow as a consultant and make a meaningful impact, you should aim to work on clients' most pressing issues.
4. Does the proposed schedule make sense? One reality for 99% of projects is that everything will take more time and effort than you think. People are eternal optimists when they plan a project, so it's up to you to be the realist. You'll suffer throughout the project, and probably lose money, if you go along with an overly aggressive schedule. One test for schedule validity is to count the assumptions. As a rule of thumb, the more project assumptions, the less faith you should have in the planned schedule.
5. Can you tell if the project is funded? While knowing this answer is important, asking a client the question too directly can make it seem like you are interested only in the client's money. Besides, unbudgeted funds can miraculously appear when a good idea is on the table. Still, you should pay attention to the clues about the level of financial support for the project.
6. Will you be working with a decision maker? As much as we want to sell directly to decision makers, it's not always possible. But make sure you will be working with a decision maker on the project. You'll put project success and your sanity on the line if you must rely on a client team member who can't (or won't) make the essential decisions that every project demands.
7. Are you prepared to sacrifice something else to take on this work? Your final consideration should be about lost opportunity costs—personal and professional. If you use your time to work on this project, what must you abandon or delay? Be honest with yourself about what you won't be able to do and about the anxiety you may feel for not attending to other urgent matters.

How to appoint an ad agency?

1. Who will service your account day-to-day : who will be assigned to your account and in what capacity should be established before you sign on the dotted line. You may work with amazing strategists but they wont be found on your account after-sale.
2. What does the agency know about your company? Act as if you are interviewing a job candidate to see if they've done their homework - do they know how your organization is structured, what you current marketing mix is, who is on your board of directors, what your brand voice is like, and how many visitors your website gets a month. The very best should be able to tell you things about your organization that even you don't know.
3. Consider the billing structure Will they pay-for-performance structure, a monthly invoicing system, or pay-up-front model? Ask for transparency into how you are charged and how the fees are determined. You don't want any hidden costs that come back and bite you later.
4. Gain insight into their internal culture ' : An agency partner is an extension of your internal department, so you want to make sure that its company culture meshes with yours. If you are a straight-laced corporate machine looking to partner with a laid back, young, and hip agency, the partnership may not work out. Ask if you would have beer with them outside of work and enjoy it? Such soft characteristics are important, because you will be spending a lot of time together.
5. Make them prove their value : Ask, "Why should we select you over another?" Look for intelligent answers beyond the buzzwords. Good businesses are introspective and can point out their flaws while also elaborating on the real value they bring. Do they have a particular proprietary technology that no other agency has? Do they offer a service that no other agency does? Look for candid answers about their strengths and weaknesses.
6. Are they up for a challenge?  True success doesn't come in the form of sugarcoated communication. It comes by challenging another's stance. Don't be afraid to onboard an agency that is willing to provide constructive recommendations for your company. You are hiring an agency to become better, more agile, and profitable, right? So ask the question, "Name a time when you've had to challenge a client, and how did you go about doing it." The answer to the second part of the question will help you gauge their level of respect and tact, as well.
7. Is the proof in the pudding? Does the potential content marketing agency have a killer blog and website copy? Does your creative agency have a beautiful but unfriendly website? When an agency talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk, it is a red flag. Take a few hours as a team to research the agency's online presence, past work, and any other company materials so you can gauge that it actually knows what it's doing.
8. Ask about analytics not trophies : In the '90s, awards, trophies, and accolades were the sign of an agency's true value; now, it's all "in the numbers." Client results are the true measure of success. Look for agencies that are able to prove past clients' success through metrics and can understand, analyze, and garner insight via pinpointed data. Ask the agency what exact metrics they use to gauge success. Is it mutually exclusive data, broken down by your in-house activity and results versus theirs? What types of listening and reporting tools do they use?
9. Ask for references agency websites sound the same: we're experienced … we'll deliver … we're creative … we put a premium on serving our clients." Get past the buzzwords by asking for two or three references from past clients. Ask questions similar to those you would the actual agency, and compare answers.

CMO Job Description

Marketing responsibilities 

1. Establish / Justify the company's best competitive position within a market
2. Locate and profile potential markets and key DMU participants within
3. Generates quality sales leads
4. Develop effective selling tools
5. Formally analyze and track competitor's business strategies and tactics
6. Define, prioritize and justify product / service - improvements and developments
7. Promote an explicit company product or service image
8. Facilitate  information transfer from customers to the rest of the company
9. Simplify the customer's travel on his buying journey  

CMO responsibilities 

1. New Product Rollouts: Strategy development, program incentives, timing and media coverage
2. Agency Evaluation: Selection and evaluation of outside marketing contractors
3. Customer Database Management: Software selection, training, maintenance of customer contact Information
4. Market Research: Market definition, prioritization, project management, data gathering
5. Pricing Analysis: Pricing as a marketing tool, initiate and analyze competitor's pricing practices
6. Product Audits: Establishment of a formal means to evaluate competitive offerings
7. Public Relations: Establishment, guidance and coordination of all areas of public
8. Relations Trade Shows: Definition, participation, prioritization and audit for effectiveness of all trade shows
9. Product Promotions: Strategy formulation, program composition, premium definition, all media coverage
10. Marketing Communications: All printed / electronic communication: brochures, catalogs, price lists, case histories
11. Media Selection: Assist in selection and prioritization of all media options: print, broadcast, multimedia
12. Internal Communications: Establish and maintain all inter-company corporate communication means
13. International Marketing: Establish company presence in targeted international markets, audit for effectiveness
14. Strategic Planning: Offer strategic information and alternative insights to corporate management strategies
15. Board Meeting Participation: Communicate and reinforce the company marketing priorities, strategies and tactics
16. Corporate Vision Statement: Proliferate and reinforce the corporate vision throughout the Organization Corporate Identity and Image: Create, maintain, improve and "manage" all corporate images and symbols

As customer retention has become more of a business priority in our intensifying competitive markets, the marketing function has evolved from influencing potential customers to involving them the company's business planning and advancement. Effective marketing also has blurred the distinction between product and service and continues to apply more influence on the company's sales representation priorities.