1.You don’t have a strategic plan.

If the road ahead is at all ambiguous, you need a strategy that clearly articulates where you’re headed and how you’ll get there. A consultant can help.

Your plan should include:

• the problem you’re solving
• who you’re solving it for
• what your differentiated value proposition is
• how you’ll deliver more value than your competitors
• how you’ll measure your progress against your objective
• where you are currently against that objective (current state)
• where you want to be (future state)
• the roadmap to get there

An experienced marketing consultant can add significant value in this area because it’s the core of what she does, and she can thus leverage insights and best practices from a range of previous plans. The same way you wouldn’t choose a surgeon who has only performed one surgery (or none), when it comes to putting together your strategic plan, it helps to have a pro at your side.

2.You need context to make a key decision.

Have a tough or critically important decision to make? There are times in every business when an objective, unbiased expert is the best option to help make a key business decision or to take decisive action. At these times, an outside consultant can bring the benefit of neutrality while also bringing the value-add of understanding how other businesses with similar situations made their decision across a broad range of industries.

3.You need to hire experience or expertise, but don’t need need it long-term.

Do you need a pro, but either can’t afford her long-term or don’t need her long term? An experienced marketer is someone who can both save you time and money if you are just launching, are introducing new products, services or programs, or are assessing a new opportunity. These are times when you need to get it right.

If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur. — Red Adair

4.You have a project with a beginning and an end, but don’t have the right talent to complete it.

Have a new goal, or a deliverable that doesn’t have resources stacked against it? Many times, companies simply need a short-term experienced marketer to complete a finite project in a quality, professional manner.

5.You have a deliverable that needs to be completed quickly, but don’t have the bandwidth to make progress against it.

Too many things on your plate? Maybe you simply need an extra pair of hands on an important project. In this case, bring in a consultant who can hit the ground running and doesn’t require training or close management.