I just did another cattle call. I expect most people who are reading this blog know the drill. You’ve probably sat on one side of the table or the other. College X is looking for a firm to help them with their marketing challenges. They set aside one day for interviews. One by one, a series of consultants came before the committee for hour-long presentations.

Just like any interview, this process is fraught with challenges. It’s all to easy to get sidetracked by minor considerations or pet agendas. As the consultant (and in this case interviewee) I sometimes wonder if I have a better idea of what the school needs than the folks doing the interviewing. But it’s not my place during such an interview to offer more than I’m asked. I never know what issues or experiences frame the questions. I try to respond clearly and positively to the questions, all the while wondering about the folks sitting at the table who are saying nothing.

So what question should a school ask if they want to hire a really good marketing consultant? I once had the benefit of being a candidate in a selection process led by one of the giants of the advertising industry. This woman had virtually single-handedly turned around the marketing at a Fortune 50 company. She had garnered numerous industry awards. I met with her and her committee twice. She only had one question –  ”show me the quality of your thinking.” I was young and I was going up against much larger and more experienced firms. I kept wanting to draw her into the details of my research approach to prove I had the bona fides for the project. But she couldn’t have cared less. She just had one question – “I want to know the quality of your thinking.”

The reason that her question is the right one is because there is no methodology that on its own, without experience and cunning, can arrive at good marketing strategy. Marketing is not mechanics. Consultants often try to impress clients with detailed, trademarked approaches to research. They use jargon. They focus attention on their method. But none of this amounts to anything if the person driving the project and interpreting its results doesn’t have a first-rate marketing mind. What you should ask when interviewing marketing consultants is, “Show me examples of your thinking.” If you ask that question, you’ll find the best consultant to work with. The methodology will follow.