When selecting the right service provider for the job, be sure to evaluate a candidate’s full service team line-up, not just their star players.
Once you’ve distributed your RFP, analyzed responses, and selected your final candidates, you’ll be ready to schedule finalist meetings with the lucky firms. When preparing for these meetings, ensure presenters include the exact service team you’ll potentially be working with – these are the people who will determine most of your experience if hired and you’ll want to get to know them before making a final decision.
Some organizations put very impressive senior executives or sales presenters in front of you during finalist meetings, but they may not end up being who you work with in the end. Be careful – there is a lot of marketing spin that can come from a well-polished sales representative who may not necessarily be part of your team if hired. Even if the team is in the room, if they aren’t doing the talking, you should ask them direct questions to get them engaged.