We outsource our customer acquisition and marketing campaigns to an external agency, which makes tracking weekly leading indicators on our Scorecard incredibly difficult because we do not control their daily activities. How do we hold external vendors accountable to our weekly Scorecard targets without micromanaging their internal processes?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Outsourcing operational functions like marketing does not absolve you of the need for weekly Scorecard data. You cannot let external vendors hide behind monthly reports that show up long after a campaign has failed. To hold them accountable, you must treat them as if they occupy a seat on your Accountability Chart.

First, assign a leadership team member to own the relationship with the external agency. This seat holder is responsible for putting the agency's weekly numbers on your company Scorecard.

Second, work with the agency to identify three to five weekly leading indicators that predict the success of their campaigns. Do not let them give you vanity metrics like impressions or clicks. Instead, track meaningful leading activities, such as the number of qualified sales meetings booked, the cost per qualified lead, or the volume of new pipeline opportunities generated.

The external agency must provide these numbers weekly before your Level 10 Meeting™. If the numbers are red, the relationship owner drops the issue to IDS®. By establishing this weekly expectation, you ensure your marketing dollars are working and hold your vendors to the same high standards of data accountability as your internal team.