After your statement of work is signed, your new partner should not disappear only to resurface with a large document months later. Part of the client’s responsibility is providing access to key staff and data that will help shed light on how this email program is performing.

Educate and sell internally
A crucial aspect of an email strategy engagement is properly explaining to all relevant parties what and why this third party will be examining inner email workings. Be sure to tell key stakeholders that this is not a reflection of any disappointment with the team or admittance of failure on anyone’s part, but only a neutral evaluation on ways to improve. You need to get their buy-in or else the findings won’t be embraced or successfully implemented.

Making sense of it all 
After strategy is determined, be sure to have the email strategy vendor come in and present it to all individuals and teams that use email in any capacity. Having at least a few senior management executives at the meeting helps reaffirm your company’s commitment to email marketing. This should not be a one-way presentation. Be sure to come prepared and ask questions on every front.