Marketing, more than any other industry, requires you to be on your toes. In the blink of an eye, your competitor can announce a new product, offer lower prices, or even attempt a smear campaign against your company. When this happens, a marketing department needs to act fast. As a marketing consultant, you are the one the company will turn to when a campaign needs to be shifted mid stream, or even if an entirely new campaign needs to be created in a hurry.

These diversions from the norm are commonly referred to as scope changes. Managing and implementing scope changes are a vital part of a company’s success, not just in marketing, but in every subdivision of a company. A smart marketing consultant will understand that not every proposed change should be implemented into the project, but they shouldn’t be so narrow-minded as to shoot down every suggestion that crosses their desk. A healthy balance is the first step to marketing success, as is a plan to implement the project changes seamlessly into the everyday operations.

As a marketing consultant, you should have a process for evaluating proposed changes to determine if they are part of the project. Marketing consultants might not have final say on what gets approved, so these ideas must be presented to a board or panel often times. Once approved, it is the job of the marketing consultant to work the new project into the existing operations without going over budget or over time constraints. Knowing your available resources, both monetarily and labor-specific will go a long way to ensuring that the project remains successful.