If you're doing your own marketing, you might consider focusing on the thing only you can do that makes your business the most money. The chances are good that it's selling or providing a specific service, not marketing.

If that's the case, it may be time to outsource your marketing! But if you've never done that before, you may fall into the trap of comparing providers based on price and end up hiring someone that's not a good fit for you.

Maybe you're lucky enough to know a marketing provider personally, or you've received a referral from someone you trust. Regardless of the situation, there are three major red flags you should watch out for.

Too many technical terms

For many, marketing is a foreign language. When talking to a provider, they may use a lot of acronyms and terms you're not familiar with. Some people think that's a sign that the marketer is smart.

It's not!

Someone who uses many technical terms may be smart, but it's definitely a sign that they're bad at communicating. If you don't understand them now, the chances are good that you'll have some sort of miscommunication with them in the future.

Never ask about you

Many marketing providers jump right into asking about your project, technical requirements, and timeline. But they never dive deeper!

A good marketing provider should be asking questions about you. They should ask about things like:

• Your goals
• Your ideal prospect or target market
• Your background
• Your expectations

If they don't ask any of that, steer clear!

They know you should use them

While this isn't unique to marketing, you should watch out for people who already seem to "know" they'll be a good fit for you before they even talk to you. If they think they're a good fit for everyone, they're bound to be wrong often.

Watch out for phrases like, "I know we can help." If they say things like that before having an actual conversation with you, steer clear!

Working with a marketing provider can allow you to focus on what you should really be doing in your business. But if you pick a bad one, you'll waste time and money.