Quality is measured by our customer. Therefore, our goal should be to meet our client’s requirements and expectations. This is a critical concept about quality. Sometimes there is a tendency to think that ‘quality’ means the best advertisement, the best circulation and absolutely 100% open rates. However, in most cases, the customer does not expect, and cannot afford, a perfect solution. If there are a few bumps in the deliverables or in the material, the prospect can still say that the marketing process solution was delivered with a high level of quality. On the other hand, a flawlessly designed, defect-free solution that does not meet the customer’s needs is not considered high quality. The purpose of the quality process is to first understand the expectations of the customer in terms of quality, and then put a proactive plan and process in place to meet those expectations.
One of the purposes of a quality process is to find errors and defects as early in the process as possible. Therefore, a good quality process will end up taking more effort hours and cost up-front. However, there will be a large payback as the process progresses. For instance, it is much easier to spot clients that have other requirements during the trial or analysis phase of the process, rather than have to over sell and/or make commitments that may prove unachievable. Creating a process that walks prospects through your marketing funnel will allow you to have more repeatable or referable prospect in the long run. It is also much cheaper to find a problematic customer during the marketing process, rather than after your product or service is already being utilized.