The unspoken tension
You’re in too deep.
Not romantically - professionally.
With your current Marketing Operations consultants.
They’ve been around for years. They know your tech. They know your stakeholders. They know just enough to keep their retainer going.
But let’s be honest: Something’s off.
They haven’t challenged you in months. You’re not learning anything new. The outputs are… fine. Just fine. No one’s really complaining. But no one’s excited either.
And that right there? That’s the quiet, creeping stagnation that keeps enterprise marketing from evolving.
It’s the agency relationship no one wants to talk about - but every MOPs leader eventually has to face.
How we got here
Marketing Operations grew up fast. When tech stacks exploded and platforms matured, everyone scrambled to find help.
Consultancy firms filled the gap - bringing platform expertise, campaign support, and strategic guidance.
Back then, any consultant that could wrangle Eloqua or Marketo and get campaigns out the door was worth their weight in gold.
But the stakes are different now.
Today’s marketing teams are smarter, faster, more data-driven - and frankly, they expect more. They’ve matured beyond “just getting it done.” They want partners who think, not just do.
The problem? Many consultancy firms didn’t evolve.
They’re still offering platform admin with a strategy wrapper. They’re still selling 30-page roadmaps that never get implemented. They’re still showing up with a slide deck instead of an idea.
The signs it’s time to move on.
Not sure if your agency is still the right fit? Here’s the uncomfortable checklist:
🚩 They’re reactive, not proactive.
You bring the problems. You push the roadmap. You prompt every idea.
🚩 You’re not learning anything new.
If they’re not pushing your thinking, why are you paying a premium?
🚩 The outputs feel templated.
You see the same playbook - quarter after quarter, time and time again.
🚩 You’ve lowered your expectations.
“Oh, it’s not bad.” That’s not a justification, that’s a resignation.
🚩 Their value is based on history, not results.
“They know us” isn’t a strategy.
The consultancy relationship is like any long-term engagement: Over time, comfort replaces curiosity. Stability replaces innovation. And soon, no one wants to rock the boat - even if the boat’s stuck.
Why breaking up is hard to do!
Let’s be real - switching consultants does come with challenges:
Knowledge transfer: Will a new partner get up to speed fast enough?
Internal politics: Will someone on the team resist the change?
The fear of regret: What if the devil you don’t know… is worse?
These are real concerns. But what’s more dangerous is letting those fears trap you in a status quo that’s quietly costing you time, budget, and opportunity.
Because here’s the thing no one is telling you:
The most painful agency switch? Is the one you should’ve made 18 months ago.
What a modern consultancy firm should look like...
Not all consultancy firms are created equal. The best partners today don’t just “support your team.” They elevate it.
A modern consultancy should:
✅ Challenge your assumptions
They should bring fresh thinking - not just validate what’s already in motion.
✅ Move quickly
Long onboarding phases and bloated discovery sessions? That’s legacy consultancy s***.
✅ Deliver value early
You should feel impact in weeks, not quarters.
✅ Be transparent
You want candid conversations - not cozy silence.
✅ Grow with you
If they’re not helping you evolve, they’re holding you back.
At Sojourn Solutions, this is our model. We’re not here to replace one set of warm bodies with another - we’re here to fundamentally improve how your Marketing Operations works.
What switching really looks like
Here’s the good news: Switching consultancies doesn’t have to be messy.
When done right, it looks like this:
Week 1-2: We embed with your team, understand your key platforms, meet your stakeholders, and identify quick wins.
Week 3-4: We start executing - auditing what’s working, fixing what’s broken, and rolling out fast value.
Month 2+: We’re in the rhythm, operating as true partners - pushing your strategy forward, optimising tech, and actually moving the needle.
There’s no “six-month roadmap stall.” No mysterious black box of consultants behind the scenes. Just clear impact, clear communication, and no BS.
You deserve more!
If your current consultancy hasn’t made you feel anything in a while - no challenge, no spark, no real momentum - you owe it to your team (and your budget) to rethink the relationship.
You don’t have to make a scene. You don’t need a dramatic breakup email.
You just need to be honest about where you are - and where you’re trying to go.
Because in enterprise marketing, “fine” is the enemy of “great.”
And great doesn’t come from comfortable partnerships. It comes from the kind that make you better.
Ready to make the switch?
Let’s talk about how simple it can be to move from “meh” to momentum.
