Choosing AMC Prospects

Even if time is short, try to look carefully at 3 AMC providers who seem to fit the bill. Some thoughts on 'pre-qualifying' criteria –

1. Stability – is the prospect well established and adequately funded? Some simple investigations at Companies House may provide an understanding of length of trading, directors and financial stability.
2. E-presence is increasingly vital to associations – your AMC’s capabilities in this area will be evident from their own profile.
3. Location – a local provider may seem attractive but remember that as Board members change, locality can be quickly lost. Usually, Associations are national bodies and an AMC will expect to travel for meetings etc. A city address can be impressive but also expensive and not always convenient.
4. Specialists – does the prospect focus on OEM – if they do, and have been around for some time, you would expect them to be good at it!
5. Other Clients – Do they already work for clients who could create a conflict of interest?
6. Empathy – Even at this stage it might be clear that some AMC’s reflect your own business culture and ethics more than others. This can be a pre-indicator of that all important 'chemistry'.