Building Your Dream Marketing Team

The Fantasy: Your marketing budget is packed to the brim with money to help build your dream marketing team. You hire nothing short of the best and life is good.

The Reality: Your staff is overworked, your budget's tight and you complete about half of the projects on your to-do list.

This reality is what many marketing mangers and small businesses face on a daily basis. Even so, you're still expected to consistently produce better results ? and the bar keeps on rising while you keep losing resources. It's situations like these that call for the outsourced consultants and freelancers of the world to help turn your fantasy marketing team into a reality.

What can you outsource?

You can outsource just about anything. With the layoffs and budget cuts that plague marketing departments and agencies, there are a ton of freelancers out there ready and willing to take on your projects. Everyone from designers, to copywriters, to project mangers can be brought in to help with any number of marketing communications tasks. Many times, you can find a team of freelancers that regularly work together. Look for freelancers by doing a Web search, browsing the yellow pages or by referrals from colleagues.

Wanted: good copywriting and design

If marketing communications were a building, copywriting and graphic design would be the support beams. Without these critical components, you really don't have a chance of communicating your message, making a sale or building your brand. Some of the best marketing communications pieces can come from a copywriter/design team, and most freelance copywriters and designers have a colleague they will refer to you.

A good copywriter/designer team should be able to understand your project quickly and get to work on it right away. In addition, they should be willing to work with you, your staff and any other creative partners you need involved in the project. However, don't assume that any freelancer will be able to effectively work with your staff - make sure they have the people skills to do so by interviewing them and checking their references. Often in the freelance industry, you can run across so called "hermits" that enjoy working by themselves and don't do well working with others. Not good if your project requires a lot of teamwork.

Thinking outside the box (or outside of your office)

One of the biggest benefits of working with a freelancer is getting their perspective on your projects. If they are a seasoned pro, they are used to giving advice to clients and should be more than happy to do so. Since you are so close with your industry and work with the same colleagues every day, your perspective can become skewed. Many "insiders" adopt their company's perspective rather than their customer's. A good freelancer can help you avoid this by asking questions and suggesting ideas that you might not have thought about.

No more drained resources

Your full-time employees generally have a full-time workload. Even if you have writers and designers on staff, adding more duties to their already overflowing to-do lists can cause burnout and make your department fall behind on important projects. Bringing in a freelancer can help even things out and give your staff some breathing room.

A dedicated worker whenever you need them and never when you don't

When you hire a full-time employee, it is a big investment. A salary, training, insurance and office supplies are all part of the costs. When you hire a freelancer you pay them only for the project and nothing else. It's like having a full-time professional on call 365 days a year.

You've made the decision, now it's time to hire

When hiring freelancers, don't just look for the best price and quickest turnaround times, look for someone that will be there for the long term and will become more of a partner to your company. Follow these steps and you should be on the right track to building your dream marketing team:

1. First, you need to find a freelancer. Some of the best work will come from referrals - ask colleagues and other creative partners for referrals. You can also do a Web search, browse the yellow pages and check with local business organizations such as the chamber of commerce.

2. Interview the freelancer and view samples of their work. This will help you determine if they do quality work, and if they will fit in with your company and projects.

3. Request references from previous clients. When checking the references, try and get a feel for their timeliness, teamwork and professionalism.

4. Develop a contract or a letter of agreement that details the scope of the project, due dates and payment terms. This will help keep everyone on the same page, and protect both you and the freelancer.

Most companies are looking for ways to reduce costs and keep their staff happy, while building their brand and increasing sales. Hiring a freelancer to help out with your marketing workload can help to accomplish this. You'll put your company on the right track to success and put you on the right track to having your dream marketing team. So what are you waiting for? Start building your dream marketing team with freelancers today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Greg Quigley is a professional business writer and owner of Q-Com Business Writing. He can be reached at 414-347-0660 or via his Web site at http://www.qcomnet.com

---

Brainstorm

Ever lost for ideas while working in a group? One... Read More

Solitude Vs Teamwork!

Irrespective of any given situation, "Team Work Works!" It is... Read More

You, Your Team, and Your Coach

The grand purpose of coaching is to help your managers,... Read More

Leadership, Genuine, Meaningful and Productive

One of the best lessons I have learned is the... Read More

Your Administration Team - Look After Them

In most organisations the administration/support team, although they can be... Read More

Team and Organizational Survival Strategies for Turbulent Economic Times

Survival: The Name of the New Economic Game People rarely... Read More

Go On, Be A Tiger

From the moment he putted with Bob Hope on the... Read More

Secrets of Successful Teams

To be a success is not always to be a... Read More

Safety First - Five Reasons to Hold a Routine Safety Meeting

Workplace safety is important to all businesses for ethical, legal... Read More

Company Picnic Ideas and Planning Tips

The company picnic is a beloved tradition at many firms.It's... Read More

Yes, But What Are You Really Saying?

More and more I hear people misunderstanding what someone else... Read More

Finding The Leader Within (Keys To Zen Leadership)

Most believe that leadership is an innate quality that some... Read More

Mastermind Team: Do You Have One?

The key to life is to be around the people... Read More

Nine Ways to Contribute to Project Team Success

The world of work has changed. It used to be... Read More

Designing and Deploying Human Centric Processes

A lot of effort has been carried out in the... Read More

Business Team Building Strategy In The Jungle

"Tak kenak! Tak kenak!" "Adak Orang sanak!????"The quiet jungle has... Read More

Virtual Team Work

At a time when many companies are scaling down their... Read More

Team Development in the Little Leagues

A grassy field, two nets, a soccer ball and some... Read More

Listening Between the Lines

Have you seen the tee-shirt with the slogan, "Talk to... Read More

7 Key Dimensions of High Performance Teams

7 Key Dimensions of High Performance Teams We can always... Read More

Top 7 Ways to Motivate Your Team

1. Involve them. Many employees want to be involved in... Read More

Leading the Witness: How Asking Questions as a Trainer Can Limit Learning and Reduce Trust

"Asking questions can be a means of establishing authority, fulfilling... Read More

Dealing with Difficult People: Ten Ways to Improve Your Communications Success

Have you noticed that some people seem to stop listening... Read More

Top Ten Things About Team Building

People who lead the best teams realise early on that... Read More

Creating a Winning Staff Team

As a business owner, I've had staff come and go... Read More

The Magic and Mystery of Teams

As the world of manufacturing has become increasingly competitive, managers... Read More

Checklist for High Performing Teams

Why do some teams perform well while others struggle? How... Read More

Manage Expectations to Reduce Everyday Frustrations

Just today my partner Russ and I sat down to... Read More

Business Innovation ? Group Creativity

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

What College Taught Me About Teamwork Training

I declared a Communications Major two years into school, after... Read More

Motivating Your Employees

CREATE A MOTIVATIONAL CLIMATE: Create a climate where others find... Read More

Empower Your Trainees

One of the most memorable quotes that I heard from... Read More

In 2005 Collaboration is Key

Perhaps you're a small business owner wondering how you and... Read More