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Outsourcing: You’ve gotta want it (kind of like getting healthy)

Outsourcing: You’ve gotta want it (kind of like getting healthy)

Often I tell my clients, this is no time to be humble. So for just a moment today I’m going to take that advice and share some news with you: I’m good at what I do. I’m good at communicating, at solving problems, at making messages that matter. And I can say all this because I don’t do it alone. I have a team with me who is better than “good” at what we do – they are outstanding.

So…. when I meet with someone and tell them what we do (engage on social media on their behalf), how we do it (we spend most of our time listening and practicing and putting in hours to make their brand look, feel and sound right), when we do it (all the time) and so on, I feel great about it. Sometimes I meet with the company decision-maker and sometimes I meet with another member of the team who can see the value in what we would bring to their table, but they aren’t sure their “boss” will go for it. And that’s ok.

Here’s the deal.

When I meet with someone “lower” in the chain of command than the end-boss, I often hear from them “I think we’re close. I think my boss is close to wanting to give this a try.” Hold it right there. That’s exactly when I know this is going no further. I’ve been there. I’ve had this person talk their boss into hiring me, but the boss is skeptical from the get-go: they aren’t comfortable outsourcing, they aren’t comfortable using social media at all, they aren’t comfortable with the advice I typically give them in that first meeting (eg: stop asking to delete negative reviews, respond to them instead). This is the type of client I’m not really interested in.

Why?

We invest in our clients. What we do is based on partnership, collaboration and teamwork. Our team helps to take this piece of the pie off your plate and make sure it’s done well, everyday. But if your boss needs to be “talked into” hiring me, I think it’s better to walk away. I’m usually up for a challenge, but I don’t really need a challenge like that. That’s the kind of challenge where you constantly feel like you’re proving your worth.

Hold it. I know what you’re thinking.

Yes, as an outsourced vendor proving my value is imperative, we must do it each month. I once read a thread in an online networking group about providing insights and analytics to clients and a fellow social media marketer said they charge an exorbitant amount if a client wants a monthly report and/or want some analysis on said report. I couldn’t believe it. If I don’t provide analysis, how will my client know what that report meant? If I don’t explain what we did last month – highs and lows – then how am I proving value to the business? So… yes, proving my worth is something I believe in.

But….

Proving worth to someone who is on your team makes sense. Continually trying to talk a client into understanding why they need our services and justifying every comma and preposition in a conversational tweet three weeks ago frankly isn’t worth the headache.

So here’s the bottomline.

If you’re looking for someone to genuinely help your business in the area of content marketing, messaging and social media engagement, we’re your team. But if you’re coming into this relationship kicking and screaming, it’s probably not the direction you want to go in – right now.

Here’s a fun fact: as a side hustle, I’m a coach for a nutrition company. I started coaching after getting my own health on track a year ago. I speak with people every week about how our program works and what’s involved. And sometimes… they just aren’t ready yet. And that’s ok. Same thing applies here. When you’re ready for help, no matter the issue, you’ll be ready to dive into this relationship. Until then, my best advice to you is know your audience, have a plan, brand yourself well, have a clear message, know your objectives, determine how to achieve those objectives, listen and then start posting. But please remember to watch your grammar and ALWAYS respond to reviews.

When you’ve decided you can’t consistently keep this up, we’ll be here.

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