The Corporate Marketer's Guide to Outsourcing

Blog of Articles

2008-03-03T17:54:00.004-06:00

In this blog, you'll find articles that may be of value to you as you search for information on outsourcing marketing. Unlike most blogs, this one serves as a database of articles and will not be updated on a weekly basis. I will be adding articles periodically as interests, questions and issues evolve.

Please feel free to visit my website, www.redflowerwriting.com for more information on my freelance corporate copywriting business or to contact me directly.

Thank you!

Britta Dragicevic

Inspiration Pie

2008-02-25T16:50:00.004-06:00

Inspiration. It's what keeps marketing alive and marketers healthy and paid. Outsourcers do not have the advantage of sitting in on meetings and impromptu brainstorming sessions...but they, too, have a need to be included in the group creativity that your department shares. Outsourcers can help spark ideas but they also benefit from yours.

Here's why and how:

Outsourcers often work alone in isolated offices. This allows them to focus undistracted on your projects, but it also limits them from hearing the ideas that you and your department float around. If you can, give them this "background" information--it will help them know how to direct and shape their own creativity toward your project.
Creativity is infectious. Include your outsourcer as much as possible in brainstorming, when appropriate, and you'll get an outsider's perspective as well as fresh ideas.
Be encouraging. Outsourcers can use your feedback and value your creative perspective; even if there are differences of opinion, your ideas can spark other ideas and bring solutions.
Don't be afraid to share "bad" ideas. Others can see ideas that may stem from ones you don't think are worth sharing.
Stay results-based. Give the outsourcer the desired end-result, with as much detail as possible but leave her to her own process to achieve it.
Be forgiving. Remember that first drafts are first drafts. They may not be good, but they should be directive.

Next Generation Growth Strategies by Mack Hanan

2008-02-13T10:46:00.002-06:00

Next Generation Growth Strategies

By Mack Hanan*

Tomorrow's critical success factors are tightly focused on hooking up each of your businesses to its market's drive for competitive advantage. Six of these factors will be supercritical because they are the best ways of making customers advantaged:

1. As businesses globalize, raising competition to new and more exacting levels, tomorrow's managers will have to master the art of creating compelling visions of their enterprises as enhancers of the competitive advantage of their customers rather than as manufacturers, processors, suppliers, or vendors.

2. As leadership becomes more consensual, more diffused and decentralized within compressed organization structures, tomorrow's managers will have to master the ability to negotiate agreements as a peer and partner, working laterally rather than from the top down in order to guarantee their achievement.

3. As markets become increasingly specialized and more finitely segmented, tomorrow's managers will have to master the ability to compete vertically in order to become market specialists in expanding their customers' competitiveness.

4. As products become more difficult to differentiate and as customers demand solutions based on common performance denominators, multivendor compatibility, and open standards, tomorrow's managers will have to master the ability to compete on the basis of customer value rather than product value in order to avoid margin erosion.

5. As resources become costlier to use and misuse and as the technologies for their implementation become more sophisticated, tomorrow's managers will have to master the ability to cooperate with other suppliers in order to share the brainpower and financial burdens of commercializing successive waves of innovations.

6. As customers concentrate on defining and managing their core strategic businesses, tomorrow's managers will have to master the ability to compete by outsourcing customer support operations in order to convert them from cost centers into cost-effective operations.

The net result of these strategies will be to make customers the focal point of the way you manage your business. The old corporate nationalism that proclaimed "We are the best" to anyone who would listen will give way to collaborative partnering whose testimony will be "We make our customers the best."

To win in this environment, you will need a set of counter-priorities:

Instead of asking your managers to predict tomorrow, an arcane talent at best and not necessarily correlated with the ability to run a business, ask your major customers to quantify their growth objectives and put your managers to work to help contribute to them.
Instead of amusing yourself on retreats by concocting "bands of possibilities" for futuristic scenarios, create joint growth plans with your customers that are likely to strengthen each customer's competitiveness.
Instead of saying, "We never want to lose a customer because we don't have the technology," grow your customers as the best way to avoid losing them and feel free to acquire emerging technologies or integrate them into your business, as they are needed.
Instead of coveting technologies, remember that the major added values are always found in the application of a technology rather than in its manufacture. Nor should you covet asset building - being the biggest at anything - remembering that the least costly asset is always the one you do not have to own.

*The above article can be found at The Outsourcing Institute. Mack Hanan is the author of Tomorrow's Competition: The Next Generation of Growth Strategies.

Contracts--Are They Necessary?

2008-02-06T12:06:00.000-06:00

I offer my clients contracts for major projects or on-going work; but I have to say, even with contracts most of my business is done through good faith. Contracts are like insurance—they’re only necessary if something goes wrong.

They do, however, protect your mutual investment—the contractor’s time, efforts and the company’s money, interests and information. Depending on the project, you may want to consider a Letter of Agreement which is shorter than the standard contract, but still covers the essentials. Most likely your legal department will review your contract and the contractor will have the chance to modify his or her terms until you both agree.

I’d recommend that for any major project or for on-going work, you sign a contract or letter of agreement. If nothing else, it adds a level of professionalism to the outsourced relationship. Companies worry they won’t get satisfactory work and freelancers worry that they won’t be paid. Contracts can help both parties relax and focus on the actual project.

Remember, contracts are back-up—any good freelancer should work as if good faith is all that’s needed, but be wise enough to know a contract is a good thing.

Effective Outsourcing: Making it Work

2008-01-30T14:25:00.000-06:00

What makes outsourcing work? We turn to a report by Booz Allen Hamilton for a suggested model of what companies can do to make outsourcing effective:

From Next Generation Outsourcing:

Manage outsourced relationships effectively by defining roles and capabilities and distinguishing retained organization and vendor roles. Results in the customer “runs the show” not the outsourcer and vendors clearly understand requirements and standards.

Align spending and activities with goals by establishing accountability and appropriate governance structures. Results in the right services are outsourced to achieve financial and strategic goals and mission critical functions are kept in-house.

Communicate with the business to understand day-to-day needs, set clear priorities and service levels. Results in spending is controlled at authorized levels; vendors receive clear prioritized requests; and false starts, rework and redundancies are minimized.

Set and communicate clear, realistic service requirements, goals and standards; and optimize delivery mechanisms. Results in lower costs of service delivery; enables current and forecasted right-sizing; matches provider capabilities with actual service needs and uses desired standards.

Is This a Team Effort?

2008-01-28T17:35:00.000-06:00

Juggling insourced and outsourced suppliers can make you feel, well, a lot like you’re in a circus. But much of the stress can be alleviated if you set the tone as a team project right from the beginning.

Clearly communicate with everyone right from the beginning. Let outsourced and insourced talent know that everyone will be working on the project as a team.

Introduce key players to each other. It’s hard as an outsourcer to know how to read e-mail communication from internal sources because we don’t know a person’s personality, stressors or internal politics. By being introduced we have the chance to get to know people as people—and that helps everyone communicate better.

Outsourced suppliers are focused solely on the project in their communication with you; insourced suppliers have multiple projects on their mind often involving the same bosses and relationships. It’s okay to remind outsourcers that you are handling multiple projects and let them know what concerns might be holding up progress on reviews/feedback and revisions.

Show as much appreciation to insourcers as to outsourcers. Your relationship to them as employees may be different than the professional relationship to outsourcers—but appreciation goes a long way in letting people know their efforts are valued and valuable.

Maintaining Relationships with Suppliers You Aren't Using

2008-01-21T10:49:00.000-06:00

It’s to your advantage to have established relationships with outsourced suppliers before you need them. That way, when a need arises, you know who to call. How do you establish this “future” working relationship? And how do you maintain it?

The key is to remember the human touch.

Outsourced suppliers are people. Most are business owners. They value time. Theirs and yours. If you take the time to connect with a supplier and let him know that you would like to be able to call on him when needs arise, they’ll listen.

Be honest in your approach. Don’t lead a freelancer on. If you don’t have work now or in the near future, say so.

Develop a rapport with the supplier as a human being. Ask about family, hobbies and show a genuine interest in her business.

Share enough along the way with the supplier to keep him in the loop on your company. Give him a heads up when a potential project might be approaching.

Be clear in your selection process. If your company always uses RFP’s, make sure you let the freelancer know. Let him know what you are looking for with timelines and budget guidelines. This saves you time and respects the freelancer’s business. She may be unable to meet your schedule and if so, it frees you to move on to other prospects.

Keep several freelancers in the same field in your list of outsourced favorites. This gives you the freedom and confidence to know that should one freelancer not be available you have options ready.

How to Help Outsourced Talent Establish Credibility

2008-01-16T11:13:00.000-06:00

Hiring outsourced talent always involves risk. Even the best freelancers may not be the best fit for your culture. Your reputation and perceived competency can be on the line. But there are a few things you can do to help freelancers establish credibility in your company:

Before you hire, ask for similar work samples, check references, have the freelancer create a mock-up or audition. Have a few key people evaluate the freelancer's work, if appropriate.

Discuss with the freelancer how she intends to get the information she needs to create the work required. Pay attention to attitude, willingness to go the extra mile, perception of boundaries and ability to relate to executives.

Talk openly and privately with the freelancer about any concerns you have regarding credibility. You don’t want to make him nervous, but you do want him to have the opportunity to consider the situation and be prepared to address questions that arise. Discuss your culture, past experiences with freelancers and what others are expecting. Let the freelancer know what is riding on the hiring decision and in particular, how it can impact you and your job.

Build a partnership with the freelancer and get to know him as a person.

Decide who is the most important person to establish credibility with—once you are relatively certain that you’ve hired the right freelancer, create opportunities for your boss to meet, speak with and review the freelancer’s work.

Introduce the freelancer to other colleagues and key stakeholders and have them sit in on conference calls or meetings with the freelancer.

If you and your boss are happy with the freelancer, let others in your company know what a great job he’s doing.

Ask for feedback from colleagues, if appropriate.

Trust your instincts. Everyone in your company will have their own opinion and idea about outsourced talent. But in the end, your instincts can be the best guide.

The Difference a Great Outsourcing Coordinator Can Make

2008-01-14T10:02:00.000-06:00

When you have a great freelancer working on a project, it’s tempting to let multiple stakeholders interact and direct the course of the project. It can make things go much smoother if you keep one internal person in charge of interacting with the freelancer.

You also keep more of your internal functions confidential and maintain a more secure reputation with the freelancer.

Keeping a great freelancer involves making sure that the relationship is working both ways—it’s a partnership that works best when both parties are happy and satisfied.

An Outsourcing Coordinator will be able to:

Maintain consistent communication. Crucial to making sure everyone is on the same page.

Minimize confusion. Too many voices in a project dilute the outcome.

Keep the project focused.

Take care of the internal discussion, revision and decision-making and present a cohesive company voice to the freelancer.

Smooth criticism and evaluate feedback before the freelancer hears it—saving face and sometimes the working relationship.

Translate company values and objectives clearly.

Address any concerns or conflicts directly with the freelancer.

Shield the freelancer from information he or she may not need and protect the proprietary internal process.

Outsource Strategically

2008-01-11T09:22:00.000-06:00

“The decision to outsource begins with an understanding of the strategic direction of your organization. Outsourcing decisions should support the priorities of your organization and should help position you and your team as strategic business partners. Your goal should be to ensure that the organization’s key priorities are addressed most fully and comprehensively. You want to apply the best resources, whether internal or external, to each initiative based on careful consideration, not gut feelings. Outsourcing is not a matter of simple task delegation.”

-Demystifying Outsourcing, pg 32

What is a Great Freelancer Really Worth?

2008-01-09T11:26:00.000-06:00

When you outsource, you pay for more than just creative outcomes. Take a look at some of the benefits great freelancers bring to your company and consider the value of each the next time you contemplate outsourcing:

Time. What is the value of the hours saved on a project that may have taken internal sources weeks to accomplish? Great freelancers focus on getting your project done. Why? The faster projects get done, the quicker they get paid.

Creative expertise. Yes, your internal resources may (or may not) be able to do the job; but when you outsource to a creative expert, you bring added talent and capability to your projects. There is no comparison between someone who attempts to do their best at a creative project in the midst of their regular job and someone who does nothing but that creative project for their regular job.

Motivation. Unlike salaried employees, freelancers are business owners whose success depends on how well they serve their clients. Great ones are motivated to provide exemplary service, fast turn-around and are focused on your success. Employees are usually assigned a project they may or may not want; freelancers want to do the project.

No company politics. Freelancers aren’t worried about who’s watching them, who might be after their job or who likes and dislikes people in your company. They report to your contact person and focus on doing a great job. This frees up a lot of creative energy.

Outside perspective. When you work in a company long enough, you lose perspective. Outsourcing allows you to choose a fresh pair of eyes and mindset and bring that into your business. Similar to hiring a consultant, hiring a great freelancer brings clear objectivity to your marketing initiatives.

Money. You pay only for the work done. No taxes, benefits, insurance, sick days, office space, or time spent on the job, but not working on the project. It’s hard to beat cost savings like that. Most freelancers are sole proprietors or very small firms—they do not have the overhead that big agencies incur—and that’s reflected in their rates, flexibility and turn-around time.

Consistency. Great freelancers are usually around for the long-haul. Employees come and go. When you establish a long-term relationship with a freelancer, he gets to know your company and can create consistency throughout your marketing initiatives.

Six Tips to Make Managing Outsourced Talent Easier

2008-01-07T09:39:00.000-06:00

If you’re a manager or director, you may pull double duty managing outsourced talent.

Here’s six tips to make it easier:

1. Treat outsourced talent as partners; not employees. This means, of course, choosing a freelancer that relates to you as a confident professional—one who will hold up their end of things and even look for ways to make your relationship easier and more compatible.

2. Clearly outline expectations for the project, deadlines, and communication methods. If you consider the freelancer like a “new” hire, you’ll offer the same orientation that can make the relationship and project much easier.

3. Communicate clearly. This can’t be emphasized enough. Make sure you have regular communication that keeps everyone on the same page.

4. Don’t over-communicate. Don’t involve the freelancer in internal decision-making processes if he doesn’t need to be involved.

5. Keep one person in charge of communicating and developing a relationship with the freelancer. If you want to establish a long-term relationship, make sure that you introduce the freelancer to a variety of stakeholders and key individuals. This builds rapport with your company and not just the key contact person.

6. Be human. Don’t be afraid to have a bad day and tell the freelancer why. And don’t be afraid to get to know the freelancer a bit more personally than pure professional etiquette may dictate. We are all human, with families, stressors, dreams, sick days, fears and ideas—we all have bad days and incredibly good days and when we work together, we accomplish miracles.

Remember, a service-minded freelancer can be a great asset to your company and to you as well. I know with my clients I look for ways to make their days easier. I’m here to serve them and to build rapport that has their best interests at heart.

It’s all about people. All the time.

What Does a Freelancer's Website Really Tell You? Everything!

2008-01-04T08:22:00.000-06:00

So, you’ve got a list of freelancer’s names and you’re checking out their websites. This is where you’ll get your first impression of who they are. What can you really learn about a freelancer from a website? Everything.

Pay attention to your first impression.

Look for these clues:

Overall first impression. The first time you glance at the home page, you should have a pretty good sense of the freelancer’s level of professionalism, how serious she is about her business, her personality, values and writing/design style.

Design. By default, freelancers often choose designs based on their own personality. What you see in the design can be a very accurate picture of who that freelancer is. Is the site expressive, artistic, bold, organized, colorful, scattered, etc? These are all clues to the freelancer’s personality.

Does it show you how good they are? You don’t need to see a great freelancer’s portfolio to know whether or not they’re great at what they do. The home page should show you that.

Do they talk business? Can you identify with their language? Do they identify with your language? Creative professionals sometimes focus exclusively on creativity, thinking that this is what their clients want to see. Professionals in creative fields know that business results, ROI, and connecting with your business objectives is what matters.

What do their clients have to say about them? It’s more important to read actual client testimonials than a list of client names. A name doesn’t tell you whether or not that client was satisfied. It simply tells you the freelancer worked for them.

Does the website tell you enough? Some freelancers have minimal wording and primarily use imagery. That may tell you they’re creative—or not. It doesn’t take much to put up an impressive image-based website and not say anything about who they really are. Remember, the point should be to connect with clients. A website that is almost devoid of human touch may be trying to give the impression that they are so respected that they really don’t need new clients—and yet, isn’t it all about people? All the time?

Check to see who did the actual copywriting or web design. Anyone can hire a copywriter and web designer to create an impressive website. But what you are looking for is authenticity. If you contact the freelancer, ask him if he wrote his own copy or designed his own site.

Portfolio’s can fool you. Always ask to see unedited or original drafts of a freelancer’s portfolio work. By the time a product is finished, it has been edited by a third party. You want to see original drafts of work to really find out what you will be getting with a freelancer.

What Part of Marketing Shouldn't You Outsource?

2008-01-02T10:30:00.000-06:00

Outsourcing marketing functions is an ever-increasing trend. In fact some polls of top marketing executives found that more than 50 percent planned to outsource key marketing functions. And why not? Outsourcing makes sense. Organizations save money and get the specialty skills they need, but may not have or be able to hire in-house.

As marketing complexity evolves and one-to-one marketing includes more direct communication and customization, outsourcing is becoming the only way to stay ahead and keep abreast of the diverse marketing functions needed today.

Companies are outsourcing creative as well as analytical expertise, bringing in outside specialists to create impactful results. Functions that were once kept strictly in-house are starting to be outsourced as organizations build trust with outside suppliers.

But what parts of marketing shouldn’t you outsource?

Strategy. Companies need to maintain a CMO who drives marketing strategy. As much as outsourced experts can enhance marketing, you still need a CMO to create and drive marketing strategy that connects to the overall business strategy.

Human touch. Computers offer wonderful opportunities to communicate with potential customers; but companies need to maintain real people to connect with prospects, win, and service accounts. There is no substitution for the human touch. Managers still need to meet with customers and keep a hands-on approach to knowing their customers.

The idea behind outsourcing (besides cost savings) is that you bring in outside expertise to enhance in-house talent. Outsourcing can fill in gaps in marketing functions and can bring in specialized knowledge that would be hard to hire otherwise. Freelancers and outsourced expertise should be “brought in” to your marketing. You should not “send out” your marketing to be “handled” by someone else.

In other words, maintain control. View outsourcing as a cost savings way to build in-house marketing functions that work and coordinate together. Take advantage of qualified freelancers and specialists who can bring added value to your marketing initiatives and partner with you to achieve results.

Additional resource: Harvard Business School Working Knowledge article on Outsourcing.

How to Make a Freelancer Fall in Love with Your Company

2007-12-31T10:03:00.000-06:00

When you find a great freelancer who is talented, fits your company, behaves professionally and is a joy to work with, you want to keep him or her interested in working for you. Great freelancers often have leverage when it comes to choosing clients—unlike the “starving artists” theory, many great freelancers are very selective about who they will work with.

Great freelancers are concerned about:

Reputation. When you have worked hard to establish a stellar reputation, making sure that your work keeps its excellence is a priority. I pay attention to who is editing my work—and while I believe that copy is a product purchased by my client and that it should meet their needs—I also don’t want it to lose quality in the editing/revision process.

Ease. I don’t have to work with clients who aren’t positive, supportive and appreciative of what I do, so I don’t. I choose clients based on how they fit in my ideal client profile—and many successful freelancers do the same. Creating great copy, graphics or design is part talent, part art and part relationship with the client. We want to work with clients who are fun and easy to work with--that way everyone wins.

Payment. Because of the nature of freelancing, getting paid quickly and efficiently is a priority no matter how successful a freelancer is. Clients who are slow to pay drain us of energy—energy we use to create outstanding work.

So, what makes a freelancer fall in love with a company? What can you do to establish a relationship that works effortlessly for both parties?

Here’s some tips:

Be positive. Freelancers understand the need for editing/revision; it’s how work is crafted to fit your vision and becomes the best work it can be. But we don’t need criticism or negativity. Creative energy flows with positivity. Negativity can easily thwart a freelancer’s creative energy. If you stay positive, offer supportive feedback and keep the work objective, you’ll create a happy working relationship that builds inspiration and creativity. And we'll love you for that.

Be respectful. A great freelancer is a professional and often a business owner. While we establish a client/freelancer relationship, we want to partner with you. Don’t treat a freelancer like an employee. Treat a freelancer like a professional partner. Remember, your reputation is as much on the line as the freelancers. When I find a client I love working with, I am passionate about referring not only other great freelancers to them, but people who might be great clients for my client.

Communicate well. The freelancer/client relationship works when there is good communication on both sides. Freelancers need clients who are responsive, offer feedback and guidance throughout the project. A freelance project is a team project. Client contact + freelancer + other creative participants + key stakeholders + final approval. It takes a team approach. Make sure you have an established contact person to handle the client end of things and to handle all communication with the freelancer.

Be trusting. Clients who trust a professional freelancer give a freelancer the freedom to create within the boundaries of the project; they allow the freelancer to offer ideas and in the end, trust the freelancer’s professional judgment. This kind of trust fosters a great relationship and allows a freelancer to truly bring everything he’s got to the table in a full, free-flowing way.

Remember, great freelancers want their clients to be successful. A great freelancer has your best interests at heart.

Artistic or Analytical--Which Freelancer is Best for Corporate Marketing?

2007-12-27T17:57:00.000-06:00

Q: Is an artistic freelancer better for my company than one that leans to being more analytical? I want someone who has the brilliant, creative talent to come up with great ideas and solutions. But, while I like some of the portfolio work I’ve seen by some very artistic freelancers, I’m concerned that they might not be able to hold up on the business end of things.

A: Artistic talent is the foundation that every great freelancer builds his or her business on. Notice, it should be a business, not a hobby or simply an artistic soul in touch with the creative Source. Talent and ability to create what you are looking for are key. But you want to look for someone who also fits your culture and your organization’s needs—that means someone who knows how to handle him or herself in business relationships, can relate to your executives and key stakeholders in projects and relates to you as a professional service provider.

I understand the temptation to hire someone who demonstrates raw, unbridled talent; perhaps whose work you have seen and admire. Keep in mind that the quality of the process and relationship you build with a freelancer is just as important as the final results. Freelancers who seem more analytical may be able to capture the overall business objectives more readily and keep a project focused.

Any freelancer you hire should present him or herself in as professional a manner as possible. If you find a freelancer whose raw talent seems to weigh more important than his business skills, check references of past clients. Ask about:

Timelines—did the freelancer meet deadlines?

Attitude—what attitude did the freelancer exhibit when interacting?

Responsiveness—was the freelancer readily available, easy to connect with and prompt in responding to your communications?

Work completion—was the project completed to satisfaction?

Resolution—if there were any problem or challenges, how did the freelancer take initiative to resolve them?

Make sure you address your concerns with the freelancer. See what his response is and let him clearly know your expectations. Have your legal department draw up specific guidelines in relation to payment that will foster work completion on deadline. Problems corporate marketers run into when hiring someone based on raw talent include keeping a project on budget, on schedule and in-line with branding objectives. Projects can easily escalate out of budget when creativity is the primary driver.

Look for a freelancer with the talent to create excellent results and the business sense to deliver excellent service. A freelancer should be pleasant and easy to work with. Customer satisfaction and building strong, healthy relationships with clients should be a demonstrated priority.

Is Guru.com the Best Place to Find Freelancers?

2007-12-21T08:03:00.000-06:00

If you are looking for a new freelance copywriter or designer to enhance your corporate marketing initiatives or to cut costs, where do you begin to find one? Are mega job boards like Guru.com really the best way to search for the talent you need?

Maybe not.

I have a profile on Guru and I’ve used it both to search for jobs and to find subcontractors. Without a fee, employers can post a job and ask freelancers to bid on their project. Guru.com then emails you to notify you of the bids that come in. You check your account and can correspond with the bidders. Should you chose to hire one, Guru takes a percentage out of the transaction. Sounds great.

But here is why I tell my clients to consider other options before Guru or another job board.

1.Will you find the quality you need?

Based on my experience of over a year tracking job postings on Guru, I would estimate that roughly 90 percent of the people posting for jobs have very little idea what a copywriter does and most hope to pay pennies for work that should be worth hundreds if not thousands, if done right and well.

Second, as an employer, the quality of responses from other freelancers was very disappointing. Most were unfailingly unprofessional in their response and attitude (now perhaps they are good writers, but how would I know that when they fail to include paragraphs in their lengthy response?)

2. Is it worth your time?

Because they have hundreds of thousands of freelancers, a bid often brings in a flood of responses from anyone from India to NYC. It takes a lot of time, perhaps more than it's worth, to wade through them.

3. Will they fit your organization?

If you do find the rare (and to be fair, there are some great freelancers on Guru. Hopefully, their well-crafted bidding response will help them stand out) professional, well-qualified freelancer, you have to make sure that he or she is a good fit for your organization and marketing. I would make sure after an initial email, to call them and get a feel for how they sound and present themselves.

4. How much money does the freelancer charge?

You’ll get a wide range of bids—i.e., $50 to $500 for the same job. Many employers are tempted to simply go with the lower bid, but remember, you get what you pay for.

5. Do they have experience with corporate marketing?

Corporate marketing requires the ability to grasp the overall enterprise-wide business objectives. Make sure the freelancer you hire has this ability. He or she should be able to understand and communicate with you how the project fits in to your overall marketing, and provide insight into how the project can be tailored to uniquely meet your objectives.

So how do you find the right freelancer for you?

Ideally, a personal referral from someone who has worked with a great freelancer is best. Word spreads when a particular freelancer is very, very good at what he or she does.

Second, look online and pay attention to freelancers who market themselves in locations where you are most likely to find them. Trade journals, magazines you read, through networks—freelancers who are professional and serious about their craft and business will make themselves known.

Hiring a Freelancer Based on Talent? Make Sure All the Pieces are in Place

2007-12-19T08:52:00.000-06:00

If you’ve worked with freelancers before, you’ve probably started out by gathering portfolio samples, perhaps a short introductory discussion and then had to select the one you thought would offer the best creative work.

Most likely, you chose the one who seemed to have the most talent and whose sample work seemed most promising as a match to what you have in mind. And yet, time and again, companies hire promising freelancers who end up not performing or meeting the expectations marketing directors had in mind.

Why is this? And how can you hire better the next time?

The answer lies in looking beyond creative ability and discerning business aptitude in freelancers you're considering. Working with a freelancer is a process and while many freelancers are highly talented and artistic in what they create—not all possess the business skills needed to create a smooth working relationship that satisfies all parties involved.

Here are some key factors to look for in addition to talent:

1. If they are sole practitioners (and many freelancers are) do they run their business as a business?
A professional freelancer should have a well-designed website, a quality business card, keep regular office hours, be available and responsive, and should be able to offer you a portfolio that shows a range of ability.

2. Pay attention to clues on the freelancer’s website.
The mood, style and level of design are clues to that person’s creative mind. As creative professionals, freelancers naturally portray themselves in their websites.
3. Does the freelancer mention confidentiality forms before you do?
A professional freelancer in copywriting, web or graphic design, should be very familiar and in the practice of offering signed confidentiality/NDA’s to clients before proprietary information is discussed. If the freelancer doesn’t have his or her own NDA form, or seems to dismiss their necessity, take it as a warning sign.

4. What does the freelancer charge?
Creative professionals who are in demand and have a reputation for excellence know their value and their rates reflect that, while still being sensitive to your budget needs. Don’t base your decision to hire a freelancer on cost alone. High quality service, professional practices, and the assurance of getting projects done on deadline are worth paying for.

5. Does the freelancer have references of satisfied clients you can check?
Check them. You want to ask about history of meeting deadlines, how easy the freelancer was to work with and what the process was like including revisions to work, attitude and work completion.

6. While freelancers are highly creative, you should also get a sense of their business aptitude from their entire presentation and when interacting with them.
You need someone who can partner with your marketing people, who can relate to the business purpose of your project and who is comfortable relating to key stakeholders in the project.

Remember, freelancers are talented, highly creative, artistic individuals who can bring a lot of value to a creative project for far less cost than hiring or using an agency or in-house talent. But they need to be balanced with business sense to create the kind of working relationship that will produce satisfactory results. You want to hire someone who has all the pieces in place.