We’re going to go over the top 7 benefits of outsourcing that you may never have considered. From these seven, there is one major reason why we all outsource… because we are marketers.
We are not writers, webmasters, coders, graphic artists, etc. We are simply marketers, and that’s our profession. So, does it make sense to do things we are not particularly good at, at the expense of marketing (what we know best),
So, what is the best way to ensure that our outsourcing efforts get us the best outcome, It’s by having a system for outsourcing that has rules that are set in stone to guide you and help you streamline the process and minimize problems.
Here are the 7 Laws of Outsourcing
1. Be Specific
Giving your workers all the things you need to be done will make the work easier for both of you.
In fact, they will be happy because they know exactly what you expect and you will be satisfied because you know they understand what you want to achieve. Failure to be clear about what you expect them to do will leave them guessing and wasting time trying to guess what you had in mind. The chances of them producing exactly what you wanted directly correlates to how specific you are in your guidelines.
Ensure that you give detailed instructions of what you need to be done. If possible make a video or come up with a template if it is a task you need to outsource several times in future.
2. Communicate to Them Your Exact Expectations
Give instructions on when you need the task to be completed and the level of quality you expect from them. Make sure you are in agreement in terms of the time you specify for completion of the job. Give them time to ask questions and communicate back to you. This will help you know that they fully understand what you expect. If the topic seems unfamiliar to them or they are not well-versed with the topic, reconsider your decision to hire them.
3. Send Them a Sample of What You Expect
If it is a site that has a style you want, send them the link to know what you expect. If it is a DIY video you want to be made, send them a similar video.
4. Keep In Touch
Contact them to know if they have any questions and let them know when you need updates. Whether it is via Skype or email, keep in touch with them. If they fail to reply, be sure to contact them.
5. If you are outsourcing for the first time and you want to screen workers, include a secret word in your instruction, and ask them to use that secret word as the subject line in their reply. This way you will know who read all the instructions or watched your instruction video.
Do not hire anyone who did not follow your instructions even if they have what it takes to do the job.
This reminds me of a job I was qualified for, that required one to answer the question “Describe your best quality” with one-word answer. I replied with, “I follow all instructions really well.” Needless to say…I didn’t get the job.
6. Have at least five people to screen so you can determine who is best for the job.
If you need one person to do a repetitive task such as making DIY videos, hire 5 people to make one video. Choose
the best worker for you from those five.
7. Don?t Outsource an Entire Project to One Person
It is good to be a little paranoid when outsourcing. Let?s say you have identified a new unique niche that has not been exploited. Rather than outsourcing the entire job of creating all the content of the site to one writer, break it up and outsource to various people. Have one person create content for an About us page, homepage and sales page, while the other one create the articles, etc. otherwise, giving all the work from A-Z to one writer can be dangerous for two reasons.
a. If they fail to deliver, then you will have wasted your time. However, if you had outsourced just one piece of the puzzle and they failed to deliver, it will be easier to find another person to replace them.
b. If one person has your whole idea, they can rip you off. They might steal your idea and duplicate the same thing on their website. And if they get ahead of you and get their site indexed before you do by the search engines, they will appear to be the author, not
you.
Keep in mind that many successful businesses began taking off when they started outsourcing. Outsourcing multiplies your skills and enables you to have free time to handle your other valuable projects. This will allow you accomplish it in a much shorter time.
