I first want to apologize to everyone, and then explain myself.
When you see that video of the dashingly handsome, painfully modest, suburban man acting 15 years younger than his true age and doing a dance in his front yard that is a unique interpretation of an Irish jig and the Macarena ... I'm sorry. But I had a darn good reason!!!
My 10 year old son mowed my lawn ... by himself ... for the first time this Saturday.
(Pause, while I do ANOTHER little dance)
At face value, this seemingly has NO meaning to you, my fine marketing reader. But wait, it will!
Don't get me wrong. It wasn't easy to hand over the mower. And at first, I kept stepping in to go back over small strips that he missed. Even now, I look at the yard and know that it doesn't look EXACTLY how it would if I were to do it, but it looks pretty darn good. And thanks to his help, I was able to accomplish significantly more.
Now, think about your 3rd party partnerships. Like my handing off the mower, it may be hard to relinquish some tasks. And since we are, in great part, in a creative business, I can guarantee that the solution an agency comes up with will be different than the direction you would have taken.
There are two reasons to engage a 3rd party marketing firm:
1) When you need additional expertise in an area that simply isn't your forte.
2) When there aren't enough hours in the day to focus on all the things that really matter.
Had I kept stopping to "recommend" better ways for my son to mow, I would have never gotten my other work done.
That's the trick to a sound partnership, isn't it? You need to know when to let go and trust your partner. Assign them the jobs that you are comfortable handing off or where you need the added expertise. Unlike my boy, I'll bet it's NOT their first time behind the mower. Then you can look like a hero by completing more than expected. Heck, you might even have time to hit the couch and nap with your pups too.
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