Deciding whether to outsource your sales and marketing or hire internally, can feel like the heavens opened up and sang to you.
This decision can also lead to stress and wasted money, resulting in disastrous consequences.
I prefer the prior, of course.
Outsourcing or hiring internally is a major decision that can have a lasting impact on the success of your IT firm.
Before making an important choice like this one, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of both options.
Pros of outsourcing your marketing
Outsourcing sales and marketing will help you access the expertise of specialists in their respective fields, as well as their knowledge of technology, project management, and other resources.
Outsourcing and working with a vendor should be consultative and ultimately help you scale.
“Scalability should be the underlying theme to any outsourced sales and marketing relationship.” – Reed Warren, CEO, iTValuations.
Outsourcing also manages your budget by avoiding the need for large investments in training and hiring staff.
For instance, hiring people in-house means paying salaries, equipment, software, training, office space, and more. Outsourcing your sales and marketing typically has lower labor costs because of fewer overhead costs and employees.
Hiring sales and marketing employees can be risky because they may leave your company at any time, which means all the cost spent to hire and train them is gone.
Hiring an employee can cost as much as SEVEN TIMES what you pay for the same work done by an outsourced partner.
Outsourcing means more specialized expertise from actual experts, better, more brand-identifiable results in content like copywriting, and faster outcomes because of a focus on getting things done.
Most importantly, outsourcing gives you more energy to effectively focus on your core operations, while redirecting resources (time & money) to areas that require your attention.
Why worry about hiring, training, and paying for a W2 employee when you have a whole team taking care of the marketing monster?
Cons of outsourcing your marketing
On the other hand, when you choose to hire internally for sales and marketing, you benefit from having control over all aspects of these operations.
Meaning you can have better input into strategy development, implementation, and measurement of performance.
Internal hires are often more invested in your company’s mission and goals than outside contractors, and they’ll be more familiar with your company culture. Internal hires provide additional benefits, such as a higher degree of loyalty, commitment to quality service, personal relationships with customers/clients/partners/suppliers, and employee engagement initiatives.
Ultimately, the decision between outsourcing or hiring internally depends on your unique circumstances.
It is important to weigh all factors before deciding which option is right for you – there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Consider how much work needs to be done (and what kind) before committing either way; it may be wise to start with smaller projects or outsource tasks prior to committing further resources, if necessary.
Be sure to thoroughly research potential partners before signing any binding contracts – ensure they have proven success in delivering services similar to those needed by your company.
Additionally, if opting for internal hires, assess the personnel needs carefully and ask questions like:
- Is there enough work to support a full-time marketing effort?
- What kind of educational background do they need?
- Do they have the expertise in copywriting, project management, and managing digital platforms that are necessary for this role?
- Do they need specialized training?
- How long does it take for them to become productive, producing content that’s meaningful and generates a return?
Answering these questions will help inform whether internal hiring makes sense for your business or not.
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