I recently outsourced a particular business task and when the work was returned to me – and perfectly done, I might add – the contractor commented on how easy the job was given the clear, detailed instructions I provided her with.
Personally, I know how much easier it is for me to do a client’s work well when they have given me clear outlines of what they are looking for. In the example of writing an article for someone, it’s much easier to do when they outline the length of the article, the specific target market (i.e. who they want to read the article), the style, keywords, spelling (e.g. Australian, US or UK), article’s purpose, their image… the list goes on). It makes it so much easier to write – and write well – than when someone doesn’t have a clear picture of what they’re after.
So whenever you outsource or sub-contract work, aim to provide a clear, detailed brief. In most cases, a good service provider will ask you appropriate questions to gather this information but if they don’t, make sure you provide the details and ask them if there’s anything else they need to know to make their job easier.
You’d be surprised at the difference it can make to the quality of the work that is done for you.
Here’s to your business success…
