Recently while introducing altr to a prospective client, the CEO of the start-up we were pitching was surprised with how quickly we developed and deployed a new marketing platform for a previous client (including a new brand positioning, two websites, a tested email acquisition campaign, a social campaign, and a bunch of OOH collateral). While we’d love to take all of the credit for the speed and quality of the effort, the reality is that it was our client who made such an efficient and effective process possible.
And here’s the good part: you can do it too.
If you are kicking off work with an agency, here are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind to get the best outcomes in the least amount of time (and though many large organizations have review and approval processes that by their very nature take time, you can still make work more efficient in that context too):
Incredible amounts of time (and money) can be saved simply through the thoughtful participation of key decision-makers throughout a project. If leadership isn’t committed to an effort – you might want to consider whether you’re actually working on something that’s worthy of any of your time.
A simple, but often overlooked dependency for good work is agreement on what “good” means. If your team isn’t clear on what you need to accomplish, you’ll never really know when something is done.
Traditional project approaches tend to follow a staged introduction of disciplines (strategy leads to creative leads to technology…), but with the right “T” shaped people, early cross-discipline collaboration can uncover new ideas and efficiencies that can improve the project and outcomes.
No one wants to look stupid when asking a dumb question or proposing an incomplete idea… but “looking stupid” is much less disruptive than investing the time and money to present a “finished” idea if it’s the wrong idea. Unfinished work can spur discussions, challenges, and new ideas that will more quickly get you to the right solutions. Embrace it.
Just like your own employees, external partners want to be part of something exciting. If you believe in your business and are excited about the work you are doing that makes a difference for everyone involved. Though you may be paying by the hour, inspiration can come at any time – and passionate teams are never really “off the clock” increasing your odds of getting great work in less time.
