Sassy Social Media Views from an Outsourced Team Member

By Sarah Ankney

As one of those outsourced team members many of you entrepreneurs need to bring in, I can say that I have had so many great experiences being a team member for others. I love to see them succeed, and being a part of helping them do so. I have a few suggestions to make not only your life but your outsourced team members life easier. I hope that these insights and suggestions are helpful to you.

Set out your expectations clearly before you hire the new team member. They should do so as well. You want to make sure you are on the same page when it comes to all the things. I have had team members that have not met my expectations because I was not clear with them. I have also had clients that have not expressed all their expectations, that so I was unable to meet their expectations. It is always better to be clear and concise.

Please remember that your team member has a life outside of what they do for you, and often other clients they support. I have learned to set office hours so that I can get manage my time downbetter. I also let them know that I will answer messages within a 48-hour time frame. These are boundaries that are set in stone for me. Both clients and team members should have clear boundaries when working together.

Communication is key in any good relationship. I prefer to communicate through messenger and email, but it is all about preference. I like to keep my clients updated weekly if not daily. This lets them know I am staying on task and what is exactly being done on their account. This also elevates alieveiates the need for them tobe constantly checking in on me. They let go of this give me these tasks to clear up time, not to add more time to their schedule.

There is no dumb question my mom used to say, and when it comes to being a team member you should be asking questions so that you can get what you need and be able to complete the tasks that are asked of you. You will have to communicate when you need items from the client, and they need to ask you when there are items needed from you.

As an outsourced team member, I must be very task orientated and selfstarting. While I need some direction, I often am making the plans of what needs to be done on the account

before I must be asked or told. I need to be able to plan accordingly for these tasks, so it is nice for heads up when changes are about to come.

I know it is hard to let go of control of things, but you must in order to get your message and passions out to the world. You must let the outsourced team member do what you hired them to do. While you should be checking in with them and know they are taskschedule, you shouldn’t have to guide them in every direction. A good team member will let you know where you stand and where you are going with those tasks you are having them handle.

While hiring a team member is fucking scary, it shouldn’t be difficult. If it is difficult, then it is often the not right fit for either party. When one of the areas I have mentioned lacksisn’t running smoothly, clearly communicate it the problem so that the problemit can be resolved or at least the other person can learn for the next time. Communication, boundaries, and task orientated team members make outsourcing your team a breeze and a weight off your shoulders.

Sarah Ankney of Sassy Pinterest is a Pinterest Account Manager. She wants to empower your business with a bit of magic to help you get visible. Sassy Pinterest creates graphics and descriptions as well as manages your Pinterest account so that you can do all the things you need to do and drive traffic to your business. If you need assistance in your business to get traffic to all your sites, please contact Sarah Ankney to add another powerful marketing tool.