There is a clear difference in working with a full service marketing team and working with a purely design and development team. The former helps you develop a strategy and builds on your ideas to develop effective promotions, the latter ensures that everything is aesthetically pleasing and functional, but does not provide the same level of strategic support. Embrace this advantage and use your marketing team to the fullest, even if their suggestions take you in a new direction.

Constructive Criticism Builds Better Ideas

Sometimes we’re so excited about a new idea that we can’t wait to dive right into it. However, that often means we have blinders on, failing to notice the warning signs. This scenario is akin to arriving at the empty beach and running into the water, right past the shark warnings. Discussing these ideas with your marketing team is like consulting with the lifeguard before jumping in the ocean. Step back and listen to what they have to say – even if it’s not what you want to hear.

Yes, it can be a little deflating to hear criticism of your million dollar ideas, but ultimately, if they aren’t clear or can be improved upon, wouldn’t you want to know before they are put into action? Hashing these ideas out with your team uncovers weak points and messaging tweaks that can be made to strengthen your promotions. This is yet another example of how being too sensitive can stunt our business growth.

Capitalize on Your Investment

You’ve made the choice to work with a full service marketing team as opposed to a plug-and-chug type design and development company. Use this to your advantage! Seek out their feedback on your new promotional ideas and take the time to really digest their suggestions, especially when they are unclear about the goal or details of your proposal. What seems obvious to you internally may not be apparent to others. Remember, if your marketing team doesn’t understand your promotion after a lengthy discussion with you, it is unlikely that your customers will get it from a simple ad, social media post, or email marketing campaign. Smoothing these issues out now saves your staff the time of explaining the details to confused customers, or appeasing upset ones, later on.

Ultimately, you’re investing in a sounding board, a company that has the expertise to take your marketing to the next level, so don’t treat them like a brick wall!