Artistic or Analytical--Which Freelancer is Best for Corporate Marketing?

Q: Is an artistic freelancer better for my company than one that leans to being more analytical? I want someone who has the brilliant, creative talent to come up with great ideas and solutions. But, while I like some of the portfolio work I’ve seen by some very artistic freelancers, I’m concerned that they might not be able to hold up on the business end of things.

A: Artistic talent is the foundation that every great freelancer builds his or her business on. Notice, it should be a business, not a hobby or simply an artistic soul in touch with the creative Source. Talent and ability to create what you are looking for are key. But you want to look for someone who also fits your culture and your organization’s needs—that means someone who knows how to handle him or herself in business relationships, can relate to your executives and key stakeholders in projects and relates to you as a professional service provider.

I understand the temptation to hire someone who demonstrates raw, unbridled talent; perhaps whose work you have seen and admire. Keep in mind that the quality of the process and relationship you build with a freelancer is just as important as the final results. Freelancers who seem more analytical may be able to capture the overall business objectives more readily and keep a project focused.

Any freelancer you hire should present him or herself in as professional a manner as possible. If you find a freelancer whose raw talent seems to weigh more important than his business skills, check references of past clients. Ask about:

• Timelines—did the freelancer meet deadlines?

• Attitude—what attitude did the freelancer exhibit when interacting?

• Responsiveness—was the freelancer readily available, easy to connect with and prompt in responding to your communications?

• Work completion—was the project completed to satisfaction?

• Resolution—if there were any problem or challenges, how did the freelancer take initiative to resolve them?

Make sure you address your concerns with the freelancer. See what his response is and let him clearly know your expectations. Have your legal department draw up specific guidelines in relation to payment that will foster work completion on deadline. Problems corporate marketers run into when hiring someone based on raw talent include keeping a project on budget, on schedule and in-line with branding objectives. Projects can easily escalate out of budget when creativity is the primary driver.

Look for a freelancer with the talent to create excellent results and the business sense to deliver excellent service. A freelancer should be pleasant and easy to work with. Customer satisfaction and building strong, healthy relationships with clients should be a demonstrated priority.