By Ty Ward, Founder of Advocate
KEY #4: THE RIGHT MANPOWER
(This is article #5 in a 6-part series. Start from the beginning here.)
It’s easy to waste a lot of money on the wrong manpower.
The advantage of eLearning products is the ability to create, sell and scale for pennies on the dollar relative to other product formats. And yet, hiring the wrong people or even hiring the right people at the wrong time can blow that advantage.
The full-service agencies. The jack-of-all-trades executive assistant responsible for writing copy, managing social media and learning Facebook Ads. The website-designer cousin in charge of launching and selling online products. The experienced marketer brought in on a full-time, overly-generous salary ... whose first step was to go hire a team. ;(
From my “adventures” with over a dozen different teams in the author space, I’ve seen how much of a difference the right team with the right skills sets and structure can make— especially to your sanity. ;)
The 5 Skills You Need to Get to 7-Figures...
You most likely don’t need five people on your team immediately and in some cases, not ever. However, you will need these 5 skill sets on your team in some capacity as you scale.
NOTE: Determining which gift-set to hire and when largely depends on your own strengths and what you want to be doing for your business.
The Strategist
This is someone with experience in the digital and ideally, eLearning space that can transpose who you are and what you want to accomplish into an actionable plan.
I recommend partnering with a strategist day one to develop a clear and profit-driven plan, but proven experience and high-level strategy for the digital space isn’t cheap today.
One alternative is to bring them in on a consulting basis. In my case, I’ve built a 90-day process I walk authors through to architect and launch their businesses. This is typically enough time to get the clarity and training needed. #shamelessplug
The Overseer
An administrative-minded person who is comfortable with the online space, can manage a team, and can take responsibility for the implementation of a strategic plan.
NOTE: I’ve commonly seen long-term executive assistants transition into this role, as they are familiar with your world and simply need to be empowered on this level.
I recommend starting as a part-time contractor, if possible, with the goal of being a full-time contractor or employee as the business demands it.
The Creative Partner
This is someone to creatively partner with who has writing experience, a communication- style you like, and a commitment to learning your voice and instincts.
NOTE: Ideally, they would have the willingness and capacity to both affirm your creative instincts and at other times challenge them.
I recommend starting with a project-based trial, then transitioning to a part-time or project- based contractor, with the goal of becoming a retainer-based contractor as the business demands.
The Nerd
A technical and web-savvy individual with experience in digital advertising.
One route to gte this skill set on your team is hiring a small-to-medium-sized Facebook Ad agency to begin. As your business scales, hire in house and train.
THE AESTHETIC ARCHITECT
A graphic designer with a style you prefer, an good understanding of conversion, and a commitment to learning your instincts.
I recommend doing a project-based trial, then start as a part-time or project-based contractor with the goal of being a retainer-based contractor as the business demands it.
REMEMBER: You don’t need five people on your team TODAY!
The most important part of building the right team is that you are fully supported in your genius and NOT frittering away time on tasks you’re not good at or those that don’t light you up.
Read Part 6 of the series to understand the importance of a clear roadmap when launching an eLearning product!
Also, if committed to building an eLearning business, myself & my team can help...
