3 Keys to Outsourcing

It was mid July and the time had come to change the oil in my family’s SUV. I enjoy changing the oil in my vehicles. So, I made a playlist and thought confidently: I will be done before this short playlist of John Mayer is finished. But i was wrong. As I got into the process, I laid in the driveway. I tried to remove the oil filter cap but it was breaking and all my usual tricks were not working. What’s worse is that I had destroyed the filter cap. And because the oil system is pressurized, I can’t drive it. My family of six needs this vehicle.

If you’re like me, there’s a reason you listen to BP podcasts. You want to take action and do it yourself. And like me you may be reticent to outsource work. You may be reticent to delegate work and you might live by the mantra, “If you want it done right, do it yourself."
But what if you have reservations? What if you get burned? What if the person does a bad job? What if the system fails?

To Outsource or Not?

Those are valid concerns, but first let me posit a question. What if you’re already delegating and scaling your efforts and you don’t even know it? I think the examples are plenty, but here are a few.

-Yard work: When the mower breaks you don’t need to know how to fix it. How do you mix two-stroke fuel? You may not know and you may not care. You pay the bill and the landscaping just happens.   

-Server: How do you cook the perfect fajitas? I don’t know and I don’t care. They’re 20 bucks at Pappasito’s and they come with garlic butter and that’s all I need to know.-Cook: A local donut shop near my house makes the best apple fritter in the universe. (It’s true! Don’t @ me!) What’s even better is bringing the fritter home and heating it up in the oven. Boom. Nothing better. I don’t know how to make it and I don’t care. It’s one dollar and it is fabulous.

But even more than these people, you’re already delegating many services to experts whose knowledge you cannot know.

-Plumbers: If you ever want to understand just how important a plumber is, wait until your main sewer line is clogged. That plumber will soon become the most important person in your life. 

-Electricians: How many gigawatts are supposed to flow through your residential wiring? You have to trust the electrician to tell you. [Back to the Future graphic]-Pilots: If you’ve ever flown, there’s no way you can acquire that pilot’s immense body of knowledge. You just gotta trust them. 

But in the real estate world, you’re also already outsourcing your efforts.

-Your realtor: You’re putting an incredible amount of trust in your listing agent. Did you read the forms carefully that you’re going to sign and return ASAP (like, right this minute)? I didn’t think so. I know you’ve sworn in your heart to carefully read the forms, but maybe you skimped a little on the reading. 

-Your mortgage lender: These people really are the experts in their field. They are playing by thousands of government rules which would take you years to understand. Do you trust them? Darn right you do.

-Inspector: I bought a house three years ago that had an amazing amount of possum feces in the attic. I probably wouldn’t have noticed it, but my inspector sure did. Once we bought the house, I toted out bag after bag of fecal matter. It wasn’t my best Christmas break ever. That inspector will see things that you cannot.

Three keys to outsourcing

1. Hire the most proficient professionals. Do you feel inferior in light of their knowledge? Good! You’re paying them to be smarter than you. 

2. Pay them full price or more.  Never ever try to get out of paying them. You need them. 

3. Be nice to them.  Pay them full price because you need them to be happy. When they think of working with you, you should be a positive force. You should be encouraging, thankful, and indebted to them. 

What happens if the system fails? The same thing that happens when the system fails with your listing agent or your plumber. You have recourse and you won't be helpless.  

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, what are you outsourcing? What do you need to outsource?
As I think back to my oil filter cap, I wonder what my day would’ve looked like if I had outsourced it. A three and a half hour ordeal would’ve cost me. But i would’ve gotten three hours back in return.