Is it good to outsource positioning, message strategy, and org strategy? Or are those better handled internally? My first thought is, as long as you get the right result, it doesn’t matter how you got there — or who gets the credit.
But these kinds of efforts can be hard. So the decision might not be easy. I’ll try to help.
First, watch me straight-up slap some keywords in here, haha. Legit though… these are typical questions you might be asking, in case I’m not using the terminology you’re thinking of:
• Is it worth hiring outside help for our positioning strategy?
• Should we hire a marketing consultant or do it in-house?
• Why hire someone to help with our brand messaging?
• Can we do our company strategy work without a consultant?
Another question is, “What are the pros and cons of hiring a consultant?” But I’m not going to answer that one, since I’m not explicitly covering cons. Positive vibes only! Read between the lines if you want.
I have a garage full of great tools. They’re a legacy of young adulthood, when I did everything myself. Like a lot of you, I love to learn, and I love to be independent. But in my 20s, the additional reality was, I had more time than money. I couldn’t afford to pay contractors and mechanics. Instead, I bought tools and did my best to figure things out. If only I’d had YouTube back then!
As the years went by, the scenario slowly flipped. I had kids and started my own business. My time became much more valuable. It made more sense to hire a housekeeper and a yard man, for example, so I could keep working and increase my earnings. Getting help was not only freeing, it also accelerated what I was able to accomplish.
I say all this as witness that I’ve been on both sides. Sometimes you want (or need) to DIY. Other times you want it DFY (done for you) — so you can focus, hire experts, and save yourself a whole lot of hassle.
This post is to help you decide which route to go — not so much generally, but more specifically as it relates to positioning, message strategy, and org strategy.
My Grandaddy was scrupulous, to his own detriment. My Daddy was kind to others, to his own detriment. Like both of them, I am wired to be conscientious and helpful, whether or not it makes me any money. I don’t think of that as a detriment, though. I think of it as heaven points.
Noble as that sounds, I started this idea with a list of reasons it’s good to get outside help. Because hey, of course I want some business. Then I got a twinge of conscience: I need to be more objective. So, like anybody with half a brain these days, I turned to ChatGPT to get some traction. I laughed out loud when I saw the output. This is sooo good. Holy cow. Who needs me? (Relax, Sheperd. You’re still a useful human being… for now.)
Actually, once I calmed down, I realized that I thought of things the AI didn’t think of. And it thought of things that I didn’t think of. So here I’m going to share all of it. Plus a tidbit from some research I conducted.
I’ll go in the following order:
Here was my prompt:
“I’m a consultant who helps businesses with their marketplace positioning, their marketing message strategy, and their org strategy (vision, mission, values, etc.). Sometimes companies hire an outside resource like me to help them with these efforts. Sometimes they choose to do the work internally. I’m writing a blog post, and I want to present an honest perspective about the pros and cons of DIY vs. hiring outside help. I want to be objective and truthful, not overly solicitous. Can you give me some ideas?”
Now here’s the output, with my responses.
Big Idea: “Should you do it yourself or bring in outside help?”
Intro idea:
Start with empathy. Acknowledge that it’s not always clear whether to call in a consultant or keep things in-house. You might say something like:
“When you’re staring down a big strategy project — like redefining your marketing message or clarifying your company’s vision — it’s tempting to think, ‘We can figure this out ourselves.’ And sometimes you can. Other times, a fresh set of eyes makes all the difference.”
I empathized, but more in a personal way, with the bit about tools and stuff.
When DIY Might Be the Right Call
This is a great point. As I learned from my awesome executive coach Carrie Perry, one of the most important things for a successful organization is leadership cohesion.
True, true.
As a long-time business owner, I can relate to that. Money is a finite resource.
Example: A startup with a strong founding team and a clear vision might nail their messaging themselves using a framework like StoryBrand.
Dang, they actually cited a provider! How do I get that placement? Well, that’s cool. I’ve been through the StoryBrand workshop. It’s outstanding in some ways, but TBH it has some concerning shortcomings, too. I’ll just say it’s a really good solution for solopreneurs. Or a team on the smaller side. If that’s you, I do recommend it.
But here’s where DIY can break down
Another expression I like: You can’t read the label when you’re inside the bottle.
“Circular” — what a great word. Makes me anxious just thinking about it.
Oh my gosh I have felt this pain. Have you?
Example: A mid-sized company spends six months rewriting their mission statement internally, only to end up with something that sounds like a committee wrote it (because one did).
Haha. Sadly common, I’m afraid. A cliché-free mission statement: Is it mission impossible?
What an outside consultant can add
Agency consultant David Baker says the essence of intelligence (I would use the word “expertise”) is pattern recognition.
Yes yes yes. We are bringing a framework that I invented and that we already know how to use.
Candor and consensus-building. Good stuff.
Example: A growing company brings in a consultant to help clarify their market position. In two weeks, they get more clarity than they had in the last two quarters.
This can happen for sure.
Now for my thoughts.
First of all, “do it yourself” doesn’t mean all by yourself. Hopefully you’ve got teammates you can collaborate with.
OK, you’ll notice some repetition here. That’s because I composed the following before I consulted AI. But I wrote what I wrote, and I’m not changing it.
In 2025 I released a research study titled Message Mentality: What Marketing Leaders Think, Feel, and Do About Message Strategy. This survey of more than 400 marketing leaders found that there were three distinct mentalities. And Topic #25 was this:
“Is outside help necessary? Or is message strategy better handled internally?”
After analyzing the responses, I found no significant difference between the mentalities as to whether or not they work with outside agencies.
It’s notable, however, that those who rate their effectiveness as “Excellent” or “Very good” are more likely to work with outside agencies. And those who rate it “Okay” or “Not very good” are more likely not to work with agencies.
To see the details — as well as all the other findings — you can download the research for free. You don’t even have to provide an email address.
Only you can decide what’s best for your organization.
I’m here to help, whatever that means. If what I’ve written here — or anything else I’ve written — is beneficial, then hey, mission accomplished. But if you need more, please don’t hesitate. Book some consulting time with me, or better yet, get yourself a counterpart and get going!
