The B2B Marketing Team of the Future (and Why Most of it is Outsourced)

Forrester’s out with new “B2B Marketing & Sales Predictions” for 2025. This stat jumped off the screen at me:

“Only 12% of marketing leaders believe that their teams’ current organizational design will help them effectively meet revenue targets over the next year.”

Yikes.

When you’re managing a team of full-time marketers, turning that team over is painful. It’s painful for the team as many lose their jobs. It’s painful for management as they have to make tough decisions. And it’s painful for the organization, which wastes time and money on the reorganization.

There’s definitely a better way.

Outsourcing is the Future — Embrace It

Rather than wasting time and money on reorganizing a team of full-time marketers, it’s faster and more cost-effective to work with world-class consultants and freelancers. B2B marketing teams should have leaders who set the vision and priorities, and then work with consultants and freelancers who help crystalize the vision and priorities, implement programs, track progress, etc. In short, the full-time leaders do the thinking and administration while the consultants and freelancers do the actual work.

Here’s the thing: There’s better talent out there to work with on the freelance market. Those professionals have chosen freelance because they’re good enough that they can command more money.

The Benefits of Working With Outsiders

Full-time teams may be talented. Freelance teams are more talented.

Full-time teams are rigid. Freelance teams are more flexible.

Full-time teams are expensive. Freelance teams are cost-effective.

Check out the full article on the Forrester report. My reading left me certain that working with outsiders is far and away the best choice for B2B organizations.