Why Is External Collaboration So Important?

External collaboration is essential for project success, but it can be challenging to get people to work together consistently. This article provides insights on what external collaboration entails, including knowledge sharing outside the enterprise, and avoiding planning missteps. External groups that marketers can collaborate with to steer their message include customers, vendors, startups, competitors, venture capitalists, schools, government, inventors, and patent holders. Collaboration tools such as partnerships, hackathons, crowdsourcing, and platforms are some ways to garner outside opinions and helpful feedback data. The key to external communication's impact on the outcome of a product or service is striving to belong to the best ecosystems that impact the industry. Listening to outsider opinions is critical to fueling continuous improvement and smart management of the company message.