Let Your Fractional CMO Drive Results
This article was published on January 17, 2021
Categorized in: Digital Marketing
So, you’ve decided to outsource your marketing leadership and are working with a Fractional CMO. There are so many reasons why this is a good idea! With a Fractional CMO, you can have all the benefit of having a strategic leader for your marketing department without the expense of an in-house employee. You can also determine how much time each week the Fractional CMO will work, allowing you to pay for only what you need.
While there are reasons why this was a good idea for you, keep in mind that once you hire the Fractional, your work isn’t done. The success of their relationship with you pretty much depends on you and how well you work with them. Here are some thoughts:
Develop a Strong Relationship
A strong relationship between the existing, in-house team and the Fractional CMO should be nurtured from the beginning. Although this may not “technically” be part of why the Fractional CMO would have been hired, it’s an underrated part of the process. How well the Fractional gets along with the team will determine how effectively the objectives will be met.
Think of it this way. A strong relationship built on mutual trust will allow the two sides to respect each other. It will allow both parties to achieve the objectives much better. Contrast that with a relationship filled with negativity and stress – this could absolutely impede progress on the objectives. When the two sides work well together, it makes things so much easier.
Trust Their Expertise
There’s a reason why you hired a Fractional CMO – because they have expertise no one else at your company has. This is where you come in. You hired them, now you need to trust them. What does trust look like? When they develop the strategy, you don’t intervene. Sure, you can weigh in and give your opinion from a business perspective, but for the most part, the Fractional CMO needs to trust their expertise.
Imagine this: The Fractional CMO develops a marketing strategy that aligns with your goals. You look at it and “don’t like it”. So, you intervene and suggest things that were against their strategic understanding. This is a very frustrating situation. There’s a reason why you hired the Fractional CMO. You paid for expertise; they should be able to use it to benefit your company.
Don’t Be the Barrier
You want the company to succeed, but for whatever reason, you’re having a hard time trusting expertise of the Fractional CMO. This creates barriers to progress. Don’t be the barrier! You should give them freedom to trust their instincts. To analyze and develop strategy as they see fit. Granted, you should feel as if the strategy makes sense and approve it, but not stand in the way and prevent progress from happening.
Don’t be the barrier. Make sure that the Fractional CMO has your trust. Sure, they have to earn your trust. However, you also hired them for a reason. They should be able to do their jobs.
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About the Author: Brick Marketing President, Nick Stamoulis
Nick Stamoulis is a digital marketing expert and President of Brick Marketing. With 25+ years experience, he specializes in solving complex digital marketing challenges through SEO, content marketing, social media, PPC, email marketing, SEO for AI (GEO) and conversion optimization.
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