Jen Kelly and Richard Byrd | Fractional CMOs & The 90-Day Win
This video is a podcast interview with Jen Kelly and Richard Byrd discussing the role and strategies of fractional Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) in achieving significant business wins within the first 90 days of engagement.
Conclusion
Fractional CMOs focus on addressing foundational marketing issues, optimizing lead generation processes, and ensuring clear communication and alignment within the organization. They aim to bring quick wins and long-term strategic planning to drive growth and efficiency.
Key points
🔍 Identifying Foundational Issues: Addressing issues such as low brand awareness, ineffective lead nurturing, and lack of a cohesive marketing strategy.
📊 Optimizing Systems: Improving systems and processes for lead capturing, ensuring websites are functional and effective, and aligning CRM tools.
🗣️ Consistent Messaging: Developing and maintaining consistent messaging across all channels to build a strong brand presence.
📈 Quick Wins: Focusing on immediate improvements that demonstrate value and build momentum.
💡 Open Communication: Encouraging CEOs and leadership teams to share information and be involved in marketing decisions.
🤝 Team Collaboration: Building relationships with existing teams, understanding their skills, and integrating effectively.
🚀 Supporting Growth: Helping organizations, particularly those with technical backgrounds, understand and leverage marketing for growth.
👥 Leadership and Advocacy: Providing leadership and direction to junior and mid-level marketing team members, advocating for their ideas and contributions.
🧠 Marketing Education: Educating clients on the importance of strategic marketing and the role it plays in achieving business goals.
📋 Long-term Planning: Balancing short-term goals with long-term strategic planning to ensure sustainable growth.
Summary
- Introduction: The podcast introduces the topic of fractional CMOs and their impact within the first 90 days.
- Jen’s Background: Jen Kelly discusses her company, New Initiatives Marketing, which provides fractional CMOs and marketing teams primarily for manufacturing and industrial companies.
- First Problems to Fix: Jen highlights common issues such as lack of awareness, sales plateaus, and ineffective lead nurturing as initial problems to address.
- Richard’s Background: Richard Byrd talks about his experience with technical companies and the need to address foundational marketing issues to drive revenue growth.
- Optimizing Lead Capturing: Richard emphasizes the importance of fixing foundational elements like websites, lead forms, and content to optimize lead capturing.
- CEO and Leadership Involvement: Richard and Jen discuss the importance of having the CMO at the management table and ensuring the CEO and leadership team are involved and supportive.
- Team Collaboration: Jen advises building relationships with the existing team, understanding their perspectives, and integrating effectively to achieve marketing goals.
- Advice for New Fractional CMOs: Both guests advise new fractional CMOs to listen, be patient, and respect the existing team’s skills while providing clear leadership and direction.
- Balancing Sprint and Marathon Engagements: Jen and Richard discuss the pros and cons of sprint versus marathon engagements, highlighting the need for a balanced approach based on the client’s goals.
- Achieving Sustainable Growth: Richard shares examples of long-term engagements that helped clients achieve sustainable growth by addressing foundational issues and aligning marketing strategies with business goals.
- really looking for leads and to drive revenue for their organizations.” – Richard Byrd
- 04:55: “Their systems and processes are not set up to do lead capturing right. They have a crappy website that doesn’t show up on search, doesn’t have appropriate lead forms, and no content to drive some sort of lead generation campaign.” – Richard Byrd
- 06:00: “We insist upon in every engagement that the CMO has a seat at the management table. They need to be in the room when things are happening and being discussed.” – Richard Byrd
- 07:20: “The CEO should take interest in marketing. They don’t have to come out with a master’s degree in marketing but just understand how it aligns with the company goals and how it can help achieve those goals.” – Jen Kelly
- 08:40: “You have this team that you need to nurture to help you get done what you need to get done with your strategy, but also understand there’s probably going to be some apprehension there that it’s up to you to smooth over.” – Jen Kelly
- 09:30: “Be the boss. At the end of the day, you’re the CMO, you’re accountable for everything marketing, and you’re the boss.” – Richard Byrd
- 10:40: “You need to evaluate those employees like you would if you were a full-time CMO and understand that a lot of times you’re the first boss they’ve had in that company that understands the marketing metier.” – Richard Byrd
- 11:55: “You need to be able to get ready to learn and get ready to collaborate with that person. Get ready to help that person because they’re going to come to you with questions.” – Richard Byrd
- 12:40: “Show the CMO what you’ve been doing. It’s your chance to pitch your knowledge of what you know about marketing and what you know could help the company.” – Jen Kelly
- 13:45: “It’s going to be a marathon. If you’re bringing in the fractional Chief Marketing Officer with strategic thinking and planning, it’s going to be a marathon.” – Jen Kelly
- 14:35: “Sometimes those marathons are getting faster. We do both sprints and marathons, but the marathon allows you to lay down some foundation which can be built upon.” – Jen Kelly
- 15:50: “We work closely with private equity, sometimes getting the company ready to sell. It’s a three-month or six-month sprint where we focus on driving the earnings of the company.” – Richard Byrd
- 16:40: “We have been in three and a half-year long engagements with clients, and that’s a definite marathon.” – Richard Byrd
- 17:50: “If you find yourself in that situation, it’s time to go up on your rates and your retainer because they see a lot of value in what you’re doing.” – Richard Byrd
- 19:00: “Sometimes the biggest value is when marketing is being handled, and the client can focus on other areas of the business.” – Richard Byrd