Great marketing ideas come naturally to you. But will others recognize and join your vision? Our sophomore episode of the ongoing Hired miniseries -- about the experiences of recently hired CMOs -- digs into the obstacles and solutions to generating buy-in for your marketing program. Often new CMOs are untested commodities. And when you first arrive at a new company and team, great strategy and logistics are table stakes. Getting others aboard your program requires nurturing relationships founded on trust within the C-suite and among your direct team.
Our guest is Frances Zelazny, the CEO at Anonybit, a startup that focuses on decentralized biometrics. Prior to joining Anonybit, she was the CMO at Signals Analytics and Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at BioCatch. With two-decades of experience, Frances shared with us a wealth of experience at tech startups and what it takes to sell your vision. While startups tend to be fast-paced environments, marketing can take a while to come to fruition, Frances explains. Marketing technology that’s transformational is exciting, but there’s always the challenge to convince your audience of the solution’s value.
Diving head-first into your first marketing program may feel like the right move -- who doesn’t love an energizing CMO? But we recommend a more calculated approach. Gaining invaluable buy-in often means properly assessing where your team is at:
So before diving in: complete an internal assessment of your new organization to gain a bird’s eye view.
Becoming a successful CMO starts with a solid foundation, which, in this case, are strong relationships. Generating buy-in from the C-suite, Frances says, means thinking like a CEO and communicating your vision via tangible KPIs. Often there’s no better way to demonstrate your success than numbers.