Over the past years, I have taken on several mandates as an interim CMO. It normally starts when a CEO or founder comes to me (or another interim CMO) because somebody has left and isn’t replaced yet or somebody was meant to show up but hasn’t. Oooops 🙈.
While that’s a valid use case, there is more to it.
With an experienced interim CMO, you buy competence that doesn’t just keep the ship afloat, but also fuels your growth engine. 💥
The only downside: As a founder, you will likely want to hire your interim CMO into a permanent role and they will likely say ‘no’. At least I always did – except for once. 😉
Here is what founders and CEOs can and should demand from their interim CMO:
1️⃣
We bring an outside view based on having seen many situations, therefore being able to make a very quick judgment on what’s working, what isn’t and where potential opportunities lie (new approaches, new channels, new markets) 🔍
2️⃣
We don’t care about legacy, there is no ‘if I admit that what we’ve done in the past was wrong, I lose credibility’, it is only about what works ✅
3️⃣
We have a tremendous and proven network from past experience, I literally know the perfect partner for anything that needs to be done and can onboard them extremely fast 🤝
4️⃣
Some things only need to be done once and done well. Like building a strong brand foundation, setting up infrastructure or a measurement framework or establishing a strategic growth model. Once delivered, these tasks can be executed for 36 to 48 months 🧱
5️⃣
We can assess what type of hire and team the function requires in the long run, therefore preventing you from hiring the wrong profile for the permanent role that follows 👥
6️⃣
An interim CMO has a different level of conversation with the founder/CEO and the full ExCo due to their experience and seniority. We will also tell you the truth because we don’t fear losing their job. And we understand the expectations of investors, boards etc. 💬
➡️
For me as an Interim CMO/CGO, I see my job as successful if I leave an organization significantly stronger (= more growing, more profitable, more resilient and smarter) than when I started. And all of that within a much more compressed timeline than is normally the case. ⏱️
If any of this resonates with you and your org need a growth boost, let’s talk. 👇