I've been at this CMO role for a really long time: seven months, to be exact. Which, depending on what industry report you happen to read, is one-half to one-third of the average CMO's tenure. So in some ways, I already feel like a dinosaur.
Not to mention that I'm a CMO at a company that didn't have to, or didn't need to, market itself previously; nor had it ever had a traditional marketing "budget" for things like public relations, media buying, trade marketing and sponsorships, or professional organization alignment and participation.
Oh, I almost forgot: When I was hired, I had a staff of one. Me.
I should also mention that I came to the job after spending five years as an executive at a public company that really knew how to market itself, had an established marketing department, and spent lots of money each year in marketing across a variety of media.
There is something invigorating about being a new CMO, but also about being a new CMO at a company that hasn't before truly invested in marketing. To be sure, it is challenging; and the most difficult part is probably the first 4-6 months, when the marketing foundation is being poured.
Once the foundation is poured, it's all about delivering ongoing results and proving and re-proving the value that the overall marketing function provides—which, in my case, differed because I needed define the functions that marketing should provide in the first place.
If you're a new CMO or a newly appointed one, here are a few tips that you might find useful in your own efforts:
1. Don't jam Marketing down people's throat—be a sponge
Everyone hates a know-it-all anyway. But in this particular case, for a new CMO or a CMO at an organization not yet comfortable with the CMO role, it's important that your early efforts center on learning the organization, the business model, the customers, the staff and the infrastructure.
Soak up as much knowledge and information as you can in the first few weeks. Meet one-on-one with as many people as you can. Take people to lunch to learn more about their day-to-day.
You cannot jam leadership down people's throat right away, even if they're clamoring for it. Leadership and respect are earned, in most every case.
2. Make your first hire or personnel move very carefully and wisely
The perception of the CMO's ability to build and run a team starts with the first hire or first major personnel move that he or she makes. Hire someone better than you at that particular function.
Presumably, by this point in a CMO's career, s/he should have an innate ability to evaluate talent, foster that talent, or realign an organization where need be. This part of a CMO's qualifications is presumed, and early personnel actions will either support or negate those assumptions.
A related note is to be mindful of how you interact with each employee in the company, because even if on Day 1 you have a small team, you might rely on key individuals in other areas of the company later to support needed initiatives.
3. Get some small wins early
It stands to reason that a CMO cannot build his leadership foundation in a day. The reason that a company hires a CMO is most likely because there is at least some void that needs to be filled and there is value in filling such a strategic role.
Everyone wants to get off on the right foot in any job, but the amount of scrutiny people place on a CMO requires some quick, early wins. Don't wait two months to do something positive that adds value. Establish yourself early and think "small" very early on.
You will build a foundation of small wins that will then turn into larger ones shortly thereafter, all the while building credibility and instilling confidence from those around you.
4. Establish a close bond with other chief executives at the company
The entire executive suite's success is vitally dependent on whether a company is properly aligned and its senior executives all report to the CEO or president. In my case, I'm blessed with an incredibly supportive, candid, intelligent set of senior executives who are my colleagues.
Most of the time, a CMO cannot succeed without other senior executive buy-in and support. Sometimes, that buy-in is already built into the fabric of the company. Other times, it is earned over time.
If you have to earn it over time, work hard to establish the right rapport with this set of individuals. It's not all about becoming drinking buddies; it's much more about creating an environment of open and honest feedback and a forum to collaborate on overall strategy that supports the CEO's (or Board's) vision—but doesn't rely on it.
5. After a few months, immerse yourself in a few important strategic initiatives for the company
You can't think small for very long. Most CMOs enter their positions with a clear agenda to move the company in a strategic direction, to build or enable teams, to launch a product, to rebrand an organization—or all of the above. After gaining momentum, jump into big things right away and sink your teeth into important issues.
6. Always judge and evaluate your own performance
As a C-level executive, you should not need a CEO or anyone else to provide you feedback on how you're doing. You should know.
If you're focusing on the wrong things, or you're not able to execute or rally a team in a certain direction, something is wrong—and you should feel it or overtly know it. The flip side is that you should also know whether things are working and expand on them.
A good practice is to spend 30 minutes each week simply evaluating your own goal sheets and progress and think specifically about any internal resources that you're not getting and to delve into any problems.
Part of a CMO's job, in addition to the myriad actual functions or P/L responsibility, is to solve problems and to employees solve problems, even if they are only an indirect extension of your efforts. Often, your best performance will come by simply becoming a better "enabler" of the talent around you.
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While these tips are not by any means all-encompassing, they can provide a new CMO with some early success, strong momentum, and a proper leadership platform to be able to help move a company down the right strategic path.
