There are those jobs in the world that everyone understands and can tell when it is done well. However, some jobs are more specific, which means that those who are not in the know, may not entirely understand whether or not they are being performed in the right way.   

This is true for those who work as fractional CMOs. Fractional CMOs are not something that everyone will have come across in their time and entirely understand what they do. This may not be that much of an issue in day-to-day life, but, if you are thinking about boosting your brand by hiring one, then you may find that it becomes somewhat of an issue.   

Whilst you are not going to become a master in fractional CMOs overnight, I can help you work out what things you should be looking for when it comes to hiring one for your business. All with my simple Fractional CMO guide.   

What skills should I be looking for?  

One of the best things about hiring a fractional CMO is that they are going to have a wealth of skills to bring to your brand. This sounds great as it means all the experience for you to be able to utilise, but, how does it help when it comes to actually knowing what to look out for?  

Aside from some of the additional extras that some CMOs can offer, here are some of the key skills that you should be doing your best to look out for when it comes to hiring one.   

• A proactive approach is there to influence and guide towards the end goal for the business, rather than someone who is always taking a reactive approach to things that may have already happened.  
• The ability to ensure that the brand voice is always used so that a consistent message is delivered.   
• Strong enough to build and lead teams.   
• The knowledge on how to not only interpret analytical data but also apply it to improve marketing within your business.  
• Experience in the world of technology.   
• The desire to increase the revenue for your brand and to have the maximum impact for you.  

What about qualities?  

Skills are something that someone can use in business, but along with these skills, it is also important that fractional CMOs have some qualities that come naturally to them. These qualities are not necessarily something that they can learn to do, but they are something that they have.   

It may not always be possible to have all the qualities that you are looking for, particularly if you are also looking for relevant skills.   

To help you try and get exactly what you need, here are some of the key qualities that you need to look out for in your fractional CMOs.   

They fit in your overall culture.

Whilst you want to make sure that they have skills and knowledge that you can utilise for your brand, you are also going to want to have a fractional CMO who is going to fit right in with your culture. If they don’t fit well, then this can make it much harder for them to be able to understand your vision and then suggest actions that may fit in with it.   

Experience in building marketing teams.

Especially if this experience relates to marketing teams and businesses that are of a similar scale to you. If they know how to build a marketing team, then they are going to be able to bring this to your business too. They are going to be able to make sure that you have the right people who are going to help you to properly market your business and get where you want to be in the future.   

A will-do attitude.

A fractional CMO will often oversee certain aspects of your marketing process, but they should also bring a will-do attitude. This means that when the time comes, they are going to be able to roll up their sleeves and get involved.   

Coaching skills.

The main purpose of hiring a fractional CMO is to help you market your business. They should also be able to coach and guide you too. There is a good chance that they know more about marketing than you do, which means that they can help to show you the best ways to approach marketing.   

Recruitment experience.

Another possible aspect of what a fractional CMO may do for you as a brand is to ensure that you have the right internal marketing team. This means that they are going to be able to recruit people for you, as well as balance the team members that you have and the skills that they bring.   

It is not always easy to find a fractional CMO that has all of these things, but there is a good chance that you will find someone who can fit most of these things.  

Additional good to have skills for a fractional CMO  

Whilst many of the above skills and qualities are things that you really should be looking for in your fractional CMO, there are also some good to-have skills that if you come across, could be seen as a bonus and help you to make your decision on whether or not they are the right choice for you.   

These additional skills are:  

• The ability to quickly master your current marketing programme.   
• A toolset that allows them to bring value to you, quickly.   
• An approach that helps to create and maintain relationships that bring your business to where you want it to be.   
• A knowledge of how to hire new staff and onboard them as quickly and effortlessly as possible.   
• The desire to find and train someone who can replace them in the future.  

Having some of these skills means that you will have even more added value for your business in the fractional CMO that you choose. Considering the benefits that they can already bring to your brand, having some extra perks is always going to be a good thing.   

Some of my services: 

Marketing Reviews and Audits

Fractional Marketing Director and Interim Marketing

Need help?

If you would like help with your marketing then bringing on a marketing consultant with a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. I work with B2B businesses and professional service firms in London, Kent, UK and Europe as well as specialising as a Legal Marketing Consultant. Please get in touch or book a free 30-minute consultation.