As a marketing executive, it can often feel like you’re a clown in a boardroom trying to understand and communicate with the rest of your executive team members. With differing priorities and perspectives, getting everyone on the same page and ensuring that the marketing department effectively contributes to the organization’s success can take time and effort.
Here are some of the struggles that I commonly face among the executive team:
- Lack of understanding: Many executives, especially those in finance or operations, may need to fully understand the value of marketing and its impact on the bottom line. This can lead to misunderstandings and a need for more support for marketing initiatives.
- Limited resources: Marketing departments often work with limited resources, making executing big ideas and initiatives difficult. Competing with other departments and achieving marketing goals can be challenging without the necessary resources.
- Changing priorities: The executive team may have to shift priorities and initiatives that take precedence over marketing efforts. This can lead to frustration among marketing leaders and a need for more consistency in marketing campaigns.
- Measuring success: Measuring the success of marketing campaigns can be challenging, especially when it comes to proving ROI. This can lead to a need for more understanding and support from other executive team members.
So, what can you do as a marketing executive in your organization to M.O.V.E. the needle and address these struggles and work more effectively with the executive team?
- M = Measure What Matters: Marketing executives must ultimately show (not just tell) the success of marketing efforts effectively and communicate those metrics to other executive team members. This can mean providing metrics and creative perspectives on marketing outcomes beyond metrics to help demonstrate the value of marketing and secure support for future initiatives.
- O = Open to Different Perspectives: Marketing executives must build strong relationships with other executive team members. No strong relationship is one-sided. Are you open to differing opinions, or better yet, going out of your way to seek the opinions of your executive colleagues on the front end of an initiative? This can help build trust and understanding and ensure everyone works towards a common goal.
- V = Value Consensus: Marketers need to communicate effectively with other executive team members, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and understands the goals and priorities of the marketing department. Once you’ve clearly communicated your perspective, however, it’s important to support the consensus of the executive team externally. Moving ahead without a consensus is a recipe for disaster.
- E = Educate Frequently: Marketing leaders must educate other executive team members on the value of marketing and its impact on the organization. And education is not a one-time endeavor. Share your passion and expertise for what you do! This can help secure buy-in and support for marketing initiatives.
In conclusion, working effectively with other executive team members is crucial for a marketing executive’s success. By building relationships, educating others, communicating effectively, and measuring success, CMOs can help ensure that marketing initiatives go from being viewed as a sideshow to a valued tool aligned with the organization’s goals and contributing to its overall success.
