There are many articles out there that will tell you how to vet a fractional marketing director – they’ll tell you to look for things like:
- years of experience
- industry background
- references
And these are important to know – of course a senior marketer needs to have some years under their belt to show they’ve got the experience and the time in the field to do a great job for your business.
You need to know if they’ve worked in your industry before, are they familiar with the nuances in your industry? (On a side note, I personally don’t see not having much experience in your specific field as a deal breaker if they can bring cross-industry expertise to your business – one for me to go into another time).
They need to have references, which ideally you’ll check, because you want to know working with them is a good experience, as well as them doing a great job.
Most vetting will stop there.
But is that enough? Does that prove to you they’ll make a genuine impact on your business? Read on to find out what you should be digging for:
Are they a leader, or an executor?
You need to reframe whether the person is qualified on paper, and instead ask if they will operate as a confident decision-maker in your business. Or will they just do what you’ve asked them to do? At fractional marketing director level, you should expect the former. Doing what they’re asked to do isn’t leadership, and you don’t want to pay for leadership and get a sub par service.
But you’re hiring a fractional marketing director because you don’t have the in-house expertise to know what your marketing function actually needs. If they’re waiting for you to tell them what to do, you’re the one doing the directing, and you’re paying director-level rates for execution. A leader will tell you things you didn’t ask to hear – what’s not working, what needs to change, where the budget’s misallocated – not just complete the task list you hand them.
So ask for specifics on leadership, management and decision making thinking. A good question to put to them directly: “Tell me about a time you made a call without waiting for the client’s sign-off – what was it, and why didn’t you wait?” How they answer that tells you more than any CV line.
What does a fractional marketing director do?
This is a crucial one – because a fractional marketing director’s scope can vary depending on the engagement. So it’s key to discuss this, and ensure the fit is right for your business. Ask questions like: how much of the marketing function do you run? What are you responsible for? Do you take ownership? How have you approached this in the past?
A good fractional marketing director will own the entire marketing function on a part time basis, so if that’s what you’re looking for, be sure you’ve found one who does that. Leave nothing to ambiguity. Get this in writing before you start, too – “I’ll own the marketing function” means something different to every consultant, and you don’t want to find out three months in that “owning it” meant reporting on it rather than running it.
What will they do in the first 30 days?
Learn how they integrate, what are their first steps when the engagement starts? You’re looking for a fractional marketing director who takes time to understand your business, how the marketing function currently works operationally, how the current marketing mix is performing, what the current marketing strategy looks like, who your audience is, etc. They’ll often implement quick wins and be beginning to make a wider plan. Crucially, they do not jump in and start trying to “fix” everything straight away.
If a marketing strategy that includes positioning, an understanding of the competitive landscape, deep audience research, media mix, etc, doesn’t exist – let me give you a hint – a good fractional marketing director will want to start the process of getting that nailed, as it’ll underpin your entire marketing approach.
Red flags to look out for
- A “cheap” fractional marketing director. The “cheaper” options typically either: don’t have the experience or take less strategic ownership in their work. If that’s not what you’re looking for, don’t take the chance. Look for someone charging market rate for the level of ownership you’re asking for. “Cheap” usually buys is someone who can execute a brief, not someone who’ll tell you the brief is wrong. You’re not just paying for the hours, you’re paying for the judgement that says “don’t do that campaign, do this one instead”.
- Someone who hangs their hat on years of experience with a big-name client. Adds loads of credibility, right? But don’t be impressed too soon – working with big names doesn’t guarantee outcomes. Ask them to show what they did for the big name and how their work impacted the business. Big brands often succeed despite average marketing, not because of it – they’ve got the budget, the brand recognition and the market position to absorb a mediocre campaign and still come out fine. A small or mid-sized business doesn’t have that cushion, so ask specifically what they were responsible for, not just whose logo was on the account.
- A fractional marketing manager who wants to dive into the details and make changes and updates on day 1. They haven’t taken the time to understand your business or your audience, nor how anything is performing in the market. How can they possibly know that making that update is the right call? There are quick fixes, but they don’t happen on day 1.
Ultimately, hiring a fractional marketing director is an important decision, and I want to equip you with the questions to ask to make sure you’re finding the right fit.
If you like this unfiltered take on finding a fractional marketing director, be sure to sign up to Under The Hat, where I send one email per month on this exact kind of topic, to ensure you’re well informed.
