Why I don't position myself as a fractional CMO
Using the fractional CMO language in a sales conversation is fine. Leading with it as your positioning invites clients to treat you like staff.
Kevin C. Whelan
I don’t position myself as a fractional CMO.
I might have a fractional CMO service. Or in a sales conversation, I may say that I’m like having a part-time CMO on your team. But I don’t call myself a fractional CMO as my top-level positioning.
I’m a consultant. I’m an advisor. I help companies with their marketing strategy.
But I’m not a part-time employee. I don’t want to be seen as one. Nor do I want their actual marketing team to be threatened by what may seem like a new boss breathing down their neck.
In this episode, I go into:
- Why I believe it’s best to position yourself as a consultant—not an employee-like person
- When to use terms like “fractional CMO” in your sales conversations and marketing copy
- How to avoid threatening the in-house marketing managers when you’re hired to help their organization.
The topic is nuanced, but I think it’s important if you are selling strategic advisory services.
Note: Originally published this idea as a written article, forgot where I put it, then recorded it again. You can find a very similar original article here or read some of the benefits of fractional CMO positioning to see if it’s right for you.