Most small and medium sized businesses don’t employ a full time marketing director, but are they missing out on some valuable input to their business?
A full time marketing director is likely to be an expensive addition to the team and in a typical SME business there is unlikely to be enough work to keep them gainfully employed and extract really good value from their employment.
There are, however, some unique insights and perspectives a good marketing director will bring and these can be at least as valuable to a smaller business as they are to the big name brand owners. Many of our clients are owners of successful businesses who are frustrated that the time and money they put into marketing just doesn’t get them the sales growth they need. Others have had a bad experience in the past, when marketing agencies have failed to deliver on their promises. A part time director can help a business take back control of their marketing activity. They will provide focus for developing and implementing the right strategies needed to drive sales and improve profitability.
A part time director becomes an integral part of the senior management team, which brings with it wider responsibilities and a better relationship. Built on trust. Unlike a marketing agency, they will coach, mentor and provide training for the in-house staff to develop their marketing skills to match the future needs of the company. That doesn’t mean that outside agencies won’t contribute, but a more experienced marketing director will be able to select the right agencies, provide them with a better brief and hold them to account for delivering great results. This means that the company will get better results from using the specialist skills of their selected agencies.
As part of the senior team, the role also encompasses better accountability for marketing activity, focussing on delivering real value for money and increased return on investment (ROI). A part time director will implement and monitor key performance indicators for the company and share information on a regular basis with the rest of the senior management. The discipline of regular reporting means that lessons are learned which can inform future marketing objectives, plans and budgets.
Having an external marketing expert also means that decisions concerning investment in IT systems to support the sales and marketing is made on a more informed basis, as the expert will have familiarity with different options and know the pros and cons of each. Therefore the decision about which systems to purchase and implement becomes less risky for the company, and expertise is on hand to train staff in the effective use of new IT.
Finally, having a trusted advisor in place who is experienced in making a company much more customer-focussed and orientated brings a new perspective to the boardroom. Their presence gives the management the confidence to implement changes that will be appreciated by existing and new customers, thereby differentiating the company from their competition and so deliver real value for money, year after year.
If you would like to assess for yourself whether your company could benefit from a part time marketing director, why not try our short questionnaire?
Happy marketing!
Gill