For the CEO: 9 Fatal Assumptions About Marketing Personnel

Let’s face it, wondering whether you have the right marketing personnel, or justification for marketing spend is a difficult question to answer. The ROI of marketing, from payroll for this position to marketing budget allocation, is easy to obsess over when revenue targets are at risk, or operational costs are being examined.

Some roles within the organization are easy to justify. Take for example, the sales staff. Justifying the operational cost of having sales staff on the payroll is easier math. Where marketing talent/operational costs get difficult to justify, is when these costs are not directly or overtly tied to revenue. Whether you are looking for a senior-level marketing executive, or a marketing administrator who can take direction, or questioning whether your existing talent is the right person for the job, having a clear understanding of what marketing should be doing will help.

There is common, yet fatal assumptions firm leaders make when hiring or evaluating marketing personnel. Getting clarity around their expertise, versus assuming they have the skills that accompany these baseline requirements for the marketing job, is a great place to start. This evaluation will illuminate whether you have the marketing talent your firm needs in order to get where you want to grow.

9 Fatal Assumptions about Marketing Personnel

1. They are experts in lead generation.

2. They collaborate regularly with the sales staff.

3. They know how to build, promote, and preserve your brand.

4. They know how to build a marketing plan and budget.

5. They know how to optimize your website and handle digital marketing.

6. They have a social media strategy.

7. They know your ideal target market better than anyone in your firm and know where to find leads with these ideal characteristics.

8. They follow a plan and will remain agile to pivot quickly if needed.

9. They know your firm’s revenue target and can articulate how many Marketing Qualified Leads they need to produce to ensure your firm has a shot at hitting the revenue target.