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Kevin C. Whelan

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July 22, 2022

Why I don’t position myself as a fractional CMO

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.

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