Fractional CMO Show

Many companies are implementing operating systems but what does that mean for you as a Fractional CMO? In this episode, Casey talks about which business operating systems are best for Fractional CMOs to work with. You'll hear about many different kinds of operating systems that businesses use, what they do for businesses that use them, and why those businesses make such great clients for Fractional CMOs. Takeaways: Businesses either run on an operating system or they don't. The leading operating systems for businesses are the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) based on the book Traction. Operating systems provide structure for businesses to function. Other common business operating systems include Ryan Deiss's ScalableOS, Scaling Up, and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). Operating systems outline the cadence for meetings, topics of discussion, the attendees for certain meetings, how reporting is done, how data is shown, and their strategic planning. When starting EOS, it's great to hire a certified EOS Implementor so that everyone can be on the same page every single quarter. They have a great quarterly process that brings together all of the leaders in the business. ScalableOS is very marketing-centric and works better in cases where the company is focused on e-commerce. However, Scaling up and OKRs are largely applicable to most businesses. Companies using an operating system are great targets for Fractional CMOs if they fit the rest of your criteria. This is a sign the company has focus which results in predictable success. When you step into a business that's using an operating system, you'll be able to get so much more done because everyone is already focused on the outcome. Quote of the Show: "These different operating systems that a company can run, first of all, are a great sign for you as a Fractional CMO" - Casey Stanton Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/call/ The Fractional CMO Method: https://cmox.co/book/ Shoutouts: Traction by Gino Wickman Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/JSKzffYMaSs

Your job as a Fractional CMO is to stay focused on the big picture strategy and not get dragged into the tactics, but where is that line between them? That's what Casey Stanton is discussing in this episode! Casey dissects the intricacies of what makes up strategies and tactics, and how you should approach conversations around both. You'll hear about how to delegate everything but leadership, what companies really want from a Fractional CMO, and how to strengthen the tactical abilities of your team. Takeaways: Marketers love to dive into all the fun ways to use tactics, but they miss sight of the strategy-level decisions. To recenter the conversation on the strategy level, ask, "what you are solving for?" This is where you need to dwell as the Fractional CMO. You need to be able to scale back from the tactics conversation and look at the bigger picture. The strategy provides guardrails for the tactics used later on. The strategy is based on asking a question and the quality of that question determines the quality of the result. Starting with the strategy allows you to solve bigger problems! You can and should delegate everything except leadership. Instead of hiring your tactical work out to an agency with exorbitant pricing, you can hire an expert to come in and train your team in the company in that tactic. This gives you a strong tactical knowledge base in your company overnight that you completely control! As the Fractional CMO, you don't need to know every tactic out there. What you need to know are strategy and leadership; those are what companies are looking for. Quote of the Show: "To get back to the strategy level in conversations, I like to ask the question of what are you solving for?" - Casey Stanton Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/call/ The Fractional CMO Method: https://cmox.co/book/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/723gLjaede8

Marketing Strategy Consultants and Fractional CMOs work in very different ways and provide their clients with very different results. Casey Stanton takes a closer look at the differences between them and which is the better option for both the business and the marketing professional. You'll hear about why consultants are always selling, what happens when the consultant's playbook doesn't fit, and who actually creates meaningful change in the business. Takeaways: Many times consultants come in, do their thing, and leave. This leaves employees with more work to do and only a vague sense of the plan. Consultants that come in, prescribe a solution, and leave with the money aren't doing that change work that's needed. While consultants that come in for a specific problem can be helpful, consultants brought in for global-level marketing strategy are usually a desperate move by executives. Marketing strategies that aren't implemented are a waste of everyone's time. When consultants come in with their playbook and it doesn't fit with the company, the consultant can leave with their paycheck without making any real impact. Because consultants have to give their best ideas in the 90-day period they have with the client, the client never renews with them. This forces consultants to constantly prospect, sell, and service a revolving door of clients. A Marketing Strategy Consultant comes up with a strategy and hopes it gets deployed. A Fractional CMO comes up with a strategy and gets it deployed by hiring, firing, training, and evaluating vendors, employees, contractors, and agencies. A Fractional CMO is part of the organization. They build the team that can execute the strategy. They understand the entire business and the employees within. While consultants may be able to charge marginally more than a Fractional CMO, they end up spending a lot more of their time and money on getting sales. Being a Fractional CMO is much more profitable because their contracts are long-term. Quote of the Show: "To see results, you want to bend a client to their own will" - Casey Stanton Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/call/ The Fractional CMO Method: https://cmox.co/book/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/zIX1R7tgFAc

As a marketer, there are things you can do right now to position yourself for success regardless of whatever economic conditions may come. Host Casey Stanton looks at the fallout of recent economic downturns and how marketers from every industry have been impacted. By the end of this episode, you will know the right way to invest in yourself, the importance of multiple streams of income, and what it takes to become irreplaceable as a marketer. Takeaways: Consider what happened in the last recession as you think about the future of your career. In 2008, the recession drove overqualified people to fight for mediocre jobs because they could not find anything in their field. The traditional way of investing in yourself during an economic downturn doesn't actually help you because there are so many others following the exact same path. The playing field stays the same, but your debt rises astronomically. Despite the backward logic, when a recession hits, companies almost immediately stop spending money on marketing and scale back their marketing teams. When you start to see the signs, you need to put yourself in the best position to succeed. You can continue to do what you are good at doing, but adapt slightly to allow for multiple streams of income. By staying focused on improving as a marketer, you can ascend to the irreplaceable level within marketing, which primarily revolves around strategy. The role of the strategic leader cannot be commoditized, unlike so much of everything else in marketing. Whether a recession is looming or not, you need to have a plan in place so that if the sky begins to fall, you won't be following in everyone else's footsteps on the trail to reinvent yourself. Quote of the Show: "The one role that is not going to be commoditized is the role of the CMO, the strategic leader is the person who can assess where the business is, understand where the CEO wants to take the business, and then make that come true with marketing" - Casey Stanton Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/call/ The Fractional CMO Method: https://cmox.co/book/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/0Uzl_QRKPy0

To predict the success of a marketing strategy, you need to build a tool that can estimate what that success will look like for your client. Casey Stanton breaks down what goes into creating an effective and accurate tool along with a great use case. Find out how to measure and understand the outcomes of your efforts! Takeaways: You need to build an estimation tool for your clients and team to use to measure the success of a marketing strategy. Having this calculator informs you of the strategy's likelihood of being successful. If you are currently using webinars in your strategy, you need to use a 1-click opt-in with your invitations as this will boost registrations and save you from losing 70%-90% of the clicks. If you do this, your CTR and RSVP rate should be equal. When building out your calculator, the first question is, what is your registration timeline? The baseline metrics that you need to know to build your tool are your open rate, CTR, RSVP rate, and show rate. In order to start predicting the success of a marketing event, it's crucial to know what the RSVP and Show-up rates for your events are from every channel. Quote of the Show: "Start predicting major outcomes and then understand what has to be true along the way" - Casey Stanton Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/call/ The Fractional CMO Method: https://cmox.co/book/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/ssNW1BMjTcM

Although it's critical to their success, prospecting can seem like a never-ending chore for Fractional CMOs, but it doesn't have to be! Casey Stanton discusses how Fractional CMOs should approach prospecting to find new business opportunities, how to make sure prospecting remains a priority, and what you can do to honor your time commitments. Takeaways: To avoid prospecting feeling like a chore that you know you have to do, block out time on your calendar. Create times that are specifically just for prospecting. Beyond simply scheduling the time to prospect in your calendar, you need to approach it strategically and, more importantly, you need to actually do the work during that timeframe. You need to honor your own time with the same reverence you have for other people's time. When you start engaging with a project and someone else has their own problem, it can be hard to avoid dropping everything to plunge into helping them. Right now, create a recurring time in your calendar for two hours, twice a week to prioritize prospecting. Your calendar reflects your priorities in life and if you are not scheduling in time expressly so you can prospect, prospecting is not a priority to you. Be mindful of your "self-commitment muscle" and remind yourself to show up and honor the times on your calendar. Quote of the Show: "If you're not blocking your calendar, it's not a priority to you" - Casey Stanton Shout Outs: Jesse Stoddard - Fractional CMO in the CMOx Accelerator Wyatt Woodsmall - Author and Executive Coach Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/call/ The Fractional CMO Method: https://cmox.co/book Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/0gCEX86LxPs

It's not always clear whose responsibility it is to track deals, forecast for the future, and take action to grow the company. Casey Stanton explains my marketing finds itself in the position to do so and why it's so critical that they do! You'll learn what you need to track, how to keep track of the right data, and where you can go for the resources you need. Takeaways: Sales teams need to have a forward pipeline in order to have proper sales forecasting. It is also critical for B2B marketers to understand. To build a forward pipeline, start by thinking about how long a sales gestation is for a client. Look forward to if there are enough new sales in the pipeline to replenish the company or if it is drying up. Marketing is in the unique position to be able to look at the forward pipeline and start taking action to fill it with new leads. You need to create a dashboard to view and track the forward pipeline. While parts of this process may seem like the job of sales, if they aren't taking care of it, it will reflect poorly on you. Quote of the Show: "You also need to make sure that you're not blind to, what's going to happen 2, 3, 6 months down the road" - Casey Stanton Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/call/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/zLLjHezSCBs

What should you do if you are the Fractional CMO of a company that has a weak CEO who lacks vision? This can be a frustrating position to find yourself in, but Casey Stanton has some advice to help lessen the stress. You'll learn when the right time to speak up is, how to mince your words properly, and how to introduce new systems. Takeaways: Even when you are very selective with the clients you serve, sometimes the CEO's behavior is hidden until you have started working with them for a few weeks or months. Short of coaching the CEO yourself, encourage them to adopt a system such as EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) and hire a certified EOS implementor. This forces the CEO to have a measurable vision. When the leader approaches you with a new project, explain to them the opportunity cost that moving the team to this plan from their current project. They can decide if it's worth it to them to abandon the project to adopt a new idea. If you think what the CEO is suggesting is wrong, you need to speak up. You are there to help grow the company, not to be an order taker. You are being compensated to have a voice. Quote of the Show: "It really isn't your responsibility to coach the CEO" - Casey Stanton Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/call/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/FB5RfHmmzyM

It's really not that hard to become a millionaire, but if that's your only goal, you're going to have to give up a lot to get there. Casey Stanton is sharing a better way that will allow you to cultivate every part of your life while also creating value and being paid for it. Discover how you can create value as a Fractional CMO, how diving into a niche can increase your effectiveness, and why creating a great team will help you reach your goals with a smile on your face. Takeaways: Consider how you can create value in the world. Become a builder who builds value. You can create value as a Fractional CMO and you can also create value as a business owner, but the business owner has to risk a lot more. To get paid for your value creation, you can get rid of any middlemen that stand between you and the client or problem. By removing that party, you receive the whole value that you create. You need to get deep into a niche to get paid for your value creation. Your ability to create outsized benefits in a niche increases the longer you spend in that niche. Your success in that niche will also aid in making a name for yourself. Take pride in all of your work, regardless of what it is for. Remember that what you do in anything, you do in everything. You can put systems in place that will help you grow in all aspects of your life. You need to set boundaries for areas of your life. As a Fractional CMO, you need to set boundaries with your clients, such as when they can contact you and expect a response. Setting boundaries allows you to have time for your family, hobbies, etc. as well as work. Figure out what gives you energy as a Fractional CMO and then commit yourself to be there as much as possible for the rest of your life. Let yourself do what you know you can be phenomenally effective at and let others do what you dislike or aren't good at. When you create a team that you enjoy working with, that has your back, and that can accomplish amazing things, the byproducts for you will be financial success and happiness. Quote of the Show: "When you have systems and processes and you're not overloaded, you can be more predictable, drive more value, build a name for yourself, create more value, capture more value, become financially successful" - Casey Stanton Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/call/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/jFvldq6HH1M

Casey Stanton is giving CMOs everywhere a quick tip to improve collaboration amongst their team, share client data safely, and save you time and money. Takeaways: Using a "grow@" or "account@" email allows your entire team to log in to a client's tool while only paying for one account. Your client only has to share access to one account, however, you can still assign the right work to the right team member. For the shared account, you should use some type of secure password-sharing software. The password should also be alphanumeric and you should consider changing it every 60 days. Quote of the Show: " Easy thing to do, pretty inexpensive, and just saves a ton of time" - Casey Stanton Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ Website: https://cmox.co/invite Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/pyr04M9q-sA