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Turning Customer Insight into Customer Value
This blog is part of Chief Outsiders’ New Growth Imperative series, designed to help CEOs and leadership teams engage executive decision-makers at targeted strategic accounts by turning deep insights into compelling customer value.
Growth Hacking vs. Growth Gears: Avoiding the Vanity Metrics Mirage
Thu, Apr 29, 2021 — Congratulations! You’ve hired a so-called “marketing expert,” trusted them with your digital properties, and learned today that you gained 1 million hits to your website last month. But, upon reflection, your cash drawer is not overflowing, and you’re certainly not feeling flush with success. It’s a sad reality – though many marketing agencies are well-meaning, there are some that can coax you into the fast-money trap. They promise shortcuts, big hits, and a load of sexy-sounding data that may look good on the surface – something I call vanity metrics, but not real business results.
The Entrepreneur’s Growth Playbook
Thu, Apr 22, 2021 — Blog 1: Are You a Pioneer or a Settler? Six Steps to a Better Business Model Written by: Paul Sparrow, Area Managing Partner & CMO, Chief Outsiders with Samuel Kniseley Ballesteros of The Advantage Solution and a Professional EOS Implementer Take a trip with us, if you will, back to Northern California in 1849. Word has spread across the land – there’s gold in them there hills, and we need to go find it. On just this pronouncement, and with not much more than hope and a promise, pioneers set forth to go find the gold – and with it, riches beyond their wildest imagination. You know the rest of the story – some of these folks went boom, most went bust, and the California Gold Rush became a literal flash in the pan.
Why HealthTech Startups Should Consider a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer
Thu, Apr 8, 2021 — Business opportunities in healthcare technology have never been more abundant. At the same time, the challenges of capturing market share in the complex healthcare marketplace are as daunting as ever. For young companies and startups looking to gain traction and generate revenue, a sound go-to-market strategy and demand generation plan are essential. For many resource-constrained companies, a fractional Chief Marketing Officer has proven to be the fastest, most cost-effective way to achieve their growth objectives.
Are Fractional CMOs Only Good for Strategy?
Wed, Apr 7, 2021 — The short answer is no. Fractional CMOs, especially the CMOs at Chief Outsiders, are battle-tested veterans who not only were the heads of marketing for 2+ firms, but we all moved up through the ranks earlier in our careers, mainly doing execution. We do strategy and execution when the client needs it. In general, we get things done!
The SaaS Marketing Playbook, Part 2 | Demand Generation Like a Boss
Thu, Apr 1, 2021 — Have you ever tried fishing without a hook? Needless to say, this very peaceful outing will quickly turn frustrating without a way to bait your line to reel them in. Some would argue that if you were just going to watch the fish swim by, you might have had a better time at an aquarium! Consider this parable within your company – you may have a fantastic brand, and a good sense of what you think makes you unique, but without a way to grab the attention of the consumers swimming by, you might in fact go hungry.
When Hiring a CMO, Ask These Three Crucial Questions
Thu, Mar 25, 2021 — A senior marketing executive can revolutionize a company’s growth, but choosing the right candidate requires asking three key questions to understand first what the company needs, and then if the candidate can deliver it. There are times when a Chief Marketing Officer might not feel like a necessity, especially for a middle market company that has managed to grow well without one. But what worked for years can falter: growth stalls, a competitor begins to dominate the market, or new investors arrive with a more ambitious vision for the enterprise. And that can prompt the hunt for a new marketing leader. Like any talent search, the process can seem obvious in theory, but much more daunting in practice. People might have the right names on their resume and glowing references, only to still prove a bust when faced with the unique circumstances of a given business.
The SaaS Marketing Playbook Part 1 | Positioning: Finding Your Purple Cow in the Herd
Mon, Feb 22, 2021 — Most marketers may not think they have anything in common with cattle ranchers, but it requires a trip to the Old West to fully understand the history of branding – a term which has significance for both. The National Cowboy Museum explains that branding, in the old days, “provided a way for ranchers to stake their claim on cattle and other livestock, while deterring theft from rustlers.”
Consumers Want Control of their Healthcare Creating Exceptional Growth for In-Home Diagnostics
Wed, Feb 17, 2021 — The in-home testing market that largely began with pregnancy tests back in the 70’s has been exploding for several years. New tests for health conditions we would have never imagined now serve as tools to empower consumers. Thus, companies that position products to leverage the in-home diagnostics boom drive revenue growth while improving consumer health.
Innovation, Part 2: Finding the Discipline Needed to Reinvent and Reinvest
Thu, Jan 28, 2021 — What does it take to be a change agent in a world that doesn’t stop changing? My last blog on change and innovation referenced Billy Joel, and you may recall his song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” essentially a history lesson of the 1940s through 1980s in three minutes. If we asked The Piano Man to write a tune forecasting the 2020s, it would likely last an hour – and still not cover everything.