It’s no secret that the CMO tenure continues to shorten. A tough SaaS economy and higher demands for the role have led to an explosion of fractional CMOs hitting the market, with many senior SaaS marketers jumping off the full-time ship in favor of focused work across more than one brand.
In this episode, Andy Culligan, factional CMO, breaks down the benefits and barriers to fractional work — both for marketers and the companies hiring them — and the type of SaaS companies that are best positioned to hire fractional roles.
What the heck is a fractional CMO?
If you’re reading this, you’re likely a B2B SaaS marketer. So, you’ve probably heard the term “fractional CMO” explode recently. But what is a fractional CMO, and why are they so hot right now?
Unlike the usual CMO, fractional CMOs work as part-time or contract marketing leaders. However, they provide the same high-level strategic direction and oversight as full-time CMOs.
Andy mentioned that many seasoned marketers prefer to work as fractional CMOs. The role provides better flexibility and protects marketers from unrealistic expectations and disillusioned executives. That’s especially important as CMO tenures creep shorter and shorter.
“There’s so many variables in this entire thing,” said Andy. “But on the CMO side, it’s like, why would I go work for one company when I know, after 18 months, I’ll probably be let go because there might be a disagreement with the founder or they don’t like the direction or I’m not meeting some crazy target that’s been set?”
When a fractional CMO ✨ just makes sense ✨
Luckily, according to Andy, fractional CMOs are industry-agnostic. However, they aren’t a good fit for every company. Things to consider include budget, resources and short-term company vision.
For example, Andy mentioned that his sweet spot is usually organizations with an ARR between $10 and $30 million. These enterprises likely have enough resources for a small marketing team: “If you don’t have a marketing team in place at all, it’s because you’re too early stage, most likely… As I mentioned before, you need people there who are going to be able to do most of the heavy lifting,” said Andy.
Additionally, it helps if the founder is still the CEO — but that’s not a dealbreaker.
“Consultant” is out, Slack access is in
Andy has a pro tip if you’re hiring a fractional CMO: Don’t treat them like an outsider. Give them the keys to the kingdom — or, at least, your Slack channels — and allow them to become part of your internal team. Otherwise, you’re paying for a high-level hire and refusing to give them the tools they need to succeed.
And, if you’re hired as a fractional CMO, ensure you advocate for complete visibility into the organization’s culture and communications.
“‘Consultant’ is not how you should be seeing yourself. You should be seeing yourself as a leader, right? And go in with that sort of attitude,” said Andy. “You need to be introduced to people… [and] act as a normal employee. That’s how I’ve managed to keep the business that I’ve been working with for three years: because they see me as an employee.”
Listen to episode 375 of SaaS Half Full for more of Andy’s insights.