The question you might ask yourself is ‘why hire an interim marketing director?’.
What are the benefits?
To answer this question, I’d like to first talk about looking at your products and the market from a customer’s point of view or putting yourself in their shoes.
The reason I say this is because I’ve spent 30 years across many B2B sectors – engineering, manufacturing, food & beverages, oil & gas – and what I consistently find within those businesses, whether having worked with them full-time or on an interim basis, is that they are mostly internally focussed.
What do I mean by that?
Ultimately, they are driven by engineers and technical people who love their products – they are passionate about their products. That in itself is fantastic, but the downside of it is that they end up often over-designing or overengineering their products.
The Problem with Over-Designing
So, they end up with machines that have loads of features on them, but often miss the point of what is most important to the customer which might be ease-of-use, flexibility, quick changeover or similar.
What they should be doing is taking a step back and engaging with those customers, asking them ‘What is it that you really need?’
Overengineered machines can be a problem as many workers in factories, for example in the food industry, are unskilled or low-skilled and may not be fluent in the language of the country they work within. Having simple, easy-to-use machines is then a pre-requisite.
How Does an Interim Marketing Director Help?
So, how can an interim marketing director like myself solve your business’s problems? Why can I see the solution when the people who have been working with the company can’t?
Here are some of the reasons.
A Different Perspective
As I mentioned earlier, companies tend to become internally focused, and it is easy to become complacent and set in the ways they do things. However, in order to stay at the top, one must constantly evolve and adapt.
This is one of the biggest advantages of an interim marketing director. As an outsider, I can look at things differently and come up with solutions that you might not be able to see from where you stand.
Instead of looking at things from the manufacturer’s point of view, I can appreciate the consumer’s view and needs.
Wider Range of Experience
As an interim marketing director, I deal with different kinds of businesses in a range of sectors, across the globe. As a result, I am exposed to experiences that your marketing team might not have had. I can offer my experience and expertise to hone in and solve your business problems in ways that your internal team might not be able to.
No Hidden Agenda
As an outsider, an interim marketing director has no allegiance or ties with anyone in the organisation. As a result, you get strategy and solutions that are a result of an outsider’s view rather than of someone who would rather not rock the boat.
Quicker Results
An interim marketing director is hired for a finite amount of time. So, when I go in, I have to find the solutions quickly in order to deliver in that limited duration. I am also unencumbered by additional duties within the organisation, allowing me to focus on my goals.
Combine that with my extensive experience, and you get actionable insights and strategies delivered quickly, so you see quicker results.
Are You Looking to Hire an Interim Marketing Director?
When businesses become too ingrained in their ways and how they do things, as an interim marketing director, I can help them with an outside view – a different perspective. I can talk to their clients, actually understand what they need, how the product benefits them, how they plan to use it, and other such details.
Skills and experience, such as understanding your market and sectors, different customer needs, carrying out research and independently seeking the view of customers, lost customers and prospective customers can help clarify the picture and a road map for product development as well as a Go-To marketing strategy to target the solutions in the most effective manner to your audience.
The solutions I provide as an interim marketing director include:
- Marketing Strategy Development and Implementation
- Business Strategy Development and Implementation
- Digital Strategy Development and Implementation
- Marketing Planning and Implementation
- Integrated Marketing Campaign Development and Deployment
- Digital Marketing Best Practices (including SEO, PPC, Social Media, Content Management, and more)
- CRM Selection, Implementation, and Optimisation
- Marketing Automation & Optimal Lead Generation and Conversion
- Business Development & Expansion of all markets and sectors
- Change Management and Business Process Re-Engineering
- Internal & External Stakeholder Management
- Relationship Management
If you think your business is getting too ingrained in its ways, and this is affecting your growth, get in touch with me for a fresh approach to your marketing and business strategy.