Are You Speaking the Same Language? Align Perception and Perspective To Build a Stronger Relationship with Your CEO and CFO – Part 2

In our previous article , we explored how to bridge the gap between marketing and the C-suite by understanding their perspective and aligning marketing's goals with business priorities. Now, let's dive into how you can effectively communicate marketing's value and foster a collaborative relationship with your CEO and CFO.

Speaking the Language of Business

Let's face it: reporting can be troublesome for many B2B marketers. If you want to be seen as nothing more than a lead generation machine for Sales, go ahead and only report on revenue pipeline. But we're aiming higher, aren't we?

To truly align with the C-suite and showcase marketing's value, we need to speak the language of business. This means moving beyond marketing jargon and vanity metrics. While measures like clicks, impressions, or social media followers might make us feel good, they often fall flat with C-suite executives focused on bottom-line results.

Instead, let's focus on metrics that directly tie to business outcomes:

• Contribution to revenue growth
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
• Customer lifetime value (CLV)
• Brand equity measures
• Market share growth

But don't just throw these numbers out there in isolation. The real power comes from connecting marketing initiatives directly to key business objectives. Is your company gunning for new markets? Show how your brand-building efforts are boosting awareness and consideration in those specific areas. Focused on customer retention? Demonstrate how your engagement initiatives are driving product adoption and reducing churn.

Now, let's talk about reporting on revenue pipeline. It's time to break free from the one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, split your reporting into the three key audiences we mentioned in our previous article: future buyers (the 95%), active buyers (the 5%), and your current customers.

For each of these groups, report on budget allocation, your initiatives and campaigns, and the appropriate KPIs. Make sure you check out the posts by experts like Dale W. Harrison and Mark Stouse on what metrics to use to measure the impact of marketing, especially considering time lag effects.

Remember, by consistently tying marketing efforts to key business outcomes, we're not just justifying our existence — we're positioning ourselves as strategic drivers of business growth.

Mirroring Approach: Relatable Examples for the C-Suite

Do you want to help your CEO understand the value of marketing? Try this: ask them how they personally make buying decisions. Do they rely on brand reputation? Recommendations from peers? A compelling message that resonates with their needs? Their answers will likely mirror the very marketing strategies you're advocating for.

This mirroring approach can be a powerful way to illustrate that just focusing on lead generation isn't enough. It helps CEOs recognize that branding, messaging, and word-of-mouth are crucial elements of the buying process — even for them.

The approach can also help when you are dealing with a CEO eager to frequently change marketing strategies. Here you can draw a parallel to product development. As James Lamberti pointed out in a recent interview with Erica Seidel , marketing is more like product development than sales: it operates over multiple quarters, and its effects compound over time.

Explain that constantly resetting marketing strategies can be as detrimental as frequently changing product roadmaps. Just as CEOs wouldn't reset product development every quarter, they need to understand that marketing requires consistent execution and time to yield results. This perspective can help secure the long-term commitment necessary for marketing to reach its full potential.

Now that we've explored ways to make marketing more relatable to your C-suite, let's dive into how you can build lasting trust and collaboration — because great communication is just the beginning of a strong partnership.

Collaboration and Trust

Building strong relationships with the C-suite isn't just about metrics and alignment — it's about fostering genuine collaboration and trust. This process involves creating transparency, building bridges between departments, and demonstrating a commitment to overall business success beyond just marketing objectives.

Want to build trust with the C-suite? Start with transparency. Lay your marketing strategies bare — share your thinking, what you're aiming for, and yes, even the risks. No smoke and mirrors here. Don't shy away from discussing failures or underperforming initiatives. Instead, use these as opportunities to demonstrate your analytical approach, your ability to learn and adapt, and your commitment to continuous improvement.

Consider creating a regular cadence of updates for the C-suite that goes beyond simple reporting of metrics. Use these opportunities to provide context, share insights about market trends, and discuss how marketing efforts are adapting to changing business needs. By proactively keeping the C-suite informed, you position yourself as a valuable source of market intelligence and strategic insight.

To further bridge the gap between marketing and the C-suite, consider creating a marketing-finance liaison role. This position can help translate marketing goals and metrics into financial language, ensuring that both teams are aligned in their understanding of marketing's impact on the business.

Cross-functional collaboration is another key aspect of building strong relationships with the C-suite. Encourage collaboration between marketing, sales, finance, and other key departments. When these teams work together effectively, they create a synergistic effect that drives better performance across the board.

Demonstrate your commitment to overall business success by actively seeking out opportunities to support other departments and contribute to broader business initiatives. This might involve offering marketing insights to inform product development, supporting HR initiatives to build the company's employer brand, or collaborating with the customer service team to improve the overall customer experience.

It's also important to invest time in building personal relationships with members of the C-suite. Look for opportunities to engage with them outside of formal meetings. This might involve seeking their input on strategic marketing decisions, asking for their perspectives on market trends, or simply taking the time to understand their individual priorities and concerns.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

As you work to elevate marketing's role in the C-suite, be aware of these common challenges:

1. Failing to quantify marketing's impact: Always strive to show the tangible business results of your marketing efforts.
2. Neglecting to align marketing KPIs with overall business objectives: Ensure your metrics directly support the company's strategic goals.
3. Solely report on your contribution to revenue pipeline: Marketing’s role goes beyond just being the lead generating extension to your sales organization.
4. Overcomplicating your message: Keep your communication clear and concise. The C-suite appreciates straightforward, impactful insights.
5. Forgetting to celebrate wins: Don't just focus on areas for improvement. Highlight successes to build confidence in marketing's value.
6. Avoiding difficult conversations: Be prepared to have tough discussions about underperforming initiatives. Your honesty will build trust.
7. Failing to stay ahead of industry trends: Continually educate yourself and the C-suite on evolving marketing practices and technologies.
8. Not advocating for necessary resources: Make strong, data-backed cases for the investments needed to drive marketing success.
9. Allowing frequent strategy resets: Resist the urge to completely overhaul your marketing strategy every quarter. Like product development, marketing needs time to show results.

Conclusion

Elevating marketing's role in the C-suite is about more than just "speaking their language" or presenting the right metrics. It's about fundamentally aligning perspectives and reshaping perceptions of marketing's role in the organization. By speaking the language of business and fostering collaboration and trust, you can transform marketing from a misunderstood cost center to a vital driver of business growth.

Remember, this journey of alignment and transformation isn't a one-time effort, but an ongoing process. It requires persistence, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. As the business landscape evolves, so too must the relationship between marketing and the C-suite.

Next Steps

1. Create a dashboard that translates marketing metrics into business outcomes the C-suite cares about.
2. Set up regular cross-functional meetings to foster collaboration between marketing and other departments.
3. Develop a "marketing education" program for the C-suite, focusing on how marketing drives business growth.
4. Establish a process for quickly adapting marketing strategies to changing business priorities.

By implementing these strategies, you'll be well-positioned to build stronger, more productive relationships with your C-suite executives. Embrace this as an opportunity for continuous growth and impact, both for yourself and for your organization.

Missed the first part of this series? Hop over to our previous article to get the lowdown on understanding C-suite perspectives and reshaping how they see marketing. And if you're ready to shake things up in your organization, why not connect and reach out ? Visit restlessmarketing.io or give me a shout. Let's brainstorm how to make your marketing efforts the talk of the boardroom!