Business coach, strategic advisor or fractional CMO?

When coaching fits

You may know the business well and still need space to work through your own role in it. Perhaps decisions keep coming back to you. Perhaps you are avoiding a conversation, or a new opportunity is making you rethink how you want to lead.

A coach can help you examine what is happening, consider another perspective and choose what to put into practice. You remain responsible for the decisions. The relationship gives you support, challenge and a place to return to the commitments you make.

A question to bring: What am I finding difficult to change, even though I can see that it needs to?

When strategic advisory fits

You may need an experienced person to work on a defined business question. Which audience should you focus on? Does your positioning reflect what customers value? What needs to be decided before you go to market?

An advisor can examine the evidence and develop recommendations. Agree on the question, the inputs and the output before starting. Also establish what happens after the recommendation: who decides, who acts and whether the advisor stays involved.

A question to bring: What do we need to know before committing our people and money to this direction?

When fractional CMO leadership fits

Sometimes the business needs someone inside the work, making marketing decisions and leading across a team or group of partners.

A fractional CMO takes on that leadership role within an agreed remit. At Changent, the focus is connecting marketing priorities and investment to growth and profitability. The role still needs delivery capacity, whether through your team, agencies or other specialists.

A question to bring: Who will set the priorities, resolve competing requests and review whether our investment is working?

Three questions before you choose

For a closer look, read when founder coaching can help, what a growth strategy should help you decide, or how fractional CMO and agency responsibilities differ.

Take one issue that is taking your attention this week. Write down your answers before comparing providers.

1. What needs to be different? Describe the decision, behavior or piece of work you want to move forward.
2. What do I need from another person? Space to think and follow through, an informed recommendation, or someone to lead the work?
3. What will I still own? Name the decisions, time and resources you will need to contribute.

You might need more than one kind of support over time. Start with the need in front of you and make each person’s responsibilities clear. Bring these answers to an initial conversation; they give both of you something concrete to discuss.