Want The Top Marketing Job? Call The CEO
If you’re not ready to call the CEO to talk about the CMO job, peer to peer, then you’re probably not ready to have the job.
Question: I’m ready to move into a CMO role in a bigger company. I submitted my resume via the HR department’s website. Naturally, I’ve received no response. The only name of anyone at the company who I know is the CEO. Would I be stepping on anyone’s toes to send a letter directly to the CEO? I would phrase things along the lines of how “in a dynamic organization, sometimes things slip by,” and then enumerate my qualifications and enclose a resume. Any thoughts?
Nick Corcodilos: You’re thinking too much like a marketer! Think like a top sales rep. You don’t “sell” to the purchasing department. You go to the person who owns the budget—the decision maker.
Skip the letter and the resume. I’d call the CEO and explain that since you know the company’s business pretty well, you felt the best person to go to was the one at the top.
What should you say to the CEO? What should you talk about? Like a seasoned sales rep, you should talk about what matters to your prospect: profit. (See “Forget About The Job Interview: Bring A Business Plan.”)
How To Say It **
- “Thanks for taking my call. I’d like to help you with the CMO position you have open, and I’d like to discuss how I could help enhance your company’s bottom line. I’ve outlined a brief plan. I don’t want to apply for the job unless I’ve got the facts straight and unless I know I could make a significant difference to your business. Is there a convenient time when we could talk for a few minutes—before even considering an interview? I’d like to check my assumptions about how I could contribute to your profit. If we’re both on the same page, I’ll apply for the position.”*
The two key phrases are these:
- “… how I could help enhance your company’s bottom line” and
- “… how I could contribute to your profit.”
HR wants you to be a job applicant, but the CEO wants you to be a sophisticated C-suite peer. Calling the CEO reveals your confidence and your focus on that bottom line. Few job applicants consider how their work pays off to an employer. That’s why I think it’s so important to stand out when pursuing a C-suite job.
This kind of call is respectful, to the point, and it’s about something that’s of paramount interest at the CEO’s level: how to boost the company’s profitability through the CMO role.
What if everyone who wanted a CMO job started calling CEOs? Don’t worry. They won’t. Most people are afraid to call a CEO because they lack the confidence and are not willing to invest in preparing a plan that shows they’re worth talking to.
If you’re not ready to call the CEO to talk about the CMO job, peer to peer, then you’re probably not ready to have the job.
So don’t submit your resume. Do your homework. Outline a plan about how you’ll tackle the company’s marketing problems and challenges—and get ready to talk to the CEO instead.