“Our new CEO doesn’t believe in marketing,” shared a shaken CMO from a $250mm professional services firm. This was not a whine. It was a request for help. Then other CMOs in the huddle jumped in, sharing how they’ve dealt with similar cases of ignorance.

How is it possible that in 2024 a CEO could be this doltish?

Three months ago when I suggested that this problem could only happen in B2B-land, a few B2C CMOs challenged me. They said, “You’d be surprised, it seems to be an epidemic.” Perhaps, but it is impossible to imagine the new CEO of P&G, PepsiCo, or Geico saying, “I don’t believe in marketing!” They’d be shown the exit faster than you can say, “Aflac.”

In B2B, the cause of CEO marketing myopia is easy to diagnose. That doesn’t make it acceptable.

More than 80% of B2B CEOs have NO EXPERIENCE as marketing practitioners. None. Zilch. Nada. If you’ve never uncovered the insight that led to the differentiating brand idea, never built an effective marketing plan, or never set up a demand-generating machine, you can neither appreciate the challenge nor the rewards of getting these things right.

Great leaders are infinitely curious. Even if they haven’t performed a role, their curiosity fills their blind spots.

Back to the situation at hand. What could our beleaguered CMO do to address their doltish CEO? Try these.

Enlist Support

Surround the CEO with marketing believers. Hopefully, your CRO recognizes how your partnership drives high-quality opportunities into and through the pipeline. If not, fix that. Jointly presenting past performance and near-term plans with your CRO shows solidarity. HR can share how the lack of awareness hurts recruiting. Seek a marketing advocate on the board or with your CFO.

Find Common Ground

Every CEO wants to acquire and retain customers. Start by reviewing the CEO's vision and understanding their priorities. If they say, “I want the business to grow xx%,” agree with the challenge but ask, “How do you see us getting there?” Find a non-confrontational way to say “Growth is not a strategy!” and talk about real GTM strategies.

Show Them the Money

Ideally, your new CEO will appreciate your data especially if you put it in terms they can understand. They want growth. You can break down path sources of growth including new customers, renewals, upsells, cross-sells, and partnerships. You can show them a typical new customer journey, the myriad of touchpoints, and how trust is built throughout the process.

Share Your Vision

Great businesses are almost always great brands. They build enormous trust over time. They remove the friction from both the buying process and the customer experience. They take care of their customers. They inspire employees. They are differentiated from top to bottom. The CEOs who build and run those companies are admired and even revered. Share that.

Final Thoughts

Finally, prepare for the worst by growing your network and building your personal brand.

Written by Drew Neisser