Fractional CMO readiness scorecard.
Ten questions. Score yourself honestly. If you score above 25, the conversation is overdue.
Score yourself, honestly.
For each question, score 0 to 5. 0 means strongly disagree. 5 means strongly agree.
1. Growth has stalled or slowed in the past two quarters.
Score 0 to 5: ___
2. Marketing-sourced pipeline is below 30% of total pipeline.
Score 0 to 5: ___
3. The board has asked marketing questions you struggled to answer.
Score 0 to 5: ___
4. The founder or CEO still spends meaningful time on marketing operations.
Score 0 to 5: ___
5. The current marketing team is more execution than strategy.
Score 0 to 5: ___
6. A major business transition is underway (new product, new vertical, fundraise, acquisition).
Score 0 to 5: ___
7. Sales is hitting a ceiling that marketing should be lifting.
Score 0 to 5: ___
8. Marketing spend is between $30K and $500K per month.
Score 0 to 5: ___
9. Company revenue is between $5M and $200M.
Score 0 to 5: ___
10. A full-time CMO hire feels premature or risky at this stage.
Score 0 to 5: ___
How to interpret your score.
0 to 15 points
The business is probably not at the fractional CMO stage yet. Either the marketing operation is well-staffed already, or the underlying problem is not marketing leadership. Revisit in 6 to 12 months as the business scales.
16 to 25 points
The case for a fractional CMO is emerging. A scoped sprint or 90-day strategic engagement may be worth piloting before committing to a longer retainer.
26 to 40 points
The conversation is overdue. A 6 to 12 month retainer engagement makes economic sense. Start interviewing firms.
41 to 50 points
The marketing leadership gap is acute. Either move on a fractional CMO immediately or accelerate a full-time CMO search. The status quo is costing growth.
Score above 25?
Tell us your score and your business stage. We'll tell you whether IG fits.