Marketing Skills Evaluation

Over the past 12 years, I've worked with 500+ marketers. The best ones made it to CMO within 5 years. All of them, shared some of these traits: 1. They speak finance fluently The best marketers understand P&L, balance sheets, and cash flows. They think in terms of investments vs costs, grasp customer lifetime value as present value of discounted future cash flows. More importantly: they translate their work into financial impact. Instead of just saying “I improved conversion rate by 10%,” they say: “I improved conversion rate by 10%, from 10% to 11%. With 100,000 monthly visits, that’s 1,000 more orders per month, 12,000 more annually. At a $100 average basket, that’s $1.2M in additional revenue per year. This lets them talk to CFOs as equals. ___ 2. They are comfortable making decisions in ambiguity Marketing is probabilistic. Multiple attribution methodologies, conflicting data sources, inconclusive A/B tests. Regardless, you have to make decisions and sometimes you have to make them fast. A lot of people are only comfortable with perfect information. Those are the ones that don’t make it to CMO. The best marketers I’ve worked with have the conviction to move forward without complete information, because they know there’s an opportunity cost attached to waiting. ___ 3. They feel the numbers When you ask them what yesterday's CAC was, they don't need to look it up. They know it by heart because they have the averages and full context in mind. They don’t get lost in the millions of numbers. When something looks off, they catch it immediately.  ___ 4. They have a good sense of aesthetics Marketing requires both science and art. The best marketers have a strong sense of what looks good, what their brand should represent, and what resonates visually. ___ 5. They take calculated risks They know exactly how much they're investing and accept that specific campaigns might generate zero uplift. But they've calculated scenarios where there's a reasonable probability of success. They're willing to fail multiple times to find what works. ___ 6. They go deep They're willing to be hands-on. Like an engineer needs to know how to code, a marketer needs to know how to run marketing campaigns. You wouldn’t hire a CTO who has never coded once in their lives. The best CMOs I know are as comfortable going deep into the numbers as they are in the boardroom. ____ The reality: I've met only a handful of marketers who exhibit all traits. Most excel at 2-3, but the complete package is very rare.

As a hiring manager with 25 years in marketing, here’s what I actually look for: ❇️ Grit Perseverance and passion for the craft. ❇️ Resourcefulness If you don’t know how to do something, will you jump at the chance to figure it out? ❇️ Creativity Do you offer alternative thinking and problem-solving? ❇️ Positive attitude Do people want to be around you? In an interview, I can gauge all four with just a few questions. Tell me about a goal you’re working on, personally or professionally. Tell me about a recent project that didn’t go as planned. Have you ever “measured customer perception” (something outside your skill set but needed for the role)? If not, are you open to learning — and how would you go about picking up a new skill? ✅ Then I dig into the skills needed for the role: What was your favorite campaign? Tell me about it. If you’re a recent grad, what was your favorite course and why? I’ll present a specific marketing challenge and ask how you’d approach it. What tools would you use? I’ll dig into marketing data and analytics. If you want to measure brand, what metrics matter? I’ll explore how you like to work — independently or collaboratively — to see if you’re a fit for the team’s structure. I’ll ask if you’ve looked at our website or social media. What would you change? For senior roles, I get into budget, team structure, audience segmentation, and how you’d reach specific parts of the business. ✅ Then I wrap with a few favorites to get to know you better: What would you do differently in your next role? Among the people you’ve worked with, who do you admire most — and why? What are you really good at but never want to do again? Imagine yourself three years from now. What do you hope will be different? What’s the dream role? What does the pinnacle of your career look like? #marketing #careerjourney #modernmarketer

How I spot exceptional marketing candidates in interviews 🎯 After interviewing dozens of marketers recently, I've refined my evaluation process to two key tests: Test #1 - The Deep Dive: I pick one highlight from their resume and go forensic on it: - What were the exact metrics before/after? - What specific actions did YOU take vs. your team? - How did you measure success? - What would you do differently? - Who else was involved in the initiative? Most candidates crumble here. The great ones light up and walk me through their strategic thinking with precise details. Test #2 - The Innovation Check: I'm looking for fresh thinking, not recycled playbooks. The ones that stand out experimented with: - Social selling - Survey-based outreach - Influencer - AI-powered personalization GTM and marketing specifically are impacted by the pace of technology innovation. Things that worked 18 months ago, don't work effectively today. A-players constantly try new things to stay ahead of others. If I leave the call having learned something new, that's a strong signal. If I hear the same old "webinars and gated whitepapers" approach... next. More about why I chose the image below in the next post.

What people think marketing is: ~ A few trending reels. ~ A good-looking feed. ~ Maybe some hashtags. What it actually is: A multi-disciplinary skill stack that takes YEARS to master. Here’s just a glimpse: ~ Psychology – understanding why people buy ~ Copywriting – saying the right thing, the right way ~ Storytelling – building emotional connection that drives action ~ Branding – shaping perception with consistency and clarity ~ Sales Strategy – guiding people from interest to decision ~ Funnel Design – structuring steps that convert browsers into buyers ~ Analytics – interpreting data to optimize performance ~ Design Thinking – creating content that’s not just pretty, but purposeful ~ Positioning – making your brand stand out in a crowded market ~ Content Strategy – knowing what to post, when, and why ~ Market Research – understanding your customer better than they know themselves ~ Offer Creation – crafting irresistible value ~ Community Building – turning audiences into loyal fans ~ Platform Algorithms – knowing how IG, LinkedIn, YouTube actually work ~ Crisis Management – protecting brand reputation under pressure ~ Email Marketing – building trust and nurturing leads long-term ~ Retention Strategy – keeping customers coming back ~ Collaboration & Influencer Strategy – extending reach through trusted voices ~ Trend Analysis – jumping on what’s hot without losing brand identity ~ Time Management & Systems – juggling 10 things at once and still delivering excellence Marketing isn't “just content.” It’s a full-blown ecosystem. The best marketers? Strategic. Creative. Data-obsessed. Respect the craft. If you're in the game— 👉 Which one took you the longest to master? Drop it in the comments. Let’s show ‘em what this work really takes. 💥

This week was one of the best classes for my Utah Valley University Marketing 3600 students. We spent an hour asking questions of four of the best marketers in the state of Utah -- (l to r) Kristi Knight, Chad Jardine, Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D., and Parker Giles. I've know Parker for a number of years. Chad and I worked on a project together a couple years ago. I'd never met Amy or Kristi, but knew of their success and the great insight they would bring. Thanks to all four of you for taking the time to join the class. Some of the most impactful takeaways from the discussion included: 1. AI augments marketers rather than replaces them. The panel agreed that AI is a powerful tool for drafting content, but human judgment and creativity are still essential. 2. Curiosity is a core marketing skill. Beyond technical ability, the speakers emphasised insatiable curiosity – asking questions, researching, and challenging assumptions – as a trait that sustains a career through successive waves of change. 3. Employers look for candidates who ask clarifying questions and explore different approaches, not those who blindly complete tasks. Showing that you think critically and probe for understanding is a strong signal of potential. 4. Team members should develop a T‑shaped profile. The panel encouraged marketers to cultivate broad strategic awareness (the horizontal bar of the “T”) while also building deep expertise in a few key areas (the vertical bar). 5. As you advance in your career, know enough to call out when someone doesn't know what they are talking about. As future managers, hire people who are better at specialised tasks, but you need to understand the fundamentals well enough to evaluate their work. 6. Adaptability and continuous learning are essential. Marketing is a moving target – AI, algorithm updates and industry shifts constantly change the landscape. Rather than discarding skills, you need to adapt to whatever comes next. 7. Get your foot in the door and network. For students and new graduates, get started, build experience, and grow a network rather than waiting for the perfect role. Agency work is a great way to get expoure to diverse clients and tasks. This panel really delivered!