Board Meeting Best Practices for CMOs

As a CMO you want to make a good impression on the board of directors. But what exactly are they looking for? Lattice Engines CMO Brian Kardon shares his tips for delivering a presentation that won’t disappoint.

 
For many Chief Marketing Officers, preparing for board meetings can be one of the more stressful aspects of the job. What are board members really looking for you to present on, and what don’t they want to see?
In the video below, Lattice Engines CMO Brian Kardon shares the insights he’s picked up during his career at Eloqua, Forrester, and more, providing tips for what CMOs can do prior to and during a board meeting to ensure they gain the respect of the board of directors and leave them impressed.

Board Meeting Best Practices for CMOs

Key Takeaways

• Board members are not interested in vanity metrics: Presenting them with web traffic, likes, retweets, followers, etc. is the wrong approach. You’ll end up losing the attention and respect of the board. Rather, show them how your activities tie to revenue.

• Develop relationships on the board: The only time you see board members should not be at board meetings. You should find opportunities to engage outside the meeting, whether it be via collaborating on a panel, a webinar, or other activities.

• Preview your presentation with select members: Share your slides and data with one or two members in advance. It’s a great way to bullet-proof your presentation. Not only can you incorporate initial feedback and suggestions, if they feel involved in your presentation they’re likely to be supportive (especially if they have a marketing background/interest).

• Be aligned with your sales counterpart: Sometimes the marketing person and sales person present and nothing is connected. It is essential that you spend time together before the board meeting to make sure your stories are strongly aligned. You should also be in the board room at the same time. This demonstrates to the board that marketing and sales work closely together, and are not simply silos.

 More Tips on Engaging Your Board

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Photo by: reynermedia