AMA: Observable Head of Growth Marketing, Erika Barbosa on Influencing the C-Suite

The key stakeholders from other departments change due to the needs of the business changing. The swimlanes for demand generation typically become more defined. There are more processes and procedures in place based on what you manage. You’ll probably find that you go from wearing many hats with less clarity on your stakeholders to a more narrow focus with clearly defined stakeholders. Fast forward from a startup environment to an SMB or enterprise and the only constant is change. You may go from working directly with the CEO as a stakeholder to working with procurement and finance teams. You may find that a performance readout happens in a weekly standup to a QBR with various teams from around the world participating. With growth comes complexity, new markets and challenges with data. All of this may need to be navigated with new team structures. And with all of these shifts come new stakeholders or people who you’ll need to collaborate with and inform.

This is tough to navigate but doable. I recommend that you actively listen to both sides. Try to meet them where they are at. To do so, you’ll need to empathetically listen to their perspectives. Identify a common ground for the executive stakeholders backed by data. It’s harder to argue against facts. Let the data help navigate the discussion and bring you to a compromise. I also recommend that you assume good intentions. Keep stakeholders focused on the bigger picture and its associated business goals. This will only be possible with clear communication and healthy debate.

In order to influence the C-Suite to get more resources, your case has to be backed by data and a clear story on how it will support the desired business outcomes. While this has always been the case, it is even more so in today’s economy. Here are some tips to start with: * Identify the need and the goal * Understand the priorities and perspective of the C-Suite * Articulate a clear plan and associated goals * Communicate the value and how it impacts business goals * Build relationships along the way It’s critical to frame your request based on the C-Suite’s priorities and goals (not yours).

Demand generation is dynamic and constantly changing by nature. In order to manage your programs while also being pulled in several directions, it's important to align them with overarching business outcomes and the priorities that support these outcomes. Here are a few tips: * Alignment with the company strategy. The company's strategy and goals should be clear, and your efforts need to align with what will drive the most impact on these goals. * Clear communication. While you may not be in direct communication with the executive team, it's important to communicate clearly with them or with your manager. Speak about what success looks like, and let it drive your day-to-day efforts. * Establish clear and agreed-upon goals. Your efforts should be in support of the company goals. If your projects do not align with the company's goals, it may not be a good use of your time. * Communicate performance. You can't operate in a black box. Proactively get ahead of questions. Clearly communicate how your efforts are progressing and realign as needed to manage competing priorities. Essentially, this comes down to responding to feedback and performance while balancing competing priorities. Proactively communicating can help you get ahead of competing priorities. By narrowing your focus, you can accelerate your impact.

Demand generation is dynamic and constantly changing by nature. In order to manage your programs while also being pulled in several directions, it's important to align them with overarching business outcomes and the priorities that support these outcomes. Here are a few tips: * Alignment with the company strategy. The company's strategy and goals should be clear, and your efforts need to align with what will drive the most impact on these goals. * Clear communication. While you may not be in direct communication with the executive team, it's important to communicate clearly with them or with your manager. Speak about what success looks like, and let it drive your day-to-day efforts. * Establish clear and agreed-upon goals. Your efforts should be in support of the company goals. If your projects do not align with the company's goals, it may not be a good use of your time. * Communicate performance. You can't operate in a black box. Proactively get ahead of questions. Clearly communicate how your efforts are progressing and realign as needed to manage competing priorities. Essentially, this comes down to responding to feedback and performance while balancing competing priorities. Proactively communicating can help you get ahead of competing priorities. By narrowing your focus, you can accelerate your impact.

Junior and newer demand generation managers can increase their exposure to the C-Suite in a few ways. Here are a couple of ideas to get started: Firstly, speak with your manager to discuss topics such as career advancement and express your interest in understanding what options are available to you. Secondly, consider taking on presentation opportunities and ensure that you are well-prepared to showcase your expertise in a tasteful way. Remember that with greater exposure comes more accountability and ownership, so make sure to practice as much as possible.

To gain momentum in the leadership organization it is important to build relationships with other leaders within the organization because it can help to create a more collaborative and supportive work environment. By working together and sharing ideas, leaders can help to improve processes and drive organizational success. Having partners and advocates who are willing to work hard and support your goals can also be beneficial in gaining momentum within a leadership organization. These individuals can provide valuable feedback and support, as well as act as ambassadors for your initiatives, helping to build buy-in and support across the organization. Lastly, it's crucial to build relationships with individuals who have influence in the organization and can serve as strategic partners.

This will vary greatly depending on the size of your company. I will answer this question from different perspectives. At an enterprise-sized company (15,000+ employees), I primarily interacted with the CMO. We discussed data insights, winning creative and messaging, and what was working and not working. The CMO's deeper understanding of marketing made it unnecessary to provide as much context during our conversations. At startups and companies with less than 200 employees, I interacted more frequently with the C-Suite. Our discussions involved providing data-driven insights, aligning on desired business outcomes, and collaborating to drive business growth.

Earlier in my career, I used to provide information and performance reports that were incorporated as part of a presentation to the C-Suite. Anecdotally, I found that managers would ask for all the details and then distill them down appropriately for the specific C-Suite. There were times when I was in the same room fielding their questions. In those situations, I found the most success by knowing my numbers and sticking to the messaging that was resonating the best. It was helpful to speak to what was working and what was not.

When working with the C-Suite, it's important to keep in mind that they are pressed for time and have a clear vision for what needs to be executed to support desired business outcomes. It's incredibly helpful to try to see things from their perspective. Here are a few additional habits to keep in mind: * Understand their priorities * Communicate effectively and concisely * Be proactive and come with solutions, not just problems * Build relationships * Be adaptable When communicating with the C-Suite, it's important to maintain a high level of professionalism and attention to detail, and to ensure that your communication is crisp and to the point.

Without knowing more about your specific industry, go-to-market motion, and company maturity, it's challenging to provide a definitive answer. Generally speaking, there are a few key questions that can provide value to C-Suites depending on your context. To demonstrate value to C-Suites, it's important to speak their language and show how your efforts impact the desired business outcomes. Some possible questions to consider are: * How do your efforts contribute to revenue growth or cost savings? * What is the payback period for acquisition costs? * What is the conversion rate for key metrics, such as lead to opportunity or sign up to activation? It's important to tailor the information you provide based on the audience, whether it's the CMO or CEO. By answering these questions meaningfully and with clarity, you can demonstrate the effectiveness of your demand generation strategies and show how they contribute to the company's overall goals. Here is a related question I answered: What do demand generation managers get wrong when trying to influence the C-Suite?

If I could give my younger self advice on influencing the C-Suite, I would recommend the following: * Speak their language (not yours). Their time is very limited. * Speak to their priorities (not yours). Don't get into details that they don't care about. * Know your numbers inside and out, and be confident. Show that you are an expert in your field. * Build relationships. Establish a rapport and be open to feedback. Ultimately, it comes down to what will drive the business outcomes that they care about. Go to them with solutions, not problems. Here is a related question that you may also find helpful: What do demand generation managers get wrong when trying to influence the C-Suite?

If I could give my younger self advice on influencing the C-Suite, I would recommend the following: * Speak their language (not yours). Their time is very limited. * Speak to their priorities (not yours). Don't get into details that they don't care about. * Know your numbers inside and out, and be confident. Show that you are an expert in your field. * Build relationships. Establish a rapport and be open to feedback. Ultimately, it comes down to what will drive the business outcomes that they care about. Go to them with solutions, not problems. Here is a related question that you may also find helpful: What do demand generation managers get wrong when trying to influence the C-Suite?

The main mistake that demand generation managers make when trying to influence the C-Suite is focusing too much on tactics and metrics instead of the business outcomes that matter most to executives, such as revenue and profitability. When demand generation managers fail to speak the language of the C-Suite, it can lead to confusion and unproductive conversations. It is essential to reframe conversations in a way that is meaningful to the C-Suite and adjust the narrative based on the audience. Demand generation managers need to tailor their messaging to align with the overall strategy, understand the C-Suite's priorities, and build relationships to gain their support.

The main mistake that demand generation managers make when trying to influence the C-Suite is focusing too much on tactics and metrics instead of the business outcomes that matter most to executives, such as revenue and profitability. When demand generation managers fail to speak the language of the C-Suite, it can lead to confusion and unproductive conversations. It is essential to reframe conversations in a way that is meaningful to the C-Suite and adjust the narrative based on the audience. Demand generation managers need to tailor their messaging to align with the overall strategy, understand the C-Suite's priorities, and build relationships to gain their support.

Both virtual and live events have their own advantages and disadvantages. While I believe that live events will always be favored due to the level of connection and engagement they provide, there is still a place for virtual events as well. That being said, virtual events can offer better ROI due to their accessibility, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. Ultimately, the goals of the event should guide the decision-making process regarding the event format. Depending on those goals, a hybrid event that combines elements of both virtual and live events may be the best approach.