Speak like a CFO and Think like an Investor with CMO Coach, Mike Linton

Mike Linton is a seasoned marketing executive and host of CMO Confidential. Throughout his career, he has held prominent roles at notable companies. Early on, he worked at Procter & Gamble in brand management and at James River and Progressive Insurance in both marketing and general management. Mike went on to serve as Best Buy’s first-ever CMO, as well as the CMO at Farmers Insurance and eBay. Most recently, he was Ancestry's Chief Revenue Officer. This wealth of experience has given him valuable perspectives on leadership, career development, and marketing strategies.

As a successful marketer, Mike often found himself at the critical intersection of marketing and finance. He discovered that understanding the “language of business”—particularly finance—is essential for every marketer and CMO. In an era where data-driven decision-making and ROI are paramount, marketers who speak the language of finance can bridge the gap between marketing strategy and financial performance. This isn't just about budgeting; it's about unlocking new insights, driving more impact, and ultimately connecting more effectively to the organization's bottom line.

Finance is the universal language of business. The CMO is expected to make sales overnight and build a brand over time, and understanding finance is crucial to success in both areas. Innovative marketing initiatives are valuable, but securing investor money, whether from actual outside investors or internal allocators, is essential to execute them. These investors care about marketing only as long as it produces financial outcomes. Therefore, if marketers can think like investors, they will continue to receive investments.

One way Mike managed the allocation of his marketing budget to the areas with the most impact and ensured his teams were financially focused was by standardizing financial evaluation with a Marketing CFO. This person assists with ensuring outcomes, providing training, facilitating communication, acting as a trading desk for various marketing budgets, selling marketing projects to the rest of the company, and setting expectations for team members and external agency partners.

As a CMO, your job is to make marketing work for the company. High-level marketing skills will get you in the door, but understanding how marketing drives the business will make you a great CMO.

Timestamps:

● [02:15] Why should marketers be able to speak and understand finance

● [03:20] How does being able to speak like a CFO translate to the CMO role?

● [07:10] Why marketing is special, and why it isn’t

● [10:00] What is a Marketing CFO?

● [13:45] Expectations for team members and external agency partners

● [16:45] Which marketers become CMOs?

● [17:50] Examples of integrating marketing and finance in throughout ​​Mike’s career

● [22:50] It’s your job to make the company win

● [24:50] The final take away

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