Three briefs, one agency
The founder, the head of sales and the marketing manager each had a view of what marketing should do, and each passed it to the agency. The agency, reasonably, tried to serve all three. The result was a marketing programme that reacted to whoever spoke last.
Why that is a strategy problem, not a people problem
None of the three was doing anything wrong. Each was making a sensible call within their own part of the business. What was missing was a single frame that decided between their priorities. Without it, the agency had no way to know which request mattered most.
What we changed
We introduced four things:
- One strategic brief, replacing three separate ones.
- A defined ideal customer profile, so everyone knew whom marketing was for.
- A clear channel priority, so effort stopped being spread across everything.
- A monthly commercial review, where marketing was judged against commercial results.
What happened
Marketing stopped being reactive within four months. Within eight months, inbound enquiry quality had improved enough that the sales team’s conversion rate rose by 40 percent. The improvement did not come from more leads. It came from the right leads arriving.
Why this matters if several people brief your agency
If your founder, your sales lead and your marketer each give the agency their own priorities, the agency cannot prioritise for you. One brief, owned by one person with senior marketing judgment, usually does more than extra budget.
Why this case study exists
Sancoale Technologies provides Fractional CMO engagements, held to a maximum of three at any time. Lalit Saraswat leads each personally, and the strategic judgment, the briefs and the vendor assessments stay with him.
Worth thinking about for your own business
Count how many people give your agency instructions. If the answer is more than one, ask who decides when their priorities conflict.
If you would like to talk it through, email solutions@sancoale.net and we will tell you honestly whether a Fractional CMO fits.
Frequently asked questions
Why would several people briefing an agency cause a problem?
The agency cannot rank competing priorities. It tends to react to the latest request, so marketing becomes reactive.
What is an ideal customer profile and why does it matter?
It defines who marketing is for. With one in place, channel choices, messages and lead quality can all be judged against it.
How much did sales conversion improve?
By 40 percent within eight months, because the right enquiries arrived, not because there were more of them.
How quickly did marketing stop being reactive?
Within four months.
Is a Fractional CMO right for an early-stage startup?
Not for one that needs hands-on execution. It suits funded companies where strategic direction is the missing piece.
