What to look for
Named in-house director roles
Ask specifically: which business, what team size, what budget, what commercial metrics were you measured on? Agency or consultancy backgrounds are not the same as in-house accountability. You want someone who has sat in the seat, not just advised from the outside.
Commercial outcome case studies
Case studies that describe campaigns rather than commercial outcomes suggest the person has not been held accountable for results. Ask for cost per lead, pipeline contribution, or revenue attribution figures. If they can only talk about activity, not outcomes, that is a signal.
Professional credentials
In a market with no mandatory qualifications, professional credentials are the most reliable independent signals of genuine senior professional standing. Look for Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM) or Chartered Marketer status with annual revalidation.
A clear engagement structure
A properly structured engagement specifies agreed outputs rather than hours, with the director controlling how and when they work. This typically sits outside IR35. Both parties have obligations here. Always take professional advice on your specific situation.
What to ask
Can you walk me through a commercial outcome you owned?
Not a campaign, not an activity, an outcome. What was the business goal, what did you do, what happened, and how did you measure it? If they cannot answer this clearly, they have not been accountable for commercial results.
How do you work with existing agencies?
A good Fractional Marketing Director does not replace your agencies. They manage them, hold them accountable, and make sure their work connects to your strategy. If they talk about replacing your agencies with their own team, that is a conflict of interest.
How do you handle the first 90 days?
The first 90 days should cover audit, strategy and early implementation. If they talk about a long discovery period before any output, they are stretching the billing. If they promise a fully costed proposal after a 30-minute call, it has been templated. Proper scoping requires genuine understanding of the business.
What does success look like and how will we know?
A good Fractional Marketing Director sets the strategy and the plan, and agrees with you what success looks like and how you will measure it. If they cannot answer this, they do not have a clear methodology.
Red flags
Day rates below 400
Experienced Fractional Marketing Directors with genuine board-level track records do not undercut this significantly. Rates materially below it usually mean inexperience repositioned as seniority.
No named in-house director roles
If they can only talk about consultancy or agency work, they have not been in the seat. Ask specifically for named businesses, team sizes, budgets and commercial metrics.
Activity-based case studies
Case studies that describe campaigns rather than commercial outcomes suggest the person has not been held accountable for results. Ask for cost per lead, pipeline contribution, or revenue attribution figures.
Long minimum contract terms
Most genuine Fractional Marketing Director engagements run on rolling three-month terms with 30 to 60 days notice. Anyone requiring a 12-month minimum is asking you to carry their commercial risk.
Proposals after a 30-minute call
Proper scoping requires genuine understanding of the business. A fully costed proposal produced after a brief call has been templated. The scope should follow a diagnostic, not precede it.
How to get started
Every engagement should begin with a free 30-minute discovery call. An honest conversation about your marketing and whether a fractional marketing director is the right fit. From there, a fixed-price proposal should follow within one working day.
Book a free discovery call with Digital Womble to start the conversation.