Dear SaaStr: How Do I Know If My New VP of Marketing Is Working Out?

Dear SaaStr: How Do I Know If My New VP of Marketing Is Working Out?

It’s tough. Way too many senior marketers today just want to be strategists. Or just manage a few agencies and work on brand.

That’s not what you need.

You’ll know if your VP of Marketing is working out by looking at a few key indicators, and you should start seeing results relatively quickly—within the first 90 days. Here’s what to look for:

• Lead Generation: Are they driving more qualified leads into the funnel? Or not? It’s that simple. A great VP of Marketing should be able to generate new leads, even with a small budget. If you’re not seeing an uptick in qualified leads, that’s a red flag.
• Revenue Per Lead: Are they improving the quality of leads and helping increase revenue per lead? A great VP of Marketing ensures leads are better managed through the funnel—qualified, nurtured, and handed off to sales at the right time. This alone can boost close rates by 20% or more.
• Sales Alignment: Are they working closely with sales? A strong VP of Marketing collaborates with sales to ensure they have the collateral, air cover, and support they need to close deals. If sales isn’t feeling the impact, something’s off.
• Pipeline Growth: Is the pipeline growing? Even if deals take time to close, you should see a healthier, more robust pipeline within a few months. Pipeline growth isn’t a perfect metric. It might be mediocre pipeline. But at least you want to see it grow.
• Execution: Are they executing on campaigns and initiatives? A VP of Marketing who spends all their time strategizing without delivering tangible results—like webinars, content, or demand-gen campaigns—isn’t doing their job.

Red Flags: Way Too Much Team Building & Agency Hiring. More doing, less team building. Marketing teams don’t need to be very large in the earlier days. Way Too Much Talk About Brand. This is what matters at tech companies at scale. But you only need a little of this at a start-up.

If you’re not seeing meaningful progress in these areas within 90 days, it’s time to dig deeper. Are they focused on the wrong priorities? Are they struggling to execute? Or are they simply not the right fit? You can’t afford to wait too long to figure this out. A mis-hire here can cost you months of lost growth.