The client-centric roadmap for CMOs

Winston Churchill once said: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

For CMOs facing increasing pressure from their board, Churchill’s words no doubt ring true. Our research shows that 59% of B2B CMOs believe their C-suite does not see marketing as a strategic investment in business growth. 

But under-estimating and under-leveraging the potential of marketing can be a costly mistake. With CEOs and boards expecting scalable and profitable growth, CMOs today – more than ever before – can play a critical role in leading their organization’s response to new client demands and market dynamics, creating new ways to deliver value and breaking away from siloed or inside-out thinking. 

It's time to see – and seize – the opportunity in the difficulty. 

Adapt to new marketing dynamics

These C-level growth expectations, along with the ongoing shift in B2B buying behaviors and soft economic conditions, make client-centricity central to remaining competitive and fostering growth. Our Client Buying Index, which surveys over 300 senior decision-makers at enterprise companies, showcases the ongoing transformation in how B2B buyers approach purchasing decisions. This includes:

• Increased buyer independence: 71% of winning providers emerge before the shortlist stage of the buying process
• Complex processes: a staggering one third of B2B enterprise purchases stall before reaching a decision – leading to massive inefficiencies in today’s go-to-market strategies
• Hard-won loyalty: only 12% of B2B buyers describe themselves as advocates for the providers that won their business

These trends underscore why B2B companies must adapt their strategies. To build trust and win business, organizations must meet buyers where they are and deliver powerful value exchange experiences across the entire client journey. 

Making client-centricity tangible

Client-centricity is not a buzzword, nor a “state” you reach and you “get it done”. It’s an ongoing strategic, operational, and cultural alignment that ensures you put clients at the center of your efforts, overcoming internal complexities and organizational constructs. Easier said than done! 

And although the pursuit of client-centricity is ongoing, its business benefits are tangible and realized along the way. Account-centric efforts anchored in deep client insights from strategy to execution achieve on average 3-10% higher ROI compared to traditional marketing activities. They also strengthen retention, brand reputation, and loyalty. Together all of these are critical levers to sustainable growth in today’s fast-evolving B2B landscape. 

To foster and operationalize client-centricity, B2B CMOs and marketing leaders should consider the following strategies:

• Architect organizational alignment and drive cross-functional collaboration: Driving client-centricity requires company-wide commitment and alignment to create unified strategies to address client needs and driving growth.
• Leverage and operationalize client insights: CMOs must break down silos that compromise your ability to gain deeper insights into customer account behaviors and preferences and put in place client-listening strategies to collect and triangulate required insights.
• Harness collective internal and partner ecosystems: Aligning on client-led growth strategies is just the beginning. You must create and harness the holistic capabilities of your organization to leverage existing and create new ways of delivering customer value. 

To help you on this journey, we have developed the Momentum ITSMA Client-Led Growth Framework. It provides CMOs with a proven, proactive, and data-driven approach to identifying your organization’s maturity, sharpening your focus, and strengthening your leadership alignment while allocating scarce resources to impact performance. 

Join me at our upcoming webinar on 12 March 2025, 4PM GMT/9AM EST to learn more about client-centric growth strategies and explore our Client-Led Growth Framework in more detail. 

Register here.