What a fractional CMO does in the first 90 days
Days 1 to 30: find out what's true
The first month is listening and looking at numbers. Talk to sales, talk to customers, talk to the people who chose a competitor. Pull the pipeline data and see where deals actually come from, not where the attribution report says they come from.
By day 30 you should have a short written view: who the best customers are, why they buy, what's working, and what isn't.
Days 31 to 60: decide and cut
Month two is about choices. Pick the segments to focus on. Tighten the positioning so sales can say it in one breath. Agree with sales on what counts as a qualified opportunity.
Just as important: decide what to stop. Most teams have work running that nobody would start today. Stopping it frees the time for what matters.
Days 61 to 90: run the rhythm
Month three is when the operating model starts running. That usually means:
- A weekly pipeline review with sales, using shared definitions.
- A short list of priorities with an owner and a date on each.
- A monthly report the CEO and board can read in five minutes.
- A hiring or partner plan for the gaps the team can't cover.
What you shouldn't expect
Ninety days is enough to set direction and start a working rhythm. It isn't enough to see the full effect on revenue in a long B2B sales cycle. Be wary of anyone who promises otherwise.
The short version
By day 90 you should have clear priorities, a stop list, shared pipeline definitions and a weekly rhythm. Not a 60-slide deck.