Your Name?
Your Phone Numbers?
Your Email address?
Today’s Date?BASIC QUESTIONS:
This position will be headquartered in Southern New Jersey, right outside of Philadelphia. Board is willing to relocate the right candidate. But, working remotely is not an option. Where do you currently live?
If you do not already live within commuting distance to the Southern NJ area, then are you flexible to relocate? If yes, then please explain why you would relocate to the area. If no, then please do not complete this form.
Prefer someone to start in the position as soon as possible. When would you be available to start?
Are you currently employed?
Why did you leave or why are you considering leaving your most recent position?
Why did you leave the position before your most recent position?
Board is willing and able to put together the right package for the right candidate. The focus is on hiring the BEST candidate. This is a key position, reporting directly to the CEO. Compensation includes base, bonus, stock options, 401k and full benefits package. What are you looking for in terms of compensation? (Please break it down between base, bonus, and equity. I want to know your minimum and your ideal. What is important to you? If you are flexible, then just say that you are flexible. But, I need to know some type of a range or at least know what ballpark we are in. Thanks! Also, Client would really like to know your comp history—W2s over the last couple of years.)
From refining the Company’s positioning to “wordsmithing” each piece of collateral, the VP of Marketing must be “hands on” and comfortable in a “do it yourself” small company environment. And yet, the person must also be a leader and manager, able to recruit first-rate talent---both as employees and outside contractors---and tightly coordinate their efforts to create exciting communications that lead to sales growth. Must be able to manage/evaluate public relations agencies and supervise their work in conceiving creative story angles. Do you meet these requirements? If yes, then please explain. (Please provide an example or two.)
POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
Must have held a position within the last 12 months as a CMO, EVP, SVP, VP and/or Director of Marketing with responsibility for marketing communications and product marketing at a well branded, successful enterprise software company and/or SaaS companythat targeted Fortune 1000 clients. Do you meet this requirement? If no, then please do not complete this form. If yes, then please answer the following questions:
1)Are you currently or have you been within the last twelve months as a CMO, EVP, SVP, VP and/or Director of Marketing responsible for marketing communications and product marketing for an enterprise software company that targeted Fortune 1000 clients? If no, then please do not complete this form. If yes, then please continue to answer the questions listed below.
2)Please state your employer’s name and url.
3)What were your employment dates for position? (month/year started v. month/year left position or current date if still employed)
4)What was your title?
5)How many years of experience do you have in total as a CMO VP and/or Director of Marketing?
6)How many years of marketing experience do you have in total for enterprise software?
7)What were the approximate revenues at the company when you started?
8)What were the approximate revenues at the company when you left? (Or now, if currently employed.)
9)Were you responsible for the successful development of that brand? If no, then please do not complete this form. If yes, then please explain. Make sure to give specific details. / PLEASE TYPE YOUR ANSWER TO EACH QUESTION NEXT TO THE CORRESPONDING NUMBER. THANK YOU.
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CEO will only interview candidates that can tell at least 1 or 2 stories about how they took a new software product and figured out how to package and sell it to new verticals resulting in significant revenue generation. Must be able to execute a tactical plan with a strategic vision for the future. The candidate will be responsible for evolving the marketing plan and taking it to the next level. The end result should have increased revenue growth significantly for the company. Do you meet this requirement? (If yes, then please explain. Make sure to outline at least one or two specific examples. If no, then please do NOT complete this form.) Please be as specific as possible with your numbers, verticals, market penetration, etc. (e.g. number of users when you started v. when you left; approximate revenues when you started v. when you left; profit margin when you started v. when you left, number or type of features when you started v. when you left, what verticals you were in when you started v. when you left, what was market penetration when you started, v. when you left, etc.)
Must have someone with a good understanding of all aspects of product strategy and positioning and be able to incorporate that into all aspects of marketing. Must have someone experienced at taking control of the product road map. Must be experienced at managing and prioritizing releases, scoping out features, and building the business case for the features. Must have someone experienced at specifying market requirements for current and future products by conducting market research supported by on-going visits to customers and non-customers. Need to be able to synthesize requests from multiple customers into new product features. Need someone who is good at seeing the big picture. Do you meet this requirement? If yes, then please explain. Make sure to give at least one specific example. (If no, then please do not complete this form. Client will not interview anyone without this experience. This is an absolute requirement.)
Must be able to personally deliver outstanding presentations at key meetings, trade shows and business conferences. Must have experience developing brand collateral materials, speeches, PowerPoint presentations and all other support materials, online and offline, geared toward the needs of specific opportunities and audiences.Must be eager and able to build crisp, compelling presentations for a variety of audiences. Do you meet theserequirements? If yes, then please explain. What is your public speaking experience? What is your experience with sales? How would you rate your ability to create PowerPoint presentations?
Because the Company serves several vertical markets and delivers distinct business benefits to an array of functional teams within each corporate customer (CFO, COO and CIO at Fortune 1000, and VP of Loss Prevention at major Retailers), you will be challenged to shape and target compelling benefit statements for each audience that are seamlessly integrated into a coherent and compelling overall message.The new VP must be extraordinarily skilled in all aspects of communications. Must have experience writing/editing and disseminating news releases, background materials and all other communication to the media. During the interview process, you may be asked to provide writing samples of documents that you helped create. MUST have someone who is fanatical about details and making certain that everything going out the door is perfect. Do you meet theserequirements? If yes, then please explain. What is your writing experience? (Make sure to mention what type of writing samples that you would be able to provide during the interview process. You don’t necessarily have to have written the entire document yourself, but you must have at least overseen the creation of the document.)
Need someone who enjoys the entrepreneurial atmosphere of a small company, but has been through the experience of scaling up an enterprise to significant organization size and revenues.Experience working in a dynamic (i.e. “startup”) environment is preferred as well as a successful track record building a product from early adoption through market share leadership. Prefer candidates with experience scaling a company from under $5M in revenues to over $20M in a relatively short period of time. Do you meet this requirement? (If yes, then please explain. Make sure to give at least one specific example. Be as specific as possible (e.g. number of users when you started v. when you left; approximate revenues when you started v. when you left; profit margin when you started v. when you left, number or type of features when you started v. when you left, etc.)
Strong communications background and business acumen are required. Bachelor’s degree required. Post Graduate degree is a plus. However, experience is most important. Looking for candidates that are highly analytical and results focused. Do you meet these requirements? What is your education?
PERSONAL SUMMARY:
This position will be the Company’s top marketing officer, reporting directly to the CEO. As a key member of the management team, you will actively participate in the important decisions facing the Company. The CEO is very big on delegation.He believes in hiring the best people, then providing them with clear incentives and responsibilities. Focus is on results. Need someone who thrives under tough timeline pressure and the need to show pragmatic, measurable results. CEO will only hire a VP of Marketing that that is very intelligent and thoughtful that knows how to do research. He needs someone that can form an opinion and back it up with logic. Someone who is comfortable defending their opinion and challenging their boss. Does this describe you? If yes, then please explain. Make sure to give a specific example or two. Also, is this environment appealing to you? Why? Please describe your management style and work ethics.
Please list for me in order of importance the factors that are going to determine which position you accept next.
What work accomplishment are you most proud of?
Tell me about someone who has been in the news within the last decade that you admire. Why do you admire this person?
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