Growth Insights for CEOs
Pete Hayes
Recent Posts

AI Is Already Improving B2B Sales Performance. Here’s the Framework to Make It Work for You
Executive Takeaways
- AI is already delivering measurable results in B2B sales — this is not hype.
- Mapping AI capabilities to your prioritized sales performance challenges is the right place to start.
- Achieving significant ROI requires a diagnosis of your current sales environment, a pilot with defined success metrics, and a plan for deployment and scale.
- The window to establish a competitive advantage in sales by using AI is open — but not indefinitely.
Recent Posts

Bridging the Gap Between CEOs and Marketing Leaders
Tue, Nov 21, 2023 — Recent research from McKinsey & Company reveals a concerning trend - while 90% of CEOs believe their marketing leaders’ roles are well-defined, only 22% of marketing leaders agree. This staggering discrepancy highlights a growing divide in how marketing leadership roles are perceived and utilized in organizations today. This insight was brought to light in a recent article from the Wall Street Journal, “Divide Between CEOs and CMOs is Widening…”

CEOs: The 7 C's of Hiring Fractional Executives
Wed, Jul 5, 2023 — Since Christopher McKenna signaled the rise of ‘The World’s Newest Profession’ by publishing his book in 2006, the trend towards hiring and deploying management consultants has only been on the rise. One of the newest categories of management consulting is the Fractional Executive. But how does a CEO go about selecting one? Surely it’s not the same process and set of qualities you’d look for in an executive hire?

Navigating Growth During the Economic Sugar Crash
Thu, Aug 4, 2022 — Everyone “knows” we’re in a recession except the economists. We feel the pain of collapsed 401k's, higher fuel and food prices, so isn’t that enough to declare a recession? And shouldn’t my business be hunkering down to ride this out? In today’s chaotic economy, we are more likely to react to news headlines and stock market trends than market insight. We might completely abandon a core strategy, or delay critical execution tactics, based on the sick feeling in our guts. One way to solve this is by tapping the reliable data and forecasts published by ITR Economics.
Stay up-to-date with the latest from Chief Outsiders

Does the 80/20 Rule Apply to Executives?
Fri, Feb 11, 2022 — The Pareto Principle It was business management consultant Joseph Juran who suggested the 80/20 principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto – citing that for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. It was 1906 when Pareto observed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. He then noted that 80% of the peas in his garden came from 20% of the pea pods. Today, in business, many have observed this “Pareto Principle” across various company operations:

What's Up With Fractional CMO Demand?
Tue, Jun 29, 2021 — Demand for Fractional Marketing Executives is Exploding Chief Outsiders Fractional CMOs have been helping companies build their engines for growth since 2009. Recently, we sponsored a study with The CMO Council to uncover stakeholders' satisfaction with their marketing organizations, and where fractional CMOs are the best fit. The full study can be found here. This C-Suite Scorecard from the CMO Council brings compelling insight to a growing phenomenon in enterprise-class marketing organizations. Not everything is getting done. With an internal Net Promoter Score of -46 from C-Suite marketing stakeholders (extrapolated from Q2), it’s no wonder the fractional CMO solution is exploding to fill the gaps and holes of critical expertise and leadership. Demand for our firm alone from enterprise businesses has shot up over 150% this year.

Top 10 FAQs: What CEOs Ask Chief Outsiders
Mon, Aug 24, 2020 — CEOs connect with us because they’ve been referred by one of our clients, their private equity firm, or have found us by searching for “top strategic marketing consulting firms” or something similar. When we meet, we often find that these CEOs are frustrated with their growth. They have a vision for where they want to take their companies, but don’t have a means to turn their vision into actionable plans, and then see them implemented. After a discussion around their specific business challenges and opportunities, they’re curious about the specifics of how Chief Outsiders might be able to help.

What can Travel/Hospitality/Entertainment CEOs do Right Now?
Tue, Jun 30, 2020 — Industry Specific Advice for Marketing in a Time of Recovery from the Chief Outsider CMOs The following summary encapsulates the highlights of a panel discussion for the Travel/Hospitality/Entertainment industries hosted by Pete Hayes and featuring CMOs Deborah Fell, Adriana Lynch and Aurora Toth. For the full benefit, view the discussion video in its entirety (19 minutes). Short of time? See the discussion highlights (6 minutes). The travel and hospitality industries have been severely impacted by the pandemic but companies are slowly starting to re-open for business. It’s an unprecedented time and one of the major underlying sentiments is fear. How can CEOs and businesses in these market segments address and overcome this concern?

The Motive – Lencioni’s Best, With a Catch
Thu, Mar 12, 2020 — I don’t know about you, but I look forward to a new Patrick Lencioni book like I do the next Grisham novel. Not for entertainment purposes (while they are always a fun read), but from the sheer joy of reading an expression of well-crafted thinking. In Lencioni’s latest (and greatest) fable and framework – The Motive – Patrick does not disappoint. But there’s a catch. While this may be his most important work, it may become his least popular. Why? Because rather than challenge his business leadership audience with new methods, he’s challenging us with a completely new mindset; and one that many of us will instinctively fight.

What’s Driving Double-Digit Growth in SMBs?
Wed, Oct 11, 2017 — Latest Vistage Research Provides Important New Insight to Growth If you’re like most companies we’re working with, you’re experiencing growth this year. After all, the economic and business climate is quite conducive to growth – low cost of capital and a stable labor market are certainly contributing. But what about the companies that are getting more than their fair share of growth? What are they doing? Vistage Worldwide just published insightful research that explores the decisions high-growth company leaders are making that set them apart from their peers. This study of over 1,300 CEOs and business owners identifies key factors that clearly distinguish between higher (double-digit growth) and lower growth companies. Ready to see the specifics?