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"It's really starting to piss me off."
I caught up with a marketing leader friend this week. She didn't hold back.
"Our reps get good leads on a Wednesday morning, but they don't call until Thursday afternoon."
And by then, it's too late. They've cooled off — or worse, gone with a competitor.
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Marketing gigs pretty much suck if you don't have internal buy-in.
And the truth is that most CEOs and execs don't "get it."
Especially if you have a technical founder who loves their product more than Kanye loves Kanye.
It makes it nearly impossible to take big swings or ship anything worth noticing. They typically prefer to play it safe and shoot down anything new and different.
That used to really irritate me. I felt like every second spent convincing and explaining myself was time I coulda spent actually doing the work. You hired me to create content, so let me cook!
But the cold, hard truth is marketing isn't all about creativity. It's not just "art" — it's also sales. Internal sales.
I've seen many marketers lose their credibility (and sometimes their job) because they can't get internal buy-in. Great ideas die, bad ideas get shipped, and results suffer. Then great marketing talent understandably gets upset, bitter, and quits.
It's frustrating, and the loss of potential slows down the business and their career growth.
My recent conversation with Adam McQueen and Grayson Ottenbriet reminded me of this.
They have an enviable amount of executive buy-in and creative freedom at Klue.
Case in point: their CEO helped me prank these poor souls into being on my show.
But this coveted freedom wasn't handed to them. It was earned.
So today I'm sharing three non-obvious tips to help you secure executive buy-in so you can earn creative freedom in your role.
These are the things I learned as a sales rep and marketing leader. And they're things most marketers haven't considered when I share it with them in private conversations.
Some will be immediately applicable, and others you'll need later in your career. It just depends on your current CEO, exec team, and how resistant to change your current org is. Pocket them until the time is right.
Ready? Let's ride 🌊
Tip #1: Start with the "CEO slide"
Every CEO has a slide they share at the beginning of the year with the top 3-5 initiatives for the year.
It usually has things like grow revenue, launch a new product, grow in a new territory, win your category, etc.
These are board-level things that the CEO thinks about 24/7.
If you can tie your idea, program, project, whatever to that, you'll immediately win their attention.
It's the classic "know your audience and what they care about."
Don't expect them to "wow" them into giving you approval and budget.
Instead, position creative ideas as solutions to business problems.
I've done this many times, and it's helped me launch podcasts, print merch, and everything in between — even from the most skeptical CEOs.
Not only will you get to "Yes" with less pain, but you'll elevate how you're perceived because you're thinking like an executive.
Tip #2: Create a proof of concept before asking for resources
Grayson explained their approach when creating Klueless, A "mini-movie" shot like The Office:
"We didn't really get a whole lot of green light early on because we felt like it was worth exploring first. And then once we pass it to Katie [VP, Marketing], she can see what's possible. She can see the vision and go like, 'Oh, I really like this.'"
This created substantial interest before seeking official approval.
Pitching an Office spin-off sounds risky. Words won't do it justice.
But letting people see and feel it helps overcome hesitation because it becomes real.
Reducing risk — actual or perceived — is the name of the game.
Tip #3: Bring and transfer energy
It's not enough to share ideas. You need to share your excitement.
Adam's Philosophy:
"If you bring energy to the table, then people will gravitate to that energy. If you come in just like someone's pissed in your cereal, everyone's going to be on edge."
He's right.
I've made this mistake and watched others crash and burn because they pitched scared to a Zoom room full of busy, half-interested execs.
If you're anything but over-the-moon excited and convinced in your idea, don't expect them to match or exceed your excitement.
Part of your vision isn't just what you'll create, but how you present it.
More from Grayson:
"Whatever that feeling you get when you come up with that creative idea, express that too. Let other people in on the excitement or where your mind's going. Let people feel that."
In this context, energy becomes a form of persuasion. People buy into your conviction before they evaluate your idea.
If you want more stories and tips for earning creative freedom...
I suggest watching our conversation on YouTube. Or listening on Spotify or Apple.
There are many more examples and subtle nuances that will help you. I learned a lot, and I've been doing this for 12+ years.
That's all for now, folks.
Holler at you later,
Devin
Pen by Devin Reed
Founder, The Reeder
Follow me on LinkedIn | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram
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