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Chris Higgins
GTM and B2B marketing consultant | Fractional CMO | Australian in India :-)
Professional Background
Chris Higgins is a distinguished marketing leader with over 18 years of dedicated experience in the field. His career is marked by specialization in crafting and executing global marketing strategies within the B2B SaaS domain. A true visionary in the industry, Chris has successfully built and led high-performing teams from the ground up, demonstrating an exceptional aptitude for driving demand and lead generation through multiple channels. His comprehensive understanding of marketing budgets has allowed him to manage significant resources effectively while ensuring optimal return on investment (ROI).
Chris’s expertise spans a wide array of crucial aspects of marketing, including go-to-market (GTM) strategy, demand generation, product positioning and messaging, as well as regional and field strategies. He has consistently employed performance optimization techniques that have enhanced brand building and SEO initiatives, thus boosting content marketing and event management outcomes. A strong advocate for data-driven decision-making, Chris makes it a point to measure, analyze, and refine strategies regularly, which maximizes effectiveness and influences the overall success of the campaigns he oversees.
Throughout his career, Chris has held extensive leadership roles that have allowed him to cultivate strong collaborative relationships across various departments, including sales, product, and executive teams. This collaborative approach has enabled him to ensure aligned objectives and seamless execution in all marketing endeavors. His international experience has further contributed to his understanding of global markets, having worked not only in Australia but also in India, the US, and the UK. Currently, Chris resides in Mumbai, where he continues to make impactful contributions to the marketing landscape.
Education and Achievements
Chris Higgins holds a well-rounded educational background that underscores his expertise in marketing. He studied B.Business with a focus on Marketing Management at the University of Technology Sydney, which laid the foundational knowledge critical for his future endeavors in marketing leadership. Furthermore, Chris pursued an MFA in Advertising and Digital Marketing at the JNAFAU, further enriching his understanding of modern marketing practices and digital trends.
His professional journey is marked by an impressive roster of roles within various prestigious organizations. Chris formerly served as the GTM Advisor for B2B SaaS at GTM Velocity, where he provided strategic insights aimed at optimizing go-to-market initiatives for tech-driven businesses. Following that, he held the position of Vice President & Head of Growth Marketing at CleverTap, where he adeptly integrated innovative growth strategies that significantly enhanced the company's market position. More recently, Chris was the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Netcore Cloud, where he played a pivotal role in expanding the brand’s reach and influence in the cloud marketing solutions sector.
Chris also showcased his analytical prowess while acting as the Chief Analytics Officer and Business Head at IDEATELABS, where he utilized data analytics to shape marketing strategies that drove business growth and customer engagement. Previously, he was the President of Marketing at Annapurna College of Film and Media, where his efforts in communication and brand strategy established a robust marketing presence for the institution. His career also includes impactful positions such as Head of Business Development at SpaceandPeople India P/L and DGM of both Entertainment & Live Events and Sales & Marketing at International Recreation Parks Pvt Ltd. As a Senior Manager for Affiliations and Admissions at Whistling Woods International, Chris deepen his expertise in forging partnerships and managing admission strategies. Beyond these operational roles, he demonstrated leadership skills as the VP of External Relations with AIESEC - UTS, contributing positively to the organizational climate and fostering international relations.
Notable Achievements
Chris Higgins has accomplished numerous achievements in his career, reflecting his versatile skill set and dedication to excellence in marketing. He successfully drove significant improvements in demand generation and lead generation through innovative multi-channel strategies, which not only advanced the market share of the companies he worked with but also improved customer engagement levels.
His tenure at CleverTap stands out as a critical period for him, where he was instrumental in refining the company’s growth marketing strategies, ultimately enhancing its visibility and competitive edge in the B2B market. Chris’s strategic insights and understanding of digital marketing tools have positioned him as a go-to advisor for many organizations looking to bolster their marketing efforts.
Known for his analytical mindset, Chris has often leveraged
Highlights
Here’s my three-step interview process that can significantly improve your hiring outcomes. 🎯
Most startups, and even many larger companies, have a terrible interview process. The recruiter schedules a few interviewers, and each asks different, random questions. Often, there’s no detailed feedback—just a verbal "yeah, good" or "not that good." 😬
As interviews move to more senior people, they often don’t prepare and say, "I'm sure the technical points have been covered by someone else; I'm just looking at culture," leading to vague discussions about commitment. 🗣️
Step 1: Identify Critical Skills/Experience 🔍
Map out the critical skills and experience required for the job. Do they need to manage projects, code in a certain language, be proficient with software, navigate office politics, or travel frequently to different countries? Be honest about what will truly drive success in this role.
Step 2: Create Behavioral Interview Questions 📝
Develop interview questions that explore each of these critical skills or experience areas. Use behavioral interviewing techniques: 🔸 Ask about real, previous behaviors—not hypotheticals. "Tell me about a time when you..." 🔸 This allows the interviewer to drill down into the details: "Tell me more about X," "Who else was involved in Y?" "How were decisions made about Z?" 🔸 Ensure all candidates are assessed against the same set of questions, allowing for a fair comparison.
For example: Good question: Tell me about a project for a new feature that you were responsible for, that was running significantly behind schedule, and the actions that you took? Useless question: What would you do if you were managing a project and it was running behind schedule?
Step 3: Collect Structured Feedback 📝
Each interviewer should provide written feedback referencing the set of questions and how the candidate answered them.
Ideally, schedule a debrief call with all interviewers—this doesn’t replace the requirement for written feedback.
Benefits: 🔹 All interviewers assess candidates based on the most relevant aspects of their experience. 🔹 Candidates are impressed by high-quality interviews, helping them understand the role’s expectations.
When do you let go of an account? 🤔 When 3 different people in the Decision Making Unit say no to you. 🚫🚫🚫
Not when: 🔹 One person tells you 'it's not a priority right now' or 'we don't have the budget this year.' 🕒💸 🔹 The other contacts aren't taking your calls. 📞❌ 🔹 You triggered an email sequence, and no one clicked on any of the mails. 📧🚫
Remember: 🔹 All your competitors are probably having the same experience with the account today (being ignored). 🤷♂️ 🔹 The account is probably going to buy from one of you eventually. 🛒
If multiple people at the account tell you that it isn't going to happen, then ok, keep the account aside and work on the next one.
But don't give up early. 💪
🔹 Keep building relationships with the account. 🤝 🔹 Keep looking for ways to add value. 🌟 🔹 And ask the marketing ABM team to help! 🆘
