Score each proposal against the work your business needs: the decisions the CMO will own, people they will manage, execution capacity, access to evidence, meeting cadence, first-phase outputs and handover. A lower fee is not a saving if the missing work returns to the founder.
Start with a one-page mandate
Before reading fees, write the problem you want the engagement to solve. Is the company choosing a market, rebuilding the message, managing a team, fixing demand quality or coordinating agencies? Note what the founder currently decides, which decisions are delayed, and who can execute a new direction. A proposal that does not address the mandate is incomplete even if its deliverables look impressive.
Give each candidate the same context and ask them to explain what they would own in the first ninety days. The services scope guide describes common boundaries, but your scorecard should reflect the actual gaps in your company.
Score the work, not the vocabulary
Use five fields, each scored from zero to two: decision authority, team and agency leadership, execution plan, evidence and reporting, and handover. Zero means absent; one means mentioned without an owner or timing; two means specific and testable. Add notes explaining each score. A weighted score is useful only if you agree which fields matter most before seeing prices.
For decision authority, ask who can change target segments, budgets or campaign priorities. For team leadership, name the people the CMO will direct and the meetings they will run. For execution, list what the CMO personally produces and what requires employees, contractors or a separate agency. For evidence, specify access to customer calls, CRM, analytics and sales reviews. For handover, ask what documents and operating habits will remain.
Compare a complete operating cost
A hypothetical proposal A might cost less because the founder still briefs the agency, hires the marketer and prepares the board update. Proposal B might cost more but own those tasks. Neither is automatically better. Add the cost of the work outside the retainer: staff, media, contractors and founder time. The budget guide helps separate leadership cost from the cost of doing marketing.
Check availability and response rules. “Two days per week” does not tell you whether urgent decisions are covered, whether the CMO attends sales reviews, or what happens during travel or leave. Ask for a normal-week example and one difficult-week example.
Make the first phase reversible
Agree an initial diagnosis, a short decision log, a small set of priorities and a review date. Define what would lead you to continue, change the scope or stop. Avoid treating a polished deck as proof that the function is working; inspect whether the team can act on the decisions and whether early evidence improves.
Apply this to your business
Write the five scorecard fields in a table, add the founder tasks each proposal leaves open, and have both candidates explain the omissions. The best proposal is the one whose responsibilities, limits and full cost match the stage you are in.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose the proposal with the most hours?
Not automatically. Hours matter when the workload demands availability, but the value depends on the decisions, management responsibility and execution model those hours cover.
Can a proposal guarantee pipeline growth?
It can define measurable work and leading indicators, but a credible leader should not guarantee a revenue outcome they do not fully control. Ask for assumptions and checkpoints.
Have two proposals that look difficult to compare?
Bring the scope documents and the decisions your company needs made. Mohit can help identify what is included, what remains with you and which model fits the stage.
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