Navigating board meetings as a marketer (without losing the plot)

Board meetings can be brutal for marketers. You’re trying to simplify something messy and nuanced, in a room full of people who (usually) don’t understand how marketing works.

But you’ve only got 20 minutes to make the case for why marketing deserves the budget, the headcount, and a seat at the strategic table.

Here’s how to make those meetings count and avoid the common traps.

Where marketers go wrong in board meetings

Let’s start with the classic mistakes:

• Too high-level or too tactical.

'We ran a campaign' – too vague. 'We built a multi-touch ABM sequence that generated 80 demo requests from tier 1 accounts' – better.

• No link to business outcomes.

Activities mean nothing unless tied to revenue, pipeline, or efficiency. Don’t just say “content campaign” – say '£1.2M in sourced pipeline from product launch content.'

• Can’t go deep on the numbers.

  You’ll be asked: 'Why’s CAC up?' 'Why are conversions down?' Be ready. Surface the headlines, but know the details.

Changing format every time.

If the structure, KPIs or dashboards change each meeting, it signals you’re not in control. Pick a format and stick with it.

No vision.

Don’t just report on what happened. Show where you’re going. What’s your next big swing?

Talk like a non-marketer

Boards don’t speak marketing. Your job is to translate.

• Please keep it simple. No acronyms, no waffle.

• Focus on the top three levers – what’s moving the needle?

• 5 slides max. If you need more, you’re trying to say too much.

• Reuse the same format every quarter. It makes it easier to track progress (and harder to poke holes).

Changing how you talk about marketing each time doesn’t make you look adaptable. It makes you look unsure.

The board wants you to win

This is important. Most board members aren’t out to get you. They’re backing the business, which means they’re backing you, if you can show you’re part of the growth story.

So:

• Be confident. If you’re nervous, they’ll pick up on it.

• Think ahead—where do you want input? Do you need help breaking into a new market? Are you unsure about team structure? Ask.

Structure your content around what the board cares about

This is where marketers often overcomplicate. There are only three things the board really wants to know:

1. Are you building enough pipeline to hit this year’s targets?

   '2.4M sourced this quarter – 50% from self-serve, 30% outbound, 20% partners.'

2. Are you building awareness for future growth?

   'We’ve engaged 25% of our target accounts via our content academy in the last 90 days – up from 12% last quarter.'

3. Are you improving efficiency and scale?

   'We cut CAC from 18 months to 12 by overhauling the website journey and reducing reliance on paid.'

   
   

Always include a highlights + lowlights slide.

Get credit for the wins, and get ahead of the problems.

Highlight:

'Brand relaunch drove 38% increase in direct traffic and landed us on the radar with XYZ analyst.'

Lowlight:

'Paid social leads down 25% – looks like creative fatigue. In testing phase now.'

Be honest. Straight talk builds trust.

Know your numbers – and your levers

You don’t have to show every metric, but you need to know what’s behind the ones you show. Be ready to go a few levels deeper:

• Why is paid CAC up?

• Why is conversion on the homepage down?

• Do you really need 12 people in the team?

This is the bit that builds credibility. Own it.

Save the shiny for the end

Brand, creative and content hit harder after you’ve made the revenue case.

Use the last few minutes to show what’s coming:

• Sneak peek of the new campaign:

  'Launching next quarter: "Do more with less" – targeting CFOs, focused on cost-saving stories from real customers.'

• Early signals:

  'Test campaign drove a 29% view-through rate, and we’ve already had five inbound requests off the back of it.'

  
  

It brings the story to life and reminds them why marketing matters.

Build relationships between the meetings

This is probably the most underused move - meet board members 1:1 before the meeting if possible.

Ask them:

'What do you want to see next time?'

'Where should I focus more/less?”

Use this time to educate them and align on strategy. This will help build alignment in meetings.

Align with your CEO ahead of the meeting.

They’ve got a better read on the mood in the room and where to focus and this is invaluable for your presentation

Final thoughts

Your job in that boardroom is to represent marketing as a growth engine. That means showing up with clarity, confidence, and control.

Speak in business terms. Know your numbers. Don’t be afraid to show ambition.

And remember – the board doesn’t want more marketing slides. They want to feel confident that marketing is driving the business forward. If you need help or advice on how to best set up your board deck, feel free to contact us.