Hiring your first marketer shouldn’t feel like a gamble.

I help SaaS founders reduce the risk of their first marketing hire by creating the clarity, structure, and teamwork needed for marketing to succeed, even before you write the job ad.

Because even the perfect marketer will fail in a business that isn’t ready for them.
The Solution

80% of Marketers Don’t Make It 12 Months

Most founders think hiring a marketer works the same way as hiring sales, ops or dev.

It doesn’t.

A marketer’s success depends on the systems and clarity in place around them, not just their talent.

Without:

  • Clear business goals
  • Realistic budgets
  • Defined responsibilities
  • Collaboration with sales, product + CS
  • Feedback loops
  • Measurement tools
  • A 30/60/90 onboarding plan


Your marketer would be stepping into chaos, with no map, no compass, and no way to show progress.

And then founders blame the hire, when the environment was the problem.

Your business needs to be ready before your marketer arrives.

That’s what I fix.

The Problem

Most founders hire a marketer as a response to a problem.

  • Growth has slowed
  • Sales are doing all the heavy lifting
  • Competitors seem more visible
  • The pressure to “do more marketing” is growing
  • The pressure from investors

So hiring a marketer feels like the obvious next step.

But the problem usually isn’t the marketer.

It’s the lack of clear goals, realistic expectations, collaboration and structure needed for marketing to succeed.

That’s why so many first marketing hires fail.

Not because of capability.

Because of readiness.

Are You Ready?

Before you write a job description, speak to recruiters, or start interviewing candidates, there’s one important question to answer:

Is your business ready for a marketing hire?

Many first marketing hires fail not because the marketer lacks skill, but because the business lacks the clarity, structure, and support needed for marketing to succeed.

That’s why I created the Marketing Hire Readiness Assessment.

In just a few minutes, you’ll discover how prepared your business is across five critical areas:

✓ Clarity & Strategy
✓ Role Definition
✓ Revenue & Customer Alignment
✓ Systems & Infrastructure
✓ Onboarding & Measurement

You’ll get a personalised readiness score and a visual summary showing where your business is strong and where your future marketing hire might need more support.

Are You Set Up for a Marketing Hire… or a £100k Mistake?

Take the free assessment and find out.

What If You're Not Ready

A failed marketing hire costs more than a salary.

  • It can cost 6 to12 months of momentum.
  • Tens of thousands of pounds in recruitment, onboarding and lost opportunities.
  • Frustration across the business.


And perhaps most damaging of all, confidence in marketing itself.

When a first marketing hire doesn’t work out, many founders assume they hired the wrong person.

But often, the real issue was never the person, it was the lack of foundations around them.

Without clear goals, defined expectations and the right support, even the best marketer can struggle.

The cost of getting it wrong isn’t just financial.

It’s the growth you never achieve.

What I Do

Recruiters fill roles. They do not prepare your business to make that role successful.

I help you:

  • Define the marketing outcomes your business actually needs
  • Translate business goals into practical marketing objectives
  • Identify the right type of marketer for your business
  • Set budgets, expectations and KPIs
  • Build cross-department collaboration and communication
  • Develop a clear onboarding + 90-day success plan
 
You’re not just filling a vacancy, you’re creating the conditions for marketing to work.

How We Can Work Together

Marketing Readiness

Fast, Focused Clarity

A choice of sharp, strategic sessions to answer the big questions:

Are you ready to hire?
What type of marketer do you really need?

You’ll walk away with clarity and direction.
Book your Power Hour

Marketing Hire Strategy Sprint

Perfect for founders preparing to hire.

As a 1 day 1:1 or over 5 days, we build the complete foundation your marketer needs:

We cover everything from goals and workflows to expectations, collaboration, measurement, and onboarding.

By the end, your marketing function will be ready to launch.
Learn about the Sprint

Hire & Onboarding Mentor

Tailored, hands-on support to build your marketing infrastructure properly.

Min 6 weeks, we’ll define your objectives, audit your systems, clarify your role requirements, and prepare a full hiring + onboarding strategy.
Explore 1:1 Mentoring

Why Me

With nearly 25 years in marketing, as a PAYE hire, a department-builder, and a consultant, I see nuances others overlook.

My background working in five countries, running teams, integrating marketing into unprepared organisations, and repairing dysfunctional setups gives me a clear-eyed, practical perspective.

I’m known for:

  • Getting to the point quickly
  • Making complex ideas easy to understand
  • Seeing structural gaps immediately
  • Bringing cross-cultural insight to collaboration and communication

Being honest, direct, and human, without fluff or ego.

My approach is shaped by real experience, global context, and a deep belief in collaboration as the engine of success.
"Annique was pivotal in helping us navigate the 2008 crash. She repositioned our offering, implemented systems to nurture client growth and internal efficiencies, and brought about interdepartmental collaboration. This enabled us to hold steady during the crash and recover quickly."
Colin Bray
MD - Window Designs

You’re Not Just Hiring a Marketer. You’re Building a Marketing Function.

And you shouldn’t do that alone.

Book a free 30-minute 1:1 consultation. I’ll give you honest, unbiased advice on how to approach your first marketing hire, whether we work together or not.

If you prefer to email, send it to annique@tatedigitalconsulting.co.uk
LET'S CHAT
Contact me

annique@tatedigitalconsulting.co.uk
07919610443