So you’ve decided it is time to add a marketing director to your staff. Before you bring your new marketing director on board there are a few things to take into consideration. Currently, the shelf life for an accounting firm marketing director is about 13 months. The following might help you keep your marketing director beyond the current attrition rate.

Make sure that the consensus among your partner group is one of a positive nature when it comes to bringing this individual into your firm. While not everyone will agree, it’s important that the majority do. If not, your marketing director will not have much support and can be short-lived.

Define what you want this person to do. Often, firms know they need someone to help with client development and business growth strategies, but they aren’t quite sure how to get there. While it’s okay to have confusion about the process of reaching these goals, it’s important to define exactly where the marketing director’s authority lies and what types of projects you want this person to be responsible for. If you don’t have an idea of what you want, chances are your marketing director is doomed from the start.

Understand that your are taking a person with a creative personality and entrenching them in a group of people who are very analytical. Having a managing partner dedicated to working with and advocating the marketing director can be a big help. A marketing director is going to need an individual that is a direct link to upper management for gaining insight into what needs to be accomplished. A supportive managing partner can provide a sounding board for ideas and a clear understanding of firm goals.