Scoping your work Years ago I walked onsite with a team, and the client told me he “saw the meter running” the moment we came through the door. We weren’t a strategic partner helping him hit his compliance goal...we were overhead. Any hourly work arrangement naturally leads to these types of conversations Hourly feels like the simplest, fairest way to price, which is why many Fractionals start there. Its a model we all have used and understand: electricians, lawyers, and many other...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
You're the Product Now Many Fractionals start out by leaning heavily into the delivery side: the work they have deep expertise in. That’s understandable...that work is where you have spent decades building deep expertise. But there’s a step before you get to deliver work: someone has to want a conversation with you FIRST. That’s marketing’s job, and it’s a different mindset from delivery. Delivery is the steak. Marketing is the sizzle that gets someone to the table. Here’s the good news: as a...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Mining Your Network Once you know your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile, from last issue), the instinct is to announce to everyone you know that you’re available, or to buy a big list and start cold-emailing. Both feel like progress. Both tend to waste the most valuable asset you have, which is the trust of the people who already know you. Start from the ICP you defined: the buyer, not your peers. Investing your limited sales time contacting people who are more likely to compete than hire you...
2 months ago • 5 min read
The 10-3-1 Rule for Sales You have a great first meeting. You’re sure they’ll call you when they’re ready. In most cases, they won’t. It’s not that you failed to impress...decisions get made based on who’s in front of a buyer the moment they’re ready to commit. If you had a strong conversation a year ago and someone else has one this month, the more recent one tends to win. That’s why sales is a process, not an event. It takes time and patience, and you’ll rarely close a lead in a single...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Finding Your Customers When many new Fractionals start looking for work, they reach out to their strongest connections. It’s the most comfortable move, so it feels like the right place to start. It’s also where a lot of good leaders stall out, waiting on meetings and deals that never come. I understand that instinct. We spend a whole career building credibility and relationships in one domain, and our networks fill with people who look a lot like us. That network is valuable and you will want...
2 months ago • 3 min read
What is a Fractional Leader? Many people put Fractional work in the same bucket as traditional consulting. It is an easy mistake, because on the surface they look alike: an experienced outsider, brought in part-time, paid for their expertise. The difference between the two can be nuanced, but that nuance makes a massive difference in delivery, outcomes, relationships, and ultimately what you can bill your clients, and how well you can retain them. 17 years ago we didn’t have a label for this...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Welcome If you have ever thought about leading part-time for several companies at once, or you are already doing it and want to get sharper at it, you are in the right place. I have spent more than 15 years in the Fractional space, across three firms. My own background is cybersecurity, which led me from assessments, to remediation, to what the market first called a “virtual CISO,” and eventually to something better. About a decade ago we helped build a practice around a simple idea: instead...
2 months ago • 2 min read