Fractionals United Blog

This case study explores a situation at a small software product development company with 6 sales staff, preparing to launch a brand new product offering to market,  and how their GTM Sales Strategy was improved and amplified by engaging with a Fractional Sales Leader.   Context Not uncommon to many small businesses, the company did not have dedicated sales leadership or expertise, so those duties defaulted to the VP of Technology, who implemented and administered the company's CRM system. Despite having no experience or training in sales, he was enthusiastic to learn. Motivated by a recent seminar on cold calling, he devised his own approach for their new campaign. Original Campaign Goal: Book live product demo meeting with prospects  Audience: A purchased list, comprised of potential target contacts Behaviors: 200 new contacts called per day, by each sales rep Follow-Up: Daily follow-up calls for a week to try to reach a live contact or get a callback Demos: Sales reps to admini

Saturday, June 3, 2023 It started as a typical warm sunny day in Austin as Jane woke up with the sun to start the day. Jane is an entrepreneur CEO who started her consumer product goods company right here in this kitchen where she is brewing her coffee. She has fought hard over the past few years through all of the changes in the pandemic and is now on track to beat every sales forecast the company has set, and this is for the third quarter in a row. "That coffee smells amazing," Jasmine says, entering the kitchen. "I am going to need some of that before I even think about opening this laptop." Jasmine is Jane's partner and has recently left MEGA CORP after a 13-year career in finance and operations and is on an entrepreneurial journey of her own as a Fractional CFO. "Just pouring us both a cup," says Jane. "I know you like to start posting your content on socials early to get your name out there for your consulting stuff."  "

When I started my business five years ago, I relied on my network of professional relationships to bring me clients. It worked and I built up a roster of 20 companies. But, like many entrepreneurs, I realized that I can’t exclusively rely on my network forever. I needed to promote myself.  If you’re like me, when you think about self-promotion, the general feeling is cringe . And to make matters worse, I’m a marketing consultant, so I felt like this should be easy for me! But self-promotion is not easy because it’s so personal. I can create product marketing programs for B2B SaaS startups all day long, but I am not a B2B SaaS platform.   Self-promotion is as hard for marketers as much as anyone else, but there are some marketing best practices that we can apply to sell ourselves as fractional executives. I’m going to share a few foundational tips to get you started in a way that feels more strategic and less cringey.  Know Your Ideal Audience. Understanding the audience you’re trying t

Fractionals United is 6-months old and crossed 2900 members. If you've read my other posts, you'll know that I'm a first-time founder and first-time community builder. I won't reiterate my origin story or the lessons I've already blogged about. An additional lesson I'm having to come to terms with is that community is very different than other "businesses." There are similarities and at some point you probably have to monetize, but there are different ways to do so...and in my opinion, that is a means to an end, not the purpose or goal. I chose to make  Fractionals United free and I've gone on the record countless times saying what exists today will remain free. I am told by advisors and friends alike that I deserve to be reimbursed for my time and efforts, and the value that I am providing, and they are not wrong, but I will not go back on my word. Since community is about connecting people, there are countless ways to do it and one isn't mor

“Building a financial model is worthless and a complete waste of time! In building this model, I’m being asked to tell a story that investors already know and have a vision for what it should look like. This is one of those 'qualifying tests' to see if I can manipulate Excel to produce the numbers they want to see.” COMMON EXPECTATIONS These were the lamentations a startup founder recently shared about his views on building a financial model, just before we started working together in preparation for his raising his next equity round. I might have expected this reaction from a founder with limited experience in building financial models. However, this founder had previously led strategy and operations for a publicly traded company and already had deep experience building financial models. Of all people, I thought he’d be in the boat. I was wrong. In the grand scheme of sizing a market opportunity, identifying the right-fit investors, and keeping the wheels on an existing

In today's competitive business landscape, small businesses often face resource constraints that can hinder their growth potential. While larger companies may have the luxury of employing full-time executives in various roles, small businesses may struggle to afford such dedicated expertise. Enter the Fractional Chief Operating Officer (Fractional COO), a flexible and cost-effective solution that enables small businesses to access high-level operational leadership without the commitment of a full-time hire. Let’s explore how Fractional COOs bring tremendous value to small businesses, emphasizing the benefits of their fractional approach. Fractional COOs collaborate closely with business owners or CEOs, aligning the company's operations with its goals and facilitating sustainable growth. Unlike full-time COOs, who require annual salary and benefits, Fractional COOs aren't full-time and have other clients. This flexibility enables small businesses to adapt to changing circums