Being a fractional executive, consultant or trusted advisor to business owners is exhilarating, creative, energizing, impactful and fun.
It can also be scary, frustrating, and nerve-racking.
Depending on the hour. Depending on the day.
For me, having more energizing, impactful days and fewer scary days comes from implementing these four pillars of fractional success.
- A well-designed business development strategy and consistent sales process to find and close right fit clients.
- A proven system of client engagement that produces targeted results and an exceptional client experience.
- A thriving community of peers that encourages your growth and supports your success.
- A repeatable business model that drives high performance and productivity from you and your team.
Business Development & Sales
Ideal Client Profile
I won’t bore you with the basics. I assume you know who your best target client is, where to find them and what their needs are. You’ve got a standard client profile.
So now, add the following info to your client profile or persona: find out what triggers their buying decision.
What creates the insatiable appetite in them for what you have to offer?
If they have the appetite and the need, who do they turn to for information and advice? Those are the people you need as part of your power partner network.
The answers to these questions will completely change the power of your Ideal Client Profile, making it a real asset in your brand positioning and messaging.
Invest in a lead generation/CRM platform.
When you are wearing most, if not all, of the business, marketing and sales hats in your fractional business, trying to keep track of leads, prospects, lead stages, etc. is too much to handle in a standard spreadsheet or event worse, Outlook files (You know who you are!).
Here are three options to consider:
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The popular and pervasive LinkedIn sales assistant is a solid go-to for LinkedIn prospecting. It has gotten stronger with more filters for zeroing in on your Ideal client profile and for HubSpot users, HubSpot is not integrated with LinkedIn Sales Navigator. This allows you to view LinkedIn insights on your HubSpot contact and company records and send InMails directly from HubSpot.
- Mimiran. Mimiran is a CRM developed by sales guru @reubenswartz specifically for fractionals and solo consultants. What I love about Mimiran is that it much more than a contact manager/lead tracker. Mimiran provides real step by step sales guidance for non-salesy types on the sales fundamentals like client targeting, personas and referral tracking. Check it out here. https://www.mimiran.com/
- Mylance. For fractionals looking for more of a done-for-you prospecting service, Mylance is a great choice. An experienced sales team will find outbound sales opportunities for you. All you need to do is show up and close the deal. Mylance will also produce thought leadership content for you. Check it out here. (Affiliate link) https://mylance.co/users/sign_up?fpr=clare-33
Customer Sales Journey Process
Document the sales journey you and your prospect will take from first conversation to client sign up. Three key steps include:
Proven System of Client Engagement
Ever experience this? “My days are full of clients. It’s great! I’m feeling the impact I’m having on their business. I don’t have time to find new clients. My pipeline dries up. Then my clients cycle out. Now I have to find new ones. Time to restart my marketing engine.”
I developed the Octain Growth System (OGS) exactly to address that dilemma. OGS is a turnkey marketing operating system to streamline client engagement.
It’s Process-Driven. OGS is tightly integrated system of frameworks, proven processes and tools that takes you step by step through the client engagement, practically building your client deliverables for you.
It’s Efficient. OGS cuts the time it takes to do a client engagement by 50-70%, giving you the time you need for more business development, to keep your pipeline and client roster full.
It’s Proven. The Octain Growth System has been delivering 2X to 10X results for our 300+ clients in 22 different industries for 10 years.
Interested in learning how we do it?
Business Model
You must a business model that allows you to meet your business AND personal life goals or you’ll end up ping-ponging through the day, the months, the year. Trust me I know!
Five areas to focus on here are:
- Start with documenting your time and how you will handle the day to day.
- Hire a virtual assistant and bookkeeper.
- Invest in a productivity system like Monday, Asana or ClickUp.
Community
Being a fractional executive or consultant can be a lonely road. It often lacks the comradery of being part of a corporate business team. That’s why being a member of a peer group community is so important to factional success. Turn to your peer group community for networking, support, and knowledge sharing. These communities provide opportunities to exchange ideas, stay up to date on industry trends, and gain insights from others’ experiences. Additionally, peer groups offer emotional support and accountability, helping you overcome challenges and achieve professional growth. There are lots of great peer groups to consider including Fractionals United and Fractional Business Partners. Both of which I belong to.
Being a fractional executive, consultant or trusted advisor to business owners is exhilarating, creative, energizing, impactful and fun.
Having more energizing, impactful days and fewer scary days is the result of implementing these four pillars of fractional success.
If you need help developing any of these, please set up a call and let’s chat about it.