Quick Hit 🎯

The concept of ‘Fractional Twinning’ dropped, with the Times describing it as highly experienced C Suite exectives proviering skills on a flexible basis. I guess this approach of a CTO hiring a Fractional CTO to help out with a specific area or project is where this came from, but I’m can’t help getting Schwarznegger/DeVito vibes from this one…

Fractional Client Whisperer 🤫

The Engagement Playbook: Structuring Work That Actually Works

Effective Diagnosis is Everything

The very first thing every fractional needs is a diagnostic framework adapted to your niche and ideal customers. This isn't just "getting to know the business" - it's a structured approach to understand what's actually happening versus what people think is happening.

Here's what your diagnostic should cover:

• Structured Data Collection: Don't wing it with random questions. Create a checklist of areas to investigate based on your expertise. For sales roles, this might include pipeline metrics, conversion rates, team structure, etc.

• Stakeholder Input: Talk to multiple people, not just your sponsor. You need the full picture, including from potential detractors.

• Data Analysis: Get access to actual systems and review the data directly. Get into the CRM. The back end. The finance system. Time to get your hands dirty! Don't settle for exported reports or summaries - log in yourself and poke around. What people tell you is happening and what the data shows are often completely different worlds. I've lost count of how many times someone has said "our pipeline is healthy" only for me to find ghost deals that haven't moved in 9 months.

• Symptoms vs. Root Causes: Clients typically identify symptoms ("sales team isn't closing enough deals") rather than root causes ("poor qualification criteria"). My favourite here was a client with a ‘sales process that isn’t closing enough’ and it turns out they had 5 different CRMs being manually exported into an excel file… What sales process ??

The diagnosis phase should take 1-2 weeks maximum. Some Fractionals even run this as a paid, standalone workshop - godspeed friends, that’s an amazing outcome IMO. Remember: you're not writing a thesis - you're identifying the critical issues to address.

Develop a 3-Month Sprint Plan

Based on your diagnosis, develop a structured 90-day plan with:

• Clear objectives

• Specific deliverables with deadlines

• Prioritized actions (not everything can be #1)

• Clear ownership of each task (you vs. client team)

• Weekly milestones and progress tracking

Set Up Your Communication System

This is where most fractionals fail: not having a clear, consistent communication framework. Here's what works:

• Weekly WIP Call with CEO/Founder: 30-minutes minimum, ideally same time every week, never cancel. This is non-negotiable and worth its weight in gold.

• Dedicated Communication Channel: Choose ONE primary tool (Slack, Teams, etc.) for daily updates and questions.

• Visual Progress Tracking: Use a shared document, Trello board, or Figma file that everyone can access to see progress.

• Stakeholder Management: Identify and regularly update other key stakeholders beyond your primary sponsor.

Don't do monthly reviews (too infrequent) or rely on email updates (gets lost). Face-to-face (even virtual) interaction is critical for relationship building.

Identify Quick Wins

While conducting your diagnosis, simultaneously identify 2-3 quick wins you can deliver in the first two weeks. These should be:

• High visibility improvements

• Low effort but meaningful impact

• Things that demonstrate your value immediately

Example quick wins:

• Creating a unified view of sales data that didn't exist before

• Implementing a simple sales meeting structure to boost accountability

• Setting up a basic prospect qualification framework

Quick wins buy you credibility and time to work on bigger structural issues.

Develop Your Playbooks

As you implement solutions, document everything into reusable playbooks. These serve two purposes:

1. They allow others to execute your frameworks after you're gone

2. They become your intellectual property that you can adapt for future clients. AI + Frameworks = Fractional Gold my friends.

Examples of valuable playbooks:

• Sales process documentation

• Marketing funnel framework

• Customer success onboarding checklist

• Hiring and interviewing guides

The best fractionals leave behind systems, not just results.

Practical Time Management

For a typical one-day-per-week engagement, try this approach:

• Split into two 4-hour blocks (e.g., Tuesday morning, Thursday afternoon)

• Be available on your dedicated communication channel between blocks

• Book internal work blocks on your calendar to protect your time

• Batch similar activities (all client calls on one day, deep work on another)

Remember: You're not selling hours - you're selling outcomes. But you still need to manage your time effectively to deliver those outcomes.

The First 30 Days Framework

Here's a tactical framework for your first month:

Days 1-5: Deep Dive

• Review all available data and documents

• Interview key stakeholders (3-5 people minimum)

• Map current processes and identify gaps

• Set up access to all relevant systems

Days 6-10: Quick Win Implementation

• Identify and execute 2-3 quick wins

• Set up your communication framework

• Establish baseline metrics

• Draft initial findings document

Days 11-20: Strategy Development

• Present diagnostic findings to leadership

• Develop and get buy-in for 90-day plan

• Define success metrics and tracking mechanism

• Start implementing high-priority initiatives

Days 21-30: Momentum Building

• Demonstrate progress on key initiatives

• Document processes and playbooks

• Conduct first progress review

• Adjust plan based on early feedback and results

This framework ensures you hit the ground running while establishing the foundation for long-term success.

The Reality Check

Successfully structuring an engagement requires intentional design from day one. Don't leave it to chance. Diagnosis, quick wins, a 90-day plan, clear communication, documentation, and an exit strategy - that's the formula that consistently delivers results.

Remember - you're there to be the expert. Clients will respect you more for having a clear process than for simply agreeing to their suggested approach. Own your expertise, structure your engagement, and deliver the hell out of it.

Pro Tip: The magic is often in the follow-through. Many fractionals are great at diagnosis but falter in execution. Differentiate yourself by being relentlessly focused on implementation and results.

Community News 🗞️: Zac-As-A-Service aka ZacBot has launched!

First things first - ZacBot is completely free for all Fractional Exec Community members. I wanted to make our comprehensive 10k-word guide and resources more accessible to everyone in our community, regardless of when you need help.

Not a community member? No problem. Anyone can access ZacBot for just $7/month.

What's This All About?

After hundreds of conversations with fractional executives over the years, the same questions kept surfacing. Whether it's about pricing, client relationships, or finding your niche - these challenges are universal, but the answers aren't always available when you need them most.

In partnership with Delphi AI, ZacBot combines the collective wisdom from these conversations into a digital assistant that's available whenever you need guidance.

What Can ZacBot Help With?

• Real-time problem solving for your specific fractional challenges

• Proven templates for proposals, contracts, and client communications

• Practical guidance on setting your rates and structuring your offers

• Strategies for finding and landing your first fractional clients

• Scripts for handling difficult client conversations and negotiations

Why This Matters

Becoming a successful fractional executive shouldn't require reinventing the wheel.

Too many talented people struggle with the transition, waste time figuring things out alone, or undervalue themselves because they don't have access to insider knowledge when they need it.

How to Get Access

For community members: Log in to access ZacBot for free For everyone else: It's just $7/month for 300 messages

Test it out, you even get a few freebies!

🚨Workshop Alert 🚨List Building and Outbound Automation

Join me for a workshop on building your target list and automating your outbound activity using apollo.io on Thursday 3rd at 11am. This one is for FEC Members only folks.

Want to check out the community? Watch a quick platform walkthrough here

Coming Soon: Fractional Masterclass Series

Upcoming practical workshops for fractional success:

• Structuring Your Fractional Business - choosing between sole trader, trust or Pty Ltd

• Tax Strategies for Fractionals - maximizing your tax effectiveness as a fractional

Dates dropping soon. Only available to FEC members.

Join FEC 2.0 now and get:

• Founding member rates

• Access to masterclasses

• AI-powered member matching

• The complete Fractional Playbook

Not ready to join yet? Follow us on LinkedIn to stay in the loop.

Member Spotlight 👋 Andrew Pfeiffer

"Tell us about your pivot to fractional work - what sparked the change?": Been in the turnaround space for a long time and my time was up there due to the emotional toll it takes. Promised myself the last turnaround would be my last before launching my own business with the goal of working on what I truly love and to establish a way to work for profits rather than wages.

"What's your superpower as a fractional leader?": Being fluent in both business owner speak & finance team speak. Often there is a disconnect between these 2 parts of the business. Talking finance to non-finance people is a rare ability.

"Describe your ideal client in one sentence": Growing Gold Coast based SME looking to expand to the US.

"Share one unexpected joy of fractional work": Absolutely love the business development side of it.

"What's your #1 tip for new fractional executives?" Not to be scared of lead generation. Your own network & LinkedIn is all you need to start. Never be scared to ask someone for a coffee to see what value you can add for each other.

"What should founders know before hiring their first fractional?" It's not like putting on a permanent employee, I see full time value being added for a fraction of the time constantly from other fractionals.

"Where can people connect with you?" Please connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-pfeiffer-b8197019/

"Share a recent win or learning moment": One of my clients explaining to one of my other clients how valuable the fractional experience has been. The learning is that more people are vested in your success than you may think.

"Describe your fractional work style in three words": passionate, strategic, authentic.

"What's the most common challenge your clients face?": Being misled / misunderstood by their external accountant.

🛠️ Tactical Gold: The 60 Second Referral Ask

What it is: A frictionless way to get high-quality introductions without feeling sales-y
Why it works: Reframes "asking for business" as "helping their contacts" and takes all the work off their plate
How to use it: After a positive interaction, could be mid engagement when you have kicked some serious goals say: "Do you know anyone else who would benefit from this?”

• When they say a name, respond: "Would you mind if I drafted a quick intro email you could forward if you're comfortable?"

• Send them this: "Hey [Name], I thought you might benefit from meeting [Your Name] who helped me [specific result]. No pressure at all - just thought I'd connect you two."

  Real example: One of the most killer applications of this is after a discovery call when it’s a no. Seriously. Try this one ‘It feels like it’s not a good fit for us at the moment, but I think you have a good understanding of what I offer. Do you know anyone else I should be talking to?”

 🤖 AI Tip of the Month: ChatGPT drops the image gen Bomb

As you have probably noticed from this edition, those on point images (including the ghiblised Fractional) have all come from the latest image Gen capability of ChatGPT. This thing is freaken incredible and can now handle text in images properly, as well as being able to one shot an entire ad campaign.

You should absolutely be using this for all of your social/blog/linkedin posts. A lot of image gen AI companies just bit the dirt this week, pour one out.

As well as Ghibli photos being everywhere, check out these banger ads whipped up in Chat and start thinking about how you could apply them in your world.

Cool Stuff Worth Checking Out 👀 

How to leverage LLMS - I use LLMs every day and still got a bunch of insights from Andrej Karpathy, the man who coined the term ‘vibe coding’ talking about how he uses LLMs. well worth a watch.

AI meets Music - with the MCP for abelton dropping, you can now vibe create music. We live in the wildest timeline.

Is Fractional Leadership a market? - great round up here from our friend Michelle with some direct stats taken from the Fractional Directory.