For consulting firms
Fractional CMO for consulting firms, focused on positioning and messaging.
Whether your work comes from referrals, new business or both, a muddled story leaves opportunities on the table. I bring the clarity that opens them up.
Every competitor’s homepage
“Trusted partner.”
“Proven approach.”
“Client-centric.”
“Deep expertise.”
“Results-driven.”
Claiming you can work with anyone reads as expertise in nothing.
The problem
Consulting firms have a specific marketing problem.
The work is hard to explain. The founder is the best salesperson. And every competitor’s website says the same things yours does.
I’ve led marketing inside a consultancy and fixed it from the outside for others. The pattern is the same every time: the work is strong, but the firm can’t explain it to anyone who hasn’t hired it yet.
A fractional CMO for consulting firms should settle what you want to be known for, the language everyone uses to say it and where your go-to-market spends its time. Positioning for professional services is harder than it looks, because what you sell is your people’s judgment. I’ve done it from the inside at a software consultancy and from the outside for management consulting, research and delivery leadership firms.
I’m a fractional CMO for the brand side of your firm: positioning, messaging and the story your partners tell. I set the direction and keep it on course. Demand generation, marketing operations and campaign execution belong with your team or agency, and I’ll help you brief them well.
When the story stays trapped, growth stays dependent on whoever holds it.
In a consulting firm, the story your people tell is the service your clients buy. When only one partner can tell it, the firm can only grow as far as that partner can reach.
What it should look like
What a fractional CMO should do for a consulting firm.
Find the story.
An outside look at your marketing, your competitors and your strategy, checked against what your clients and team say.
Codify it.
Turn it into positioning and messaging in plain language anyone on your team can use and replicate.
Build on it.
Direction for your website, sales materials and go-to-market, so the founder or leadership team stops being the one who explains the company.
How to get started
The Story Audit
An outside look at how your messaging, channels and business goals line up, and where to focus first.
- Two to four weeks
- Starting at $12,500
- A Findings Report with priorities
- A Prioritization Session with your leadership team
Who it’s for.
Consulting firms that grew on referrals.
Management, technology and specialty firms with 10 to 200 people, where most of the best work came through partners’ relationships.
Firms where the founder is still the best salesperson.
The story lives with one or two people, and the firm is ready for everyone to tell it.
Not the right fit
If you need lead generation, paid media or someone to run campaigns day to day. I set the direction; your team or agency executes.
Proof
Companies like yours.
Founder-led consultancy
Delivery Leadership Solutions
From a long list of services to one clear promise.
Common questions.
What does a fractional CMO do for a consulting firm?
Sets the positioning, messaging and go-to-market, and makes the senior marketing calls, without a full-time hire.
How is this different from hiring an agency?
An agency executes. I find the story and set the direction, then your team or agency carries it out.
How much does it cost?
The Story Audit starts at $12,500. The Story System is a flat fee and Fractional Advisory a monthly retainer, both scoped together based on your needs.
How long does it take?
The Story Audit takes two to four weeks. The Story System takes two to three months, depending on your team. Fractional Advisory runs on a term we agree on up front, reviewed each quarter.
Do you work with companies outside Chicago?
Yes. I’m based in Chicago and work with companies across the globe.
