The Story Audit · Research and assessment
Know what to fix first.
A clear, external read of what’s working, what’s out of alignment and what that misalignment is costing you. Before you spend on new tactics, campaigns or hires.
Two to four weeks
Starting at $12,500
Includes client and team interviews.
What you’ll uncover
What you’re actually known for.
Where your messaging and channels drift.
What to prioritize based on your goals.
What it usually finds.
Your best proof is buried.
The results that would win the next client sit two clicks deep or in a case study nobody opens.
You sound like everyone else.
Same words, same promises. A buyer comparing three companies can’t tell yours apart.
You’re trying to be everything.
The list of services keeps growing to meet market demand and your audience, and the thing you’re best at gets lost.
No one’s aligned.
Sales says one thing, the website another and leadership a third. Everyone fills the gaps with their own version of the story.
What’s included
A full read of your brand.
Part one
Positioning and messaging review.
How clearly your website, sales materials and content say what you do, who it’s for and why you’re different, scored on eight dimensions from clarity to proof.
Part two
Audience and channel review.
Whether your messaging speaks to the clients you want, across your priority channels and the path from first contact to signed work.
Part three
Competitive benchmark.
The same eight dimensions applied to four competitors you name, so you can see where you blend in and where you stand apart.
Part four
Business alignment.
Your marketing measured against your strategy and growth goals: where they line up and where they pull apart.
Part five
Client and team interviews.
Conversations with your clients and team that test and add to the findings.
Part six
The Findings Report and Prioritization Session.
The Findings Report lays out what we found and what to do about it, with the full scorecard, priorities ranked by impact, quick wins and what not to invest in yet. Then we walk through it with your leadership team in a 90-minute Prioritization Session and decide what comes first.
“Her analysis and summary of insights has blown my clients away.”
Amanda Nizzere, Fractional CMO, AN Strategy
Who it’s for.
Companies that grew on relationships.
Consultancies, agencies and professional services firms with 10 to 200 people, where the best clients came through referrals. If you’re scaling and feeling friction, it’s often exactly the right time.
Marketing leaders who need an outside read.
A CMO or marketing lead heading into a rebrand, a website rebuild or a board conversation.
Not the right fit
If you’re still validating your core offering or don’t have a basic marketing foundation yet.
Investment
Starting at $12,500
- Two to four weeks, kickoff to Findings Report
- Interviews included
- Flat fee, agreed up front
Questions?
What do you need from us?
Introductions to four to six clients, time with the people who sell and deliver the work, and access to your marketing.
Does the audit include the fixes?
No, it’s the diagnostic step. With it, you’ll know what to fix, in what order and what not to invest in yet. The Story System builds on the findings.
What if we already know our positioning?
Sometimes the audit confirms you’re aligned and just need to double down. If it reveals gaps, you’ll know which ones matter. Either way, you’re no longer guessing.
Can it go deeper?
Yes. It can extend to your sales process and CRM, your portfolio or revenue mix, more interviews or more channels, and it scales for complex or multi-unit companies.
How is this different from the Stranger Test?
The Stranger Test is 10 questions you answer about yourself. The audit is an outside, researched deep dive into how your marketing performs in market.
Can our team act on it without you?
Yes. The Findings Report comes with quick wins and a prioritized plan your team or agency can run with.
Why can it take four weeks?
Scheduling team and client interviews varies based on availability.
The path
Then what?
The Story System builds your positioning and messaging on what the audit found.
Phase one · Research and assessment
The Story Audit
You are here
Phase two · Positioning and messaging
Phase three · Go-to-market
The Story System
As you grow · Fractional CMO
