Client Acquisition Blueprint For Fractional CFOs (and COOs)
Kim Willis
Attract Your Perfect Client Online – GUARANTEED
Do It Without:
-
Running ads
-
Being ‘salesy’
-
Spending hours a day on social media platforms
-
Writing oodles of content
-
Spending a fortune on Coaches, Consultants and Marketing Agencies
Includes $20,000 Fee Income GUARANTEE!
I feel I know your business, if only in a superficial way.
I know that Fractional CFOs and COOs have high-level skills. I also know that some of them struggle to find premium clients.
Accountants who set themselves up as fractional or virtual CFOs soon discover that client acquisition requires marketing skills. And marketing themselves is an area that doesn’t always sit comfortably for many practitioners.
In some respects promoting high-level services is more difficult than hanging out the shingle as a traditional ‘tax and compliance’ accountant.
But if you’re like other CFOs I’ve spoken to, you chose this pathway because you want to make a difference for your clients.
In other words, you see yourself as an agent for change – a transformer who wants to help shape your client’s businesses for long term business growth.
You also love what you do.
Offering advisory services and branding yourself as a Fractional CFO is a compelling idea, one that if promoted and packaged properly to the right people, can deliver significant long term profits for you and your clients.
If only. If only you can find more dream clients. As you know it is not easy and finding premium clients takes time. But more than time – you need to have a solid plan and implement it very well.
Here is the method I use:
My Abridged Online Client Acquisition Method
In simple terms here is how I generate inquiries and sign up clients:
- I use LinkedIn to source data (businesses that conform to my ICP – Ideal Client Profile).
- I create and post highly relevant and insightful content every week (sometimes it’s daily).
- I engage with people in the ‘commenting threads’.
- I run an outreach program via LinkedIn and email.
- I generate leads/enquiries from the above activities.
- I conduct Zoom calls with the best leads.
- I sign up clients.
That’s it.
And I do it without:
Face to face meetings
Cold calling
Paid ads
None of it.
Soon, I will share my full 11-Step Client Attraction Method.
After you’ve read it, you’ll probably see the logic behind it. But here is the problem.
Most of the people I talk to don’t have the time, ability or interest in doing it themselves.
Time for a rethink.
The fact that you’ve requested this document suggests you have an interest in attracting more high-level clients.
These are the clients who pay you $25,000 to $100,000 (or more) per year and are a joy to work with.
But here is the problem…..
Hiring Top Marketing Firms Cost An Arm and a Leg
Hiring a top marketing agency to do this type of work is very expensive. Think $60,000 to $100,000. And more.
Not only that; they often don’t have the skills to run organic social media campaigns.
Sure they can run expensive ad campaigns. After building expensive funnels and testing a myriad of ad copy variables, you may start to get some traction. Then again you might lose a small fortune.
There are no guarantees.
And yes, they can prepare sexy marketing plans, and give your website a stylistic makeover. Gorgeous. But none of these things will directly produce the one thing you want – revenue.
This might look a bit bleak, but don’t worry, because today I have good news for you.
I have developed a concept called Partners in Profit.
It’s a certain way for struggling CFOs to get the ‘top shelf’ help they need without spending $60,000+ on a Digital Agency to develop and run campaigns for them.
But before I expand on the good news, let’s make sure you are a good fit for this type of thing….
Who This Is For
- I can probably work with you if you check most of the following points…
- You offer virtual CFO and/or COO advisory services.
- You’re already generating fees of at least $5k per month
- You’d like to get to at least $20k per month in the next year.
- You are clear about your ICP (Ideal Client Profile), and looking for businesses with at least two million dollars a year of annual revenue.
- You have a list of prospective/ideal clients but have not converted them.
You have a good story to tell but are not sure how to tell it in a persuasive way, nor are you clear about how to get the message into the marketplace. - You don’t want to use aggressive sales tactics.
- You don’t want to spend hours a day on social media platforms.
- You don’t want to buy FB ads.
How did you go with these questions? If you said YES to most of them, great. Here is your reward: my 11 Step Client Acquisition Process…
11-Step Client Acquisition Process
The following assumes you already have the strategic elements in place. Examples include Ideal Client Profile (ICP); compelling Value Proposition defined (free of cliches); persuasive Case Study and/or Free Report written; LinkedIn profile makeover done; initial LI posts written; website content congruent with Value Proposition; a Compelling Offer.
If yes, we will move into CAMPAIGN MODE. If not, we will help you upgrade one or more of these areas.
The following steps represent the simple activities that need to be done on a regular basis (four to five days a week):
- Post Highly Targeted Content. One to two posts a week.
- Reply to All Comments. Longer comments work best.
- Make New Connection Requests Daily. 15-20 a day.
- Engage With Selected People’s Posts. Comment on selected posts.
- Open a Conversation. Conversations happen when prospects reply to our DMs or emails.
- Offer Your Free Report/Case Study/Whitepaper. Offered at an appropriate time. Free report: 4-6 pages. Promoted via DMs on LinkedIn, email, or both. These tools are not sales tools, but screening tools. They are designed to identify businesses with problems that your report solves.
- Send the Free Report. Send to all of those who said YES. Send a link to the capture page so they can opt into your email list. Send the Case Study or another type of valuable problem-solving report.
- Follow Up. Send follow up messages to non-responders.
- Send ‘Godfather Offer’ Sales Letter. Primary conversion tool. Send about a week after the Case Study or Free Report is sent.
- Book and Conduct Calls. After engaging backwards and forwards with interested prospects, invite them to jump on an audit call to help them uncover problems and offer solutions.
- New Clients. New clients are signed when the calls are done correctly. Simple as that. Usually, multiple calls are required to consummate a deal. If done correctly 25-40% of calls will ultimately convert into clients.
Here is The Hard Part
This is where it gets tricky. The above format works, no question. But who will do the actual work? In my experience, most CFOs and other experts are too busy to perform the listed tasks on a daily basis, month in and month out.
Besides, most are not natural marketers and although they may start enthusiastically, after a short time they stop doing the daily work and before long they’ve quit on the project.
It’s a bit like your perfect client. Maybe they could learn how to do cash flow management and a variety of other CFO type activities. But they don’t love it and probably won’t do a great job anyway.
Same with you when it comes to marketing. That is why in this era of hyper specialisation we need to find other ways to get the job done. Call it the division of labour, call it what you want, but the fact is that you can do a better job running the financial side of your client’s businesses than if they do it themselves.
Looking at the above 12 Step framework, you will see that there is a fair amount of work involved. Further, a high degree of skill is also required.
So, the traditional choices have been stark: learn how to do it yourself (and then DO IT – every day, relentlessly) or pay a fortune by hiring top talent to do it for you for the next 6 months. Well, today I have great news for you. Read on……
The Trend Is Your Friend
If we take a cue from the US, many mid-tier accounting and law firms have set up in-house marketing departments. Headed by a highly competent CMO (Chief Marketing Officer), the department develops and implements client acquisition strategies.
But smaller accounting firms including Virtual CFOs cannot afford to do that. To hire a top marketer full time will likely require an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
That is where we come in.
We will become your virtual CMO.
But without the high overhead – or the risk.
So here’s the deal.
We will do ALL OF IT for you.
Everything you see in the above 11 Step Framework will be done for you.
That’s right, we’ll become your Fractional CMO.
We do the marketing ‘grunt work’ so you can focus on what you do best – solve problems for your clients.
But instead of paying us a retainer of $10,000+ a month, you pay us a (much) smaller sum for ‘asset optimisation’ work (STAGE 1). For example, we’ll upgrade your website content (if required), and create case studies, email formats and social media content.
And we will run the lead generation campaign on your behalf for 90 days, FREE (STAGE 2).
You WILL Get Leads – Guaranteed
Warm, inbound leads based on your Ideal Client Profile (ICP).
You WILL Get Clients – Guaranteed
But more than leads. We will also help you convert the leads into paying clients. No risk, and no downside for you. Read it again and let the enormity of this offer sink in:
- No financial risk
- Minimal time involvement (from you)
In other words, you conserve capital and transfer risk to us. This is our Godfather Offer to you. It’s a No Brainer.
So, instead of paying us $10,000 a month in fees to conduct campaigns, you share revenue, and only pay us when you get paid.
And don’t forget the Lifetime Value of just one new client. For some CFOs, it will be $300k or more.
Why would I do such a thing?
Most of the money I make will be on the back end. When revenue flows you agree to cut me a cheque, which represents my agreed share.
.
When I start funnelling qualified business owners in your direction, you’ll be happy. But both of us will be happier when they hire you and send money.
That’s when you can write me a cheque based on an agreed percentage of revenue generated in the first year or so.
What’s the Catch?
No catch, but I’m sure you will happily split annualised fees from leads we generate (that subsequently become your clients). So, we run the campaigns at no upfront charge; you pay us when new clients are billed, and you pay us for 15 months. Any billings registered after then are not split with us.
The fact that I am offering this means I am either crazy or smart.
But let’s suppose I’m smart. The mere fact I’m doing it suggests that I’m very confident of achieving an outcome because I’ve done it before.
It’s not gambling for me. It’s a predictable process – more science than art. And yes it’s fun. So let’s make money together.
Why Am I Doing This?
Good question; here are four reasons:
- I Love Collaborations. When I work with good people I become more energised than when I work alone. In other words, it brings out the best in me, which is good news for you.
- I Like to Make Money. So, why not make it in a joint venture arrangement? My mission is to grow the pie, so both of us make money. And to be clear you will make more than me. So if I make $60,000 over the next 12 months, you will make more than me.
- I Like to Help. I love watching people grow; these are the folks who were previously struggling and now they’re generating warm leads and making sales. Life is sweet. I love watching the transformation in people who were previously struggling and are now happy as heck.
- Another Case Study. Building hot success stories and creating Case Studies is one of the keys to fast business growth. So, for this project, you will become another success story for me. Get it?
“It’s like having your own ‘top shelf’ digital marketing agency on tap WITHOUT paying the $50,000+ fee”
Income Doubled In 90 Days: A Personal Story
When I was age 20 I was selling life insurance for a company called National Mutual. I had done ok but was frustrated that my sales were plateauing.
Fortunately, the manager of the sales unit recruited a top producer from another company.
His name was Robert. Robert had a big impact on me and ended up becoming my first sales mentor.
After a couple of months, Robert invited me into his office for a chat. Here is what he said (more or less):
“Kim, I like what you’ve done till now, and you have a lot of potential. But the problem is that you don’t know what you don’t know – you’re flying in the dark. You say you want to double your sales, so my question to you is simple: if I can help you do more than that, what would be your response?”
As you would expect, my response was positive: ‘heck yeah’. From there we worked out a deal where he would help me sell high-commission packages, something I hadn’t done before.
My income more than doubled within 90 days and I split all my commissions 50/50 with him for the next 12 months. I was happy to pay.
So the seeds of the Partners In Profit program go all the way back to that life-changing period with Robert.
Not long after I agreed to work with Robert he told me that he offered the same thing to another sales agent in the office. That person turned it down, and eventually quit the industry because he ‘couldn’t make ends meet’. Funny, eh?
Do you see the difference between him and me? I jumped at Robert’s offer but the other guy didn’t because he thought he was ‘losing’ 50%.
For me, it was a huge win. My 50 per cent share was still more than the money I made the previous year. More than this, the new skills meant that after the 12-month arrangement ended I would keep 100% of everything I sold from there.
A no brainer. And for the first time, Robert’s offer exposed me to the concept of a Godfather Offer. And that’s what I have for you today – an offer you can’t refuse.
NO RISK GUARANTEE
After 5 months, if we haven’t helped you generate annual fee income of at least $20,000, we will keep working with you until we do, for FREE.
About Me
From knocking on doors selling books at age 18 to becoming a million-dollar producer in the life insurance industry, I guess it’s fair to say that sales and marketing are in my blood.
I started to dabble with online marketing in 2006 and got some quick results, and here I am, 16 years later. And NO I don’t want to retire! When you love what you do it becomes a lifetime project, so why quit?
I’ve personally sold millions of products and services online, from digital courses to business opportunities to coaching and copywriting services. I walk the talk. I’ve also helped a myriad of other people sell countless millions of dollars of products and services.
- Highlights:
I started as a part-time affiliate marketer in October 2006, selling financial education products. I quit the rat race after 55 days – I made my first $50,000. - Less than 2 years later I had my first $40,000 month (in commissions).
- A few years later I started to help other affiliates with their marketing challenges. My global training sessions impacted tens of thousands of people.
- In 2015 I developed and launched my first digital marketing course. I sold about fifty courses. No big deal.
- In early 2018 I developed and launched another course, but this time I sold approximately 300 without a cent being spent on ads. I promoted it on Facebook only.
- In late 2018, I pivoted and started working with struggling coaches, consultants and solopreneurs.
- After attracting more than 500 customers/clients on Facebook organically, last year I decided to add LinkedIn to my social media strategy.
- Instead of relying on posting content, I used a direct outreach method. By May I snagged my first client at $6,200USD. A month later I got another one. Several sales followed and in November I signed up my first 5 figure client. A good result from LinkedIn considering I only sent an average of five messages a day.
Rules of the Game
- You follow my simple and reasonable instructions during the 90-day initial period.
- You work with us collaboratively and harmoniously at all times.
- When our activity results in a new client for you, you promptly pay us our share of the fees generated.
- You will not try to ‘game’ the arrangement and will act honourably and fairly towards us at all times.
- We will only work on a project that we believe is viable. For instance, if you chose an ICP that is obscure or too ‘niche’ we may decline to do the work.
Timeline
5 Month Program
The actual timeline may be different for you, but the following example will give you an idea of the typical time frames for each step in the process.
STAGE 1: STRATEGIC FOUNDATION (2 Months). Fee-Based (depends on what you need).
Month 1: Building the Foundation 1. Covers strategies such as your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) Value Proposition, and Godfather Offer. Upgrade your LinkedIn profile, start work on or upgrade your existing Case Studies.
Month 2: Building the Foundation 2. Work on your LI content bank – the first 6 posts. Tidy up outstandings. Develop a spreadsheet of prospective clients. New connections are added daily (Monday to Thursday), and content is posted. DMs or emails are sent to selected prospects.
STAGE 2: 90 DAY CAMPAIGN (3 Months). 100% Revenue Share
Month 1: Lead Generation. Generate your first leads, and introduce them to you.
Month 2: Lead Conversion. Conducting initial Zoom calls. It could also include us doing joint appointments so we can help you nail the Zoom call method.
Month 3: Lead Conversion. More Zoom calls plus follow up from earlier calls, emails and DMs
At the expiration of 5 months, we can review the progress to date and agree to continue – or not.
Irrespective, if fee income targets have not been met, our No-Risk Guarantee will kick in (see above).
The great thing about this process is that I focus on what I do best (sales and marketing) and you focus on what you do best (delivering great outcomes for clients).
Next Step
NEED HELP? Reach Out On LinkedIn
Happy Snaps – From the Archives
I’ve been travelling with my family since 2013. Why? Because I can, thanks to digital marketing. Today I alternate between Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore.
In Siem Reap, Cambodia with my sons
Enjoying our holiday in luxury villa in Sentosa, Singapore
Getting haircut from footpath barber in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
With marketing maven, Mike Koenigs, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
With friend and client Connie Cachia (and husband) in Bali, Indonesia.