Late last year, I was chatting with my friend Mark, a brilliant Fractional CFO, as he had a mini-meltdown over Zoom.

His biggest client had just given 30 days' notice.

"I was absolutely crushing it three months ago. Last night, I entered full panic mode and started sending desperate LinkedIn DMs at 11 p.m.," he said.

Sound familiar?

It's way too familiar for me.

If you're a Fractional CFO, you've probably experienced this rollercoaster yourself.

One month, you're turning away work; the next, you're wondering if you should update your resume.

After 9 years of running my own firm and working with hundreds of others, I've identified the three biggest lead generation problems that Fractional CFOs face (along with their solutions!).

Let's dive in.

Problem #1: The Firefighter Syndrome

You know the drill: Client leaves, panic sets in, and suddenly you're a lead-generating machine.

You're calling old contacts, attending networking events, and posting on LinkedIn like your life depends on it.

After 60-90 days of hustle, you land a new client or two.

Then you shift into service mode and completely abandon prospecting—until the next crisis.

It's exhausting, inefficient, and about as strategic as using a garden hose to fight a forest fire.

Solution: The 30-Minute Daily Prospecting Ritual

The reality is that prospecting takes time to yield results—typically 60 to 90 days from first contact to signed contract.

Waiting until you need clients means you're always behind.

Here's what changed the game for me:

30 minutes of prospecting.

Every. Single. Day.

I treat it like my morning run. It's non-negotiable. It happens before email or social media and it's on my calendar with a reminder.

Two things will never happen in my life:

I'll never wake up thinking, "I feel like doing a 5k today!"
I'll never wake up thinking, "I feel like prospecting today!"

That's why it needs to be systematic and on the calendar.

I've seen firms double their client base in six months using this approach.

Problem #2: Fishing in the Wrong Pond

Early in my career, I spent tens of thousands on Facebook ads, Google ads, and elaborate marketing funnels. I created content, optimized for SEO, and even started a podcast interviewing business owners.

Sure, the leads trickled in, but they were rarely the right fit—and the conversion rates were abysmal.

Why?

Because I was ignoring a fundamental truth: Fractional CFO relationships are built on trust, not clever ad copy.

Solution: Relationship-Based Lead Generation

Think about how you find a new doctor.

You probably don't click on a Facebook ad—you ask people you trust for recommendations.

The same principle applies to Fractional CFO services. My most successful clients come from two activities:

Strategic Network Building: Connecting with business lenders, EOS implementers, business coaches, and industry thought leaders. LinkedIn is my primary tool here.
Relationship Development: Having actual conversations with people in my network. Coffee meetings, Zoom calls, or lunch. Focusing on how I can help them or their clients.

Here's a funny story: I once spent $5,000 on a marketing campaign that generated three leads and exactly zero clients.

The very same week, I had coffee with a business coach I'd met at a conference, and she referred two clients to me—both of whom signed contracts within two weeks.

The lesson? Stop spending money on ads and start investing time in relationships.

Problem #3: The Awkward Sales Conversation

Ever had a prospect ask, "So what's your hourly rate?" five minutes into your first call?

Or have you had a sales conversation that ended with them saying, "I'll think about it and get back to you"—and then you never heard from them again?

Those are typical symptoms of a weak sales process.

Solution: A Structured, Collaborative Sales Process

Most Fractional CFOs suck at sales.

And it's not our fault!

No one at our old firm ever taught us anything about sales.

There's a lot I could say about this here; it's probably too much to type out in a blog or newsletter. Instead, I put together a 15-minute video that you can check out HERE.

Breaking the Cycle

Remember my mini-meltdown friend Mark?

We worked on implementing each of these 3 solutions for several months.

His revenue is back up and he's got that sweet, sweet predictable cash flow plus a steady stream of new prospects.

Please hear me on this:

The feast-or-famine cycle legit PLAGUES our industry, but it isn't inevitable—it's simply the result of approaching lead generation reactively instead of proactively.

Start with 30 minutes of daily prospecting. Focus on building relationships, not marketing campaigns. And develop a structured sales process that focuses on solving problems collaboratively.