We’ve all been there. You’re on a call, it’s going great, and then the founder drops it:
“Can you just…?”
“Do you bill hourly?”
Freeze. Wobble. Deal gone.
The traps are always the same:
Saying yes to scope creep without resetting scope
Arguing hours instead of outcomes
Freezing on money questions
Fractionals don’t lose deals because their deck is weak. They lose them in the moment. That’s why I built this swipe file: 21 scripts you can use tomorrow.
TL;DR (Cheat Sheet)
Don’t improvise. Have lines ready for pricing, scope creep, and objections.
Anchor to value, not hours.
Teach founders what “fractional” really means.
Give your champions words they can use internally.
Think outcomes, not time.
1. Explaining What You Do
Founders hear “fractional” and think consultant, freelancer, or agency. Wrong.
Script 1: The Embedded Leader
“Think of me as your part-time exec, not a vendor. I sit in your leadership meetings. I drive strategy. I own outcomes. Not just tasks.”
Why it works: It kills the “are you like an agency?” question before it starts.
Script 2: The Money Reframe
“A full-time CMO is $200K+ before benefits and equity. With me, you get the same leadership for $10K a month. And I can start Monday.”
Why it works: Anchors you against a full-time hire, not another contractor.
2. Talking About Price
This is where most fractionals get sheepish. Don’t.
Script 3: The 90-Day Minimum
“I only work in 90-day blocks. Month 1: diagnose. Month 2: fix. Month 3: show results. Less than that? Waste of money.”
Script 4: The Retainer Justification
“My retainer is $12K. The goal is to return at least 5X that. A 2% bump in conversions = $50K more a month. You’re not paying for hours. You’re paying for outcomes.”
Script 5: The Rate Hike
“Heads up. My rate goes up 15% in January. We’ve expanded scope and delivered results, so this reflects that. Happy to chat about how we transition.”
Why it works: You’re not apologizing. You’re anchoring to value.
3. Handling “Can You Just”
Scope creep is inevitable. The trick is not letting it kill you.
Script 6: Early Nudge
“I’ve noticed the scope creeping. Let’s review changes and how they affect timeline and budget so there are no surprises.”
Script 7: The Quick Boundary
“That’s outside our current scope. Want to expand the project to include it?”
Script 8: The Choice Close
“Our deal is X for Y. Adding this means Z more. Or we stick to the original. Up to you.”
Why it works: You’re not saying no. You’re saying yes, if.
4. Helping Your Champion Sell You
Even if your champion loves you, they still need to sell you internally. Hand them the lines.
Script 9: The Board One-Liner
“Here’s how to frame it: ‘We’re bringing in a fractional exec for 90 days. For the cost of one month’s salary, we get three months of proven leadership that should lift our pipeline by 40%.’”
Script 10: The CFO Justification
“This is a variable cost, not a fixed one. Unlike a full-time hire, you can scale me up or down, and there’s no equity or benefits overhead.”