I’m an Fractional CMO to Small Business Owners — Here are 3 Insights About Them

Patrick McFadden

In 2012 I started a marketing firm, Indispensable Marketing that works with service-based business owners to approach marketing as a process and develop and define the strategic elements of their marketing before we ever consider the tactical elements.


During this time my firm has had the privilege to operate in a strategic marketing role and me as a fractional CMO for our clients in different industries. I’ve worked and continue to work with organizations from accounting, training, tradeshow services, staffing, home repair services, commercial repair services to consulting.


Whenever I meet with prospective fractional CMO clients I’m struck by how similar the challenges are across industries. Yes, they are usually focused on growth, bright and passionate, protective when it comes to their company.


But they are also some other things I notice across the board:


#1. They’ve been burned by ineffective marketing or a bad marketing approach

Because the resource of time is scarce in a small business they often get hunted down by marketing service firms, salespeople, and consultants all looking to sell under the heading of marketing one tactic or some outsourced element, whether it be social media, SEO, graphic design, SEO, content, web design, etc. The sea of these different types of offering and service vendors means it’s very likely they have been burned by ineffective marketing or a bad marketing approach.


I personally think this is a learning curve for a growing small business owner. It’s sort of like dating. You never know what a good date looks and acts like unless you’ve dated some bad ones. I’ve had clients admit the decision to work in a process way and hire me in a fractional CMO capacity took so long because the whole “strategy before tactics” which we call “diagnosis before prescription” approach didn’t appeal to them as much as the let’s go do (without proper research) some SEO, website work, message creation, branding, advertising, etc.


Read this: How to Build a Marketing Engine That Gets Results


#2. They view marketing as an important investment

Using the dating analogy here: The great thing about our small business clients is that even though they’ve had some bad dates with marketing it doesn’t stop them from getting married. Yes, they view (good) marketing as an important investment — something they spend on now for the betterment of their business over the long haul.


In some ways, because we work with service-based business owners they see marketing as an extension of their current efforts — building the know, like and trust needed to speed up sales cycles with prospective and current clients.


They also view the development and maintaining of marketing assets critical to their marketing investment success.


These assets come in different forms based on the businesses core strategy but can be:


  • Website
  • Keywords
  • Business listing and/or Preferred vendor list
  • Newsletter
  • Proposals
  • Email List
  • Process, Methodology, and Point-of-view
  • Materials and Collateral
  • Marketing Training
  • Employee marketing education
  • Articles
  • Brand — logo, guidelines, graphics
  • Marketing Technology


These assets are not a silver bullet, and they will not deliver instant results. Marketing should deliver slow, steady and often incremental results, but it only will when business owners commit and invest in their marketing.


#3. They seek geometric growth not just linear growth

This can translate to my small business clients seeking to create happy customers through personalized and great client experiences. They want long-term relationships that will grow over time and understand marketing doesn’t end once the sale is done. To them, the end of the initial service is only the beginning of the relationship. They keep in touch with clients from that point forward in a manner that nurtures and further develop relationships.


This results in strategic conversations around growing geometrically with more sales to current clients through:


  • enlarging the size of each transaction
  • having more transactions per year
  • tapping the referral motivation of current customers


Contact your fractional CMO at Indispensable Marketing

If you’re a small service based business that wants to explore if fractional CMO services is right for your business or improve your business’s online presence on Google and other search engines, at Indispensable Marketing we can help. We offer marketing strategy consulting, marketing audits, monthly marketing packages, consultations, exploratory calls or monthly local SEO servicesContact us for more information. 

By Patrick McFadden March 31, 2025
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.
By Patrick McFadden March 8, 2025
Most marketing firms talk about tactics. We help our clients see the bigger picture.
By Patrick McFadden January 13, 2025
Discover how Google’s LSA update impacts kitchen & bathroom remodeling marketing. Learn SEO tips to attract leads and boost visibility in Richmond VA & beyond.
More Posts
Share by: