fCRO Leadership & Revenue System Transformation for ProServ

A 15-year-old consulting firm serving large enterprise clients had recently launched a promising new service line aimed at expanding their market footprint and diversifying revenue. But instead of accelerating growth, the initiative was quietly draining cash and internal resources.

At the center of the problem: a leadership bottleneck.
The Founder was functioning as the Head of Delivery, de facto Chief Revenue Officer, and directly overseeing both Sales and Marketing. This multitasking had worked (barely) for the core business, but it was unsustainable and limiting growth.

To support the new service line, the founder hired a highly capable delivery consultant with deep industry experience—but no sales background. This consultant was tasked with leading delivery, sales, and marketing for the new revenue stream, using the same structure and approach the founder had used previously. Unfortunately, replicating the model without proper revenue expertise proved to be a critical error.

The consultant, while brilliant on the delivery side, struggled with go-to-market execution. As a result:

• Leads stagnated and aged out without follow-up.
• Deals were lost due to lack of qualification or incorrect targeting.
• Messaging and outreach were off the mark, often alienating prospects.
• And the entire initiative remained unprofitable, subsidized by the firm’s core business.

With no defined sales process, limited insight into competitor positioning, and misalignment between teams, the company was bleeding cash and needed fast, measurable change—quick wins in 30 days and transformation within 90.

We kicked off the engagement with a comprehensive Growth Audit, evaluating the firm's marketing, sales, customer experience, and partnership strategies. The audit surfaced systemic issues that had been overlooked, including:

• Misaligned roles and responsibilities
• Lack of defined sales processes
• Weak market messaging
• No lead scoring or qualification system
• Broken follow-up cadences (some delays as long as 120 days)
• Aggressive outbound tactics that eroded trust

From there, I stepped in as Fractional CRO and led a targeted 90-day turnaround. Key actions included:

Restructured the Revenue Function:

• Aligned Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success into one unified team.
• Created clear job descriptions to eliminate role confusion.
• Established accountability frameworks and weekly sales huddles.

Sales Process and Execution Overhaul:

• Designed and implemented a repeatable sales process.
• Rewrote all sales sequences, shifting from aggressive to value-led messaging.
• Introduced lead scoring to prioritize ICP-fit opportunities.
• Addressed the massive follow-up delays with CRM and process updates.

Team Enablement and Coaching:

• Personally, coached the revenue team on discovery, qualification, and closing.
• Introduced pipeline reviews and performance tracking.

Strategic Positioning & Competitor Analysis:

• Conducted a deep competitive landscape audit, identifying overlooked rivals and gaps.
• Refined the value proposition to resonate with decision-makers and reflect actual market differentiation.

This engagement was a classic case of delivery talent miscast in a sales role—a pattern that repeats often in consulting and service firms. By diagnosing root issues, aligning the team, and installing scalable systems, we turned a failing initiative into a viable growth engine. It’s proof that even great businesses can stall without the right go-to-market foundation. Within 90 days, the transformation was measurable and impactful:

• Deals Closed with Less Friction: Higher-quality conversations, stronger close rates, and better-fit clients.
• Founder Escaped the Weeds: No longer micromanaging delivery and revenue; leadership bandwidth unlocked.
• Clarity and Confidence Across the Team: Everyone knew their role, the message, and how to win.
• Scalable Revenue System: A structured, cross-functional GTM model replaced the ad hoc, founder-led approach.
• Trust Rebuilt with Market: Outbound shifted from alienation to engagement—paving the way for long-term pipeline health.