Fractional CMO
Strategic + hands-on
Exec-level experience
Accountable for results
Flexible commitment
Multi-industry pattern recognition
Fractional CMO
Fractional CMO
Fractional CMO
services built around
your pipeline,
not your org chart.
Marketing too complex for a generalist, not big enough for a $200K executive. A fractional CMO fills that gap.
The short answer
CMO-level
CMO-level
strategy without
the CMO-level salary.
Strategic leadership without the full-time commitment: direction, team, metrics, revenue. You get the experience of a seasoned executive who’s done this before, on your terms. Before any of that, the prior question deserves an honest look at whether you should hire one. If you run a software company, the fractional CMO for SaaS page covers that version of the engagement.
Tom Zandstra, Fractional CMO
15+ years building marketing systems for B2B companies. Adjunct Professor of Advertising and Communications. Clients have closed seven-figure Fortune 500 deals.
What we run
The whole system,
The whole system,
one point of accountability.
A fractional CMO who builds the system and owns the number: the strategy and the core execution, with a vetted bench for the production-heavy work. One person accountable for all of it, and a published rate for every part.
The one part we don’t run is PR. When PR is the right move, we’ll say so and point you to someone who does it well.
Every service here has a price on the pricing page. Add what your quarter needs and watch the number build.
How it compares
Fractional CMO
Fractional CMO
vs. the alternatives.
The tradeoffs are real. Match the problem you’re solving. For the fullest of these comparisons, read in-house marketing vs. a fractional CMO.
Full-time CMO
Strategic, not hands-on
$200K+ salary + benefits
Accountable for results
Long-term commitment
Single-company perspective
Agency
Tactical execution
Deliverables, not outcomes
Contract-based
Your strategy, their hands
Marketing manager
Tactical execution
$60K+ salary
Full-time hire
Needs strategic direction
Frequently asked
What founders ask
What founders ask
before saying yes.
Click any question to expand. If yours isn’t here, the call is free.
What happens in the first 30 days?
Week one: audit your funnel, talk to your sales team, and find where the leads come from. By week four: a strategy tied to revenue targets and the first fix already in motion. You’ll feel the difference because someone finally owns marketing instead of just doing tasks inside it.
I already tried an agency. Why is this different?
An agency delivers what you asked for. The problem is knowing what to ask for. A fractional CMO sets the direction, decides what gets built, and stays accountable for whether it moves pipeline. If it doesn’t work, I’m the one who has to fix it, not write a report about it.
How much does it cost?
Engagements start at $3,000/month, with most configuring between $5,000 and $9,000 depending on the depth of involvement. No long-term contracts. Scope gets set on the first call so you know exactly what you’re getting before you commit anything. See pricing details →
Do I have to start with a retainer?
No. The Marketing System Audit is a one-time $3,500 engagement: two weeks inside your numbers, a scorecard against the three pillars, and a 90-day plan in priority order. The fee credits to your first month if you start a retainer within 30 days, and the plan is yours either way.
What do you need from us for the audit?
Access to your CRM, analytics, and ad accounts, plus one hour with you and one with whoever owns sales. If some of that data doesn’t exist, that finding goes in the audit too.
What if the audit says we don’t need a fractional CMO?
Then it says so. Some companies need a contractor, not a marketing leader, and the plan will name that. The audit is priced to be worth doing even if we never speak again.
How will I know it’s working?
You’ll see the numbers. Pipeline generated, cost per lead, conversion rates, revenue influenced, reported monthly in plain language. If you can’t tie marketing spend to revenue within 90 days, something is wrong and we’ll fix it or be honest about it.
We don’t have a marketing team yet. Is that a problem?
No. Some companies have a team that needs leadership. Others start from zero. Either way, the engagement is built around what you need: hiring the right people, managing freelancers, or building systems before you bring anyone on.
What if we outgrow the engagement?
That’s the goal. Most engagements run 6–18 months. Once your internal team can execute the strategy on their own, we shift to lighter advisory or wrap up entirely. No lock-in contracts. You stay because it’s working, not because you’re stuck.
Have a question that’s not here? Let’s talk through it →
Not ready to talk yet?
Start with
Get the free book →
Start with
the book.
The full playbook behind Acculead’s methodology. 104 pages, sent straight to your inbox.
“All of these projects were successful, including 1,000+ registrations for our first webinar. Happy to recommend Thomas to any agency looking for a fractional CMO.”Agency owner · B2B
One call
Let’s figure out
Let’s figure out
if this is the right fit.
One call. We’ll look at your marketing, find what’s broken, and tell you where we’d start. No pitch deck, no pressure.