There’s a terrifying realization that normally comes shortly after you decide to become a Fractional CFO:

I need clients — but I have ZERO experience or credibility as a Fractional CFO.

Why would anyone buy from ME?

The bad news?You’re right.

You have no experience as a Fractional CFO.

The good news? You don’t need decades of experience as a Fractional CFO to build credibility.

Here are three simple, high-impact ways to establish yourself as an expert and attract clients faster.

Let’s dive in.

1. Leverage Your Past Wins (Even If You Weren’t a CFO)

If you’ve helped a business increase cash flow, reduce expenses, or improve profitability, you have valuable and VERY applicable experience — whether that was in a corporate finance role, as a controller, or even running your own business.

How to apply this today:

• Reframe your past work into business owner-friendly language. Instead of saying, “I was a controller for 10 years,” say, “I helped scale a $10M business by optimizing cash flow and reducing debt.”
• Write down three financial wins from your past experience that would resonate with potential clients. This actually makes REALLY good LinkedIn content and can be used on your website (or in any other marketing materials).

2. Publish Thought Leadership Content

You don’t have to be a marketing expert to share valuable insights.

The kind of business owners you want to work with respect real-world financial wisdom as long as it’s communicated in THEIR language (not CPA jargon) and it’s actionable.

How to apply this today:

• Post on LinkedIn 2–3 times per week. Share quick financial tips, industry trends, or common mistakes business owners make with their finances. Stories are great here.
• Offer to be a guest on business or industry podcasts — hosts always look for finance nerds like us who talk about cash flow.

3. Get Strategic Testimonials

Even if you don’t have Fractional CFO clients (yet!), you can still collect credibility-boosting testimonials.

You have to remember that your prospects don’t care much about how long you’ve been a Fractional CFO or where you worked before. They care about your ability to create good outcomes for them!

Getting professional testimonials from previous work experiences is a great way to tell that story.

How to apply this today:

• Ask past colleagues, bosses, or clients to write a short LinkedIn recommendation.
• If you’ve done one-off consulting, follow up and ask for a testimonial highlighting the impact you made and the outcomes you created.
• Compile three short testimonials to use on your website, LinkedIn, and outreach emails.

Remember: They Care About Outcomes, Not Credentials

It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that your prospects and potential clients don’t really care about how long you’ve been a Fractional CFO.

The truth is, clients only care about themselves! Thus, they’re most concerned with your ability to help them get RESULTS.

And I’m willing to bet you know how to help them get results — you just have to learn how to tell that story a little more effectively.