Hello,
I'm Gav, and I help fractional executives build content systems that protect their pipelines while they deliver for clients.
'I wrote the emails and the newsletters, which took me days, now I have to schedule all of this? How?'
'Ok, so I have figured out the scheduling feature, I have added it in my automation, but how do I measure what's going on?'
'What the hell is segmentation? Hello? I thought I just needed to write some newsletters and bish bosh, everything's done?!'
Everything above I have experienced and have heard Fractional Executives say.
The frustration is real... but wait... a client is calling, so you'd better answer! Forget about your pipeline for now.
The Implementation Gap Nobody Talks About
Everyone agrees pipeline protection makes sense. The logic is simple...it's cheaper to insure your pipeline than to reconstruct it from scratch.
So why do most fractionals still fail to implement? Not because they don't get it. Not because they're flaky.
It's the reality of implementation that no one says out loud.
The True Cost of DIY
Building a system properly takes 40-60 hours upfront and 8-12 hours per month to maintain.
That means setting up a newsletter platform, writing sequences, automation, branding, and content calendars. And while you're doing that, you're not billing. Forty hours at your rate? That's £40,000 to £60,000 in foregone revenue. (Don't get me started on opportunity loss)
And that's the best-case scenario, assuming you've got a hidden talent for marketing tech. In reality, you'll find yourself Googling automation rules at midnight, tinkering with templates, and wondering why your subscriber list still isn't growing.
Each part is manageable on its own. Put together, it's months of distraction.
The Professional Standards Problem
Your clients are paying top rates for your expertise.
They expect communication that looks and feels like it came from someone worth that.
Sloppy design makes you look messy. A generic newsletter provider template doesn't say 'trusted operator,' it says 'side hustle.' And when delivery gets intense, the 'monthly' newsletter often turns quarterly, then disappears.
Consistency is the whole game. Lose it, and you're worse off than if you'd never started.
The Perfectionism Trap
Plenty of fractionals never even launch.
They get stuck tweaking. Fonts, subject lines, colour palettes.
Meanwhile, their competitors, who launched systematically six months ago, already have professional systems building relationships automatically in the background.
Perfect isn't the problem. Perfect is the stall tactic.
The Partnership Alternative
Here's the blunt truth. Pipeline protection is either a strategic investment or an expensive distraction.
One missed £100k contract pays for professional protection several times over. Two missed contracts cover it for years to come.
Fractionals who try to DIY usually abandon it within three months. The ones who partner with specialists? Their systems are up and running in weeks, allowing them to stay focused on client delivery.
If you do partner, look for:
Proven experience with fractionals.
A systematic approach, not random tactics.
Awareness that your marketing has to keep working when you're buried in delivery.
Your Decision Point
You now know the implementation reality most discover too late.
Pipeline protection isn't a nice-to-have. It's either built to professional standards and run systematically, or it collapses.
The fastest-moving fractionals aren't more disciplined. They're smart enough to treat pipeline protection like insurance, outsource it, systematise it, and get back to what they're paid for.
Want to see what it looks like in practice? Get the 5-day Email Executive Briefing on Pipeline Protection. It outlines the cost, timeline, and partnership model that mitigates the risk.
Because understanding the real cost is the first step to doing it correctly.
P.S. DIY costs you 3-4x more than professional implementation. The maths is brutal.