Hi Landers! 👋
Today, we bring you an unmissable conversation with Kathleen Forsyth, a seasoned sales expert with over 20 years of experience who has mastered the art of fractional work through the power of referrals.
She specializes in channel sales and customer acquisition, helping startups and growing companies with customer acquisition strategies using modern tools like HubSpot, Apollo, and Clay. Kathleen has built a thriving fractional practice where one key relationship has brought her into 10+ different companies over the years.
🎯 In this episode, we discuss
How Kathleen transitioned from government programming to sales, then from entrepreneurship to fractional work that fits her love for variety and new challenges.
Why referrals are "golden" and how one mutual client has brought her into 10 different companies throughout her career.
The evolution from traditional channel sales to RevOps and customer acquisition with modern tools.
How to package fractional services, from retainers to hourly work, and the mathematics behind pricing your services.
Red flags to watch for in client relationships and when to "close them on a no.
💡 Key Insight
"Every hour that you lose is an hour that you didn't make money. You sat there for those five hours and you earned zero." The trade-off isn't just about getting your ideal rate—it's about the opportunity cost of time spent on deals that won't close versus moving forward productively.
🔥 Tips from Kathleen
Master the referral game and relationship nurturing
Kathleen's entire fractional practice runs on referrals, with one client alone bringing her into 10+ companies. The secret? Never ghost anyone, respond to every text and email immediately (even if it's just a checkmark), and nurture relationships consistently over time. She believes there's "magic" in reaching out consistently—correlation between staying top of mind and opportunities appearing.
The two most successful businessmen she knows answer every single text and email they ever get, 100%. It might be a checkmark, a "yeah," or "hey, hi," but they're always responsive. Think of yourself as the marketing department of a business of one—you should be nurturing leads in your pipeline at all times. Post on LinkedIn, send holiday greetings, and use modern tools to make outreach feel personalized without being obvious about it.
Price strategically and avoid the money trap
Instead of asking "did you leave money on the table", Kathleen thinks differently: "What do I need to have the life that I want?" Use the 50% rule: assume only 1,000 of 2,000 working hours will be revenue-generating, so if you want $50K annually, you need to charge at a $100K rate. Then decide what compromises you're willing to make to achieve that income.
Remember her mentor's wisdom: "Every hour that you lose is an hour that you didn't make money". If they won't pay $1,000 but will pay $500, and you sit there for five hours earning zero while chasing the higher rate, you've made the wrong choice. It's a continuum—balance your target income with market reality, but don't drive from fear of loss. That's the hardest thing to overcome in sales.
Choose the right tools and set clear boundaries
Kathleen won't recommend what she doesn't know how to use, and she focuses on tools with strong support systems. Her current stack: HubSpot for CRM (amazing customer support), Apollo for list building (constantly improving despite frequent updates), and she's learning Clay for advanced personalization. Join tool communities and Slack channels—she connected directly with Apollo's product marketing team through their community.
On the client side, avoid analysis paralysis and over-designing solutions. "You can cook a stew on a campfire or build a house around an oven when all you have to do is cook the stew". Focus on the minimum viable solution that makes money fast, then build from there. Set clear boundaries: three strikes and you're out with unresponsive prospects. "A close on a no is a close"—don't waste brain space on people who won't engage. It's not an opportunity if they're not returning your emails.
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Ping Pong Questions
Favorite book 📚
The Godfather by Mario Puzo (and the movies)
Key habit for success 🧘♀️
Meditation for 50 years. Half-hour daily practice. Started with just 5 minutes using a timer, promising herself not to stand up until it went off.
Best business advice 💼
Always hang up the phone before saying anything. Make sure you've closed out the Zoom call before commenting. Never talk about anybody with an open mic. Always assume everybody's listening. And when you make a mistake, be very honest, don't try to cover it up.
📢 Don't miss this episode packed with insights on building long-term client relationships, mastering sales tools, and creating a sustainable fractional practice through the power of referrals!
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Have a great rest of your Sunday!
