Being Ready, Willing, and Able

You know the skills and abilities you have as a Fractional Marketing Officer. The challenge is getting potential clients to find out about them. Next, it is getting them to see the advantages that you bring to them and how they are better than other candidates they may be considering.

Each skill and positive client experience could become a blog post, case study, and/or video experience you can share with others. Here is something else you may not have thought about: when you can serve clients can be an important consideration for businesses looking for help. It deals with your personal availability.

Availability Can Be a Competitive Advantage

Being ready, willing, and able to work during non-business hours and/or for clients in different time zones could give you an edge when securing and serving clients.

I recently worked on a project that involved twice-weekly virtual meetings with a client at 6:30 AM. They needed my information in time for their upcoming events later that day. As someone who is not naturally a morning person, the good news was that my home time zone was two hours later, making an 8:30 AM meeting easy to accommodate.

Time Zones Create Opportunities

That client would have had fewer options if they limited their search to local candidates. They might not have found the best person for the job if they needed someone available at 6:30 AM.

Many businesses with physical locations operate during evenings and weekends, which can influence their need for fractional services. Finding someone who is clearly available when they need support can be a significant advantage.

Not Every Business Operates 9 to 5

The stock market opens at 6:00 AM for people in the Pacific Time Zone. Las Vegas shows that begin at 8:30 PM locally start at 11:30 PM for those on the East Coast. Some organizations need critical information prepared and waiting first thing Monday morning.

There are countless businesses and employers whose schedules extend beyond traditional working hours.

Use Your Flexibility to Your Advantage

As an independent contractor, consultant, or fractional executive, you may have more flexibility in your schedule than a traditional employee. You may be open to taking on projects whenever opportunities arise.

In many cases, your unique skills could be especially valuable during those non-standard hours. The key is knowing where to look for those opportunities and how to connect with the people who need your expertise.

Make Your Availability Known

Making others aware of your skills is important. Making them aware of your availability can be just as valuable.

When clients know they can rely on you during the hours that matter most to them, you create an additional competitive advantage that can help you attract more opportunities and grow your success.