February 20, 2026
Author: Jason Faber
I was on a call with a client last week when I referenced a strategy I'd implemented with another company. Nothing sensitive, just a tactical example to illustrate a point and to highlight a poential opportunity.
They kind of paused and then asked "How many other clients are you working with right now?"
"Four," I said.
There was another pause, and then "Wow. Honestly, I thought we were your only client. I mean, I know we're not, but it feels like we are. You answer Slack and email faster than our internal team. We always feel like a top priority. We're never chasing you for deliverables, wondering what you're working on, or having to ask about performance. You 're always two steps ahead of us."
That comment gave me so much validation because it captures something essential about fractional consulting that most people get backwards.
When someone hires a fractional consultant, they know—intellectually—that you're not full-time. That's the whole point. They're getting experienced leadership without the overhead of a full-time hire.
But somewhere between signing the contract and working together, a fear creeps in: Am I going to feel like I'm sharing this person with four other companies?
And for a lot of fractional consultants, the answer is yes. Clients do feel shared. They feel like one account among many. They wait for responses. They wonder what's being prioritized. They chase for updates. They have no idea what's working and what isn't.
That's not because those consultants are doing bad work. It's because they've optimized for the wrong thing.
They've optimized for managing multiple clients instead of making each client feel like the only one that matters.
One of the things I've learned in my fractional journey is that doing "the work" is only part of the job. Along with being an SEO consultant, I also run marketing, sales, accounting, legal, and client relations, amongst other things.
Here's what "acceptable" fractional work looks like for a lot of consultants:
It checks the boxes. It meets expectations, but it doesn't exceed them.
When a client Slacks you a question and doesn't hear back for two days, they're left wondering: Is this on Jason's radar? Should I follow up? Is he working on something for another client right now? Where is he?
Even if you eventually respond with a thoughtful answer, the silence created doubt. And doubt is expensive. It erodes trust, slows momentum, and makes clients hesitant to bring you into bigger, more strategic conversations.
The irony? Most fractional consultants are terrified of over-communicating. They think:
"I don't want to seem needy or micromanage-y. I'll just quietly do the work and update them when there's something meaningful to share." or "I don't want to promote scope creep or set unrealistic expectations."
That's backwards.
Silence doesn't create confidence. Presence does. Silence seeds doubt.
Let me be clear: this isn't about working 60-hour weeks or being available 24/7 or at the drop of a hat. It's not about saying yes to everything or pretending you don't have other clients.
It's about creating a feeling of prioritization and forward momentum that makes the client never wonder where they stand.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
When a client messages me, they hear back the same day, usually within a few hours. Sometimes it's a full answer. Sometimes it's: "Saw this. I'll have a detailed response by tomorrow morning."
That acknowledgment is everything. It tells them: I'm here. This is on my radar. You're not waiting in a queue.
I don't wait for clients to ask "What's happening with X?" I tell them before they need to wonder.
"Hey, just a heads up—I'm wrapping up the content audit this week. You'll have the full report by Friday. Early takeaway: we're seeing some clear opportunities in [topic area], so I'm flagging that for our strategy call next week."
That kind of update takes 60 seconds to send. But it does two things: it eliminates uncertainty, and it signals that I'm thinking ahead, not just reacting.
I have clients across various time zones. They are founders, CMOs and VPs with busy schedules. We don't meet very often, but we are always tightly algined.
Email is great, but Slack is better. If we need to jump on a huddle, we do it. If I have a bigger update to share, I summarize it with clear bullet points, need-to-knows, and highlight any actions or decisions that need to be made.
I record and send Loom videos walking clients through deliverables, reports or examples. Reduce their cognitive load and help them get up to speed faster. Make it easier for them to understand the context and make decisions.
A lot of fractional consultants operate in response mode. The client says, "Can you look into this?" and they go do it. That's fine, but it positions you as a task executor, not a strategic partner.
I operate differently. I'm always thinking one or two steps ahead and bringing the next move to the table.
"We just shipped those optimizations. They'll take a few weeks to show impact, but here's what I think we should tackle next: [specific opportunity]. This will require X resources and take Y weeks to ship, but the expected impact is Z."
That's leadership. And leadership makes people feel prioritized.
I've seen fractional consultants sabotage trust without realizing it. Not because they're bad at their craft, but because they're invisible when it matters.
You're doing great work. Cranking through deliverables. Making progress. But the client has no idea because you haven't said anything in a week. You're at a desk in Toronto and they're across the continent in Palo Alto. The disconnect is crushing you.
From their perspective, radio silence = nothing's happening. Even if you're working hard, they don't feel it.
"I'll update them when I have something finished."
Bad idea. Finished work takes time. If you're only communicating when deliverables are done, there are long stretches where the client is in the dark.
Instead, share work-in-progress. Share early findings. Share what you're thinking about. Share weekly status updates. It keeps them connected to the process and reinforces that momentum is happening.
This is the fastest way to make a client feel like an afterthought.
Maybe you're deep in work for another client. Maybe you're traveling. Maybe the message didn't seem urgent.
Doesn't matter. When someone reaches out and gets silence, they fill that silence with doubt: Does he care? Is he overwhelmed? Should I have hired someone else?
Even a quick "Got this—will respond fully tomorrow" eliminates that doubt.
When I was working in house as a Director of Growth, I had 3 consultants on contract to run various channels for us. Our most experienced consultant was really good at what he did, and his rates reflected that. But it was very common for me to Slack him a simple question on a Thursday and not get a response until Monday. That is not good.
If a client is following up to ask "Hey, any update on that thing we talked about?" you've already lost. Make them ask you twice? So long.
You should be updating them before they need to ask. The moment they're chasing you is the moment they start questioning whether you're really as committed as you said you'd be.
Here's the part that makes this possible: I cap my client load at five ongoing retainers. Not because I can't handle more tactically (I probably could) but because I refuse to let quality slip.
Every additional client adds complexity, context-switching, and cognitive load. At some point, you cross a line where you're managing a portfolio instead of leading engagements. And when that happens, someone starts feeling like they're sharing you.
I've turned down good opportunities to protect this standard. It's hard. Saying no to revenue can feel painful. But I'd rather underpromise and overdeliver than stretch too thin, underdeliver let my clients down, and hurt my reputation.
People always ask: "How do you stay on top of multiple clients without getting overwhelmed?"
Honestly? I don't have sophisticated systems. No complex project management tools. No rigid time-blocking frameworks. I don't dedicate Mondays to client A and Tuesdays to client B.
What I do have is focus, ruthless prioritization and efficiency.
When I'm working on a client's project, I'm fully focused on it. I'm not half-working while checking email or bouncing between three Slack channels. I go deep, make meaningful progress, and then communicate that progress clearly.
I've also learned to be very efficient with my time. I don't spend three hours perfecting a slide deck when a clear Loom walkthrough will do. I don't write 10-page strategy memos when a concise summary with key recommendations is what's needed.
Efficiency isn't about cutting corners. It's about eliminating waste so you can focus energy on what actually moves the business forward. When urgent requests come in from multiple clients at once? I acknowledge them all immediately and set clear expectations:
"Saw this. I'm finishing up something for another client this morning, but I'll have a response to you by end of day."
That's it. They know I saw it. They know when to expect a response. They're not left wondering.
Prioritization makes a huge difference. What has to happen right now, later today, tomorrow, or next week? Some things require immediate attention, while others are things I can follow up on after I put my son down at night or even the next day.
Here's something that surprises people: I don't make rigid promises or commitments in my contracts.
I don't say "I'll respond within 2 hours" or "You'll get a weekly report every Friday at 9am."
Why? Because rigid commitments create rigidity. They turn the relationship into a checklist instead of a partnership.
Instead, I work from a principle: Make every client feel like they're the priority, all the time.
Sometimes that means responding in 30 minutes. Sometimes it means a proactive Monday morning update about what I'm thinking for the week. Sometimes it means jumping on an unscheduled call because something urgent came up.
I'd rather underpromise and overdeliver than lock myself into contracts that feel overly transactional.
The result? Clients don't feel like they're getting "contracted service." They feel like they have a trusted partner who's cares deeply and is invested in their success.
Fractional consulting is fundamentally about trust.
Clients are trusting you with their growth, their budget, and often their reputation internally. They're bringing you into strategy conversations, leadership meetings, and high-stakes decisions.
If they don't feel prioritized—if they're ever left wondering where you are or whether you're really invested—that trust erodes.
And once trust erodes, everything else falls apart. They stop bringing you into the important conversations. They start second-guessing your recommendations. They look for someone else.
But when trust is rock-solid? When they genuinely feel like you're as committed to their success as they are?
That's when fractional consulting works the way it's supposed to. You become a true extension of their team. You get pulled into bigger, more strategic work. They renew without hesitation. And they refer you to other companies because they can't imagine not working with you.
Your clients should feel like your only client.
Not because you pretend other clients don't exist, but because your presence, communication, and prioritization make them feel like they're always top of mind. They should never chase you. They should never wonder what's happening.They should never feel like they're competing for your attention.
If you're doing fractional work and your clients don't feel this way, something's broken. And it's probably not your expertise—it's your communication, your presence, or your capacity. Fix that, and everything else gets easier.
Am I perfect at this? No. I've had my hiccups along the way and worked hard to improve how I show up with clients so that they feel like my only one.
Because when clients feel like the only one, they act like it. They trust you more. They involve you more. They pay you more. They renew without batting an eye. And they become the kind of advocates who send you the best clients you'll ever work with.
That's the standard you should aim for.
If you're ever wondering if your clients feel this way, simply ask them. Do you feel like a priority? Are you getting enough from me? Is there anything I can do to improve?
Feedback, my friends, is a gift.
