By Mike DeMaio, MBA, CEPA, Founder & Managing Director, Crown CFO
Every year, we ask our clients one simple but pointed question: how likely are you to recommend Crown CFO to a colleague or friend? It’s the basis of the Net Promoter Score, or NPS, and it’s one of the few numbers in business that’s hard to fake. You can’t spin your way to a high score. Clients either trust you enough to put their name behind you, or they don’t.
This year, our clients gave us an 88. For context, anything above 70 is considered excellent in most industries, and anything above 80 is rare. This is the second year in a row we’ve scored 88 or higher, which tells us something we care about more than the number itself: this wasn’t a one-time high point. It’s who we are, consistently.
What’s Behind the Number
An NPS score comes from sorting responses into three groups: Promoters (9-10), who are enthusiastic and loyal; Passives (7-8), who are satisfied but not vocal advocates; and Detractors (0-6), who have real concerns. The score is the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors.
In our most recent survey, the overwhelming majority of respondents landed in the Promoter category. That’s not something we take for granted. It means the relationship our fractional CFOs build with a client’s team is working the way it’s supposed to: as a genuine extension of that team, not an outside consultant checking a box once a month.
It’s Not Just the Score — It’s What Clients Are Saying
Numbers tell you that something is working. Comments tell you why. A few themes came through clearly in this year’s responses:
- Trust in the numbers: “Running a business without knowing your financials is risky. With Crown CFO, I know I can trust that I’ll be told the current health of my business, and if I need to pay attention to upcoming opportunities or risks.”
- Real integration with the team: “He helps us work through strategic decisions, holds our accounting staff accountable, and teaches and trains them on what the expectations should be.”
- Showing up when it matters most: One client called on their fractional CFO again years after their engagement ended — this time to help take the company through a sale. “I truly don’t know how I would have made it through the process without him.”
- Simplicity and fit: “It was simple to get started, fair pricing, and our fractional CFO is awesome.”
We also take the handful of lower scores seriously — they’re often the most useful feedback we get, and they shape how we support both our clients and our CFOs going forward. An NPS program only means something if you’re willing to look at all of it, not just the good parts.
Why Two Years in a Row Matters More Than One Great Year
Any firm can have a good year. Consistency is harder. Scoring 88 and above twice in a row tells us our model, matching the right fractional CFO to the right business, and staying engaged well past the first few months, holds up over time, not just in a moment when everyone’s on their best behavior.
If you’re evaluating fractional CFO firms, that’s the question worth asking beyond the sales pitch: not just “are your clients happy,” but “are they still happy a year later, and the year after that?” We’d rather be judged on that question than any other.
Curious What That Looks Like for Your Business?
If you’re weighing whether a fractional CFO makes sense for where your company is right now, we’re happy to talk it through — no pressure, just a conversation about what you’re trying to solve. Reach out and let’s see if it’s a fit.