Stop Chasing Cash Flow—Fix the Gaps That Keep You Up at Night, For Good

For many CFOs, life feels like playing both Chief Fire Officer and Head Arsonist. Every day, it’s battling cash flow crises, putting out fires left, right, and centre—while secretly knowing they’re the ones who lit the match.

Aggressive growth targets? Flames. New customers over retaining profitable ones? More flames. "Closed-Won" deals that haven’t hit the bank? Inferno.

And yet, here they are, scrambling to save the day. It's a balancing act of survival mode today and hoping for financial stability tomorrow—knowing that as long as they keep stoking those fires, the flames won’t stop.

Ready to stop being your own worst enemy? Time to put out the fires for good.

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Dear Marcus,

I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Our confirmed revenue forecast is stuck—constipated, really—and it’s starting to feel like an endless waiting game. The deals are marked as "Closed-Won" in the system, but where’s the cash? It’s all hypothetical revenue until it hits the bank, and right now, we’re limping along with zero certainty on when that will be.

Every month, I’m left wondering how I’m supposed to manage expenses, payroll, and future investments with nothing but hope and vague promises from the sales team. The pipeline looks full, but it’s more like a clogged pipe than a flow of reliable cash.

Please, Marcus—how do I get the certainty I need to sleep at night and make sure that "Closed-Won" means actual revenue?

Sincerely,

A CFO in Pain

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It’s Not "Closed" Until the Cash Flows

Dear CFO in Pain,

The Toughest Question First:

What bad decision are you and your Board repeatedly making, believing it’s right, but it's the very thing CREATING your cash flow problems?

You have the power to fix this today. Stop that one bad decision, and you’ll turn your revenue forecast from clogged to flowing smoothly.

Here’s the truth: "Closed-Won" means nothing until the cash flows. Too many organisations get stuck in this cycle of celebrating deals that never lead to real revenue. Your cash flow isn’t just slow—it’s stuck, and that’s because your team is focusing on transactions, not long-term value creation.

This isn’t just a pipeline issue. It’s a decision issue.

Let’s fix it:

1. Shift from "Closed-Won" to "Value Delivered-Won". The deal isn’t done until the customer sees value—and pays.
2. Turn negotiation into co-creation. Late-stage haggling erodes margins and delays cash flow and often kills deals you may have already announced as closed-won. Instead, design a roadmap where you win together.
3. Build a rigorous post-sale process—track payments, customer satisfaction, and value delivery to keep cash flowing consistently.
4. Stop wishful thinking—your forecast should reflect reality. Track TTV (Time-to-Value) and ensure payment terms are clear from the start. (Which lagging indicators do you distract your salespeople and managers with that prevent you from achieving your growth, cash flow and investment objectives?)

It’s not just about new business. The data underpins what you know in your gut:

• ?? 1,150% profit from CUSTOMER EXPANSIONS
• ?? 170% profit from UPSELLS
• ?? 18% profit from NEW CUSTOMER ACQUISITIONS (Source: KeyBanc SaaS 2019)

Ask yourself: What’s the one decision you need to change right now? Fix it today, and you’ll unlock real, predictable cash flow.

If you haven't worked it yet, book 15 minutes with me and I'll ask you a few questions so you can locate it and fix it yourself. No charge. Expect some uncomfortable reflection and surprising insights.

https://calendly.com/marcuscauchi/let-s-explore-coaching-training