Not long ago, we sat in a quarterly review where the CFO presented a beautifully crafted financial model. Clean projections. Steady month-over-month growth. The kind of linear trajectory that makes spreadsheets look impressive.
But there was a problem—it completely ignored marketing reality.
This disconnect happens more often than it should. Finance teams build models in isolation, assuming growth follows predictable patterns. Meanwhile, marketing teams know the truth: customer acquisition has seasons, channels have cycles, and performance rarely follows a straight line.
The result? Unrealistic expectations that set everyone up for failure.
Here’s what we’ve learned separates strong financial planning from wishful thinking:
Seasonal awareness matters. Customer behavior shifts throughout the year. Black Friday isn’t the same as February. Back-to-school season isn’t the same as summer. A CFO who doesn’t factor in these natural fluctuations is building on shaky ground.
Cross-team collaboration is non-negotiable. The best financial models emerge from conversations between finance, marketing, and growth teams. Not after the model is built—during the planning process.
Tactical marketing calendars inform realistic projections. Understanding how paid media, content cycles, and promotional strategies offset seasonal friction helps create models that actually work in practice.
The strongest CFOs we’ve worked with don’t just speak accounting—they speak marketing. They understand CAC fluctuations, attribution windows, and why some months naturally outperform others.
Because at the end of the day, financial planning isn’t about creating perfect projections. It’s about building frameworks that account for how growth actually happens.
Before your next financial model gets finalized, ask:
- Does this reflect how customers actually behave throughout the year?
- Have we involved the teams who drive acquisition in this planning?
- Are we setting expectations that marketing can realistically meet?
Small conversations. Better models. Realistic expectations.
Modern financial planning isn’t just about the numbers—it’s about understanding the business that creates them.
