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Fractional CRO/Fractional VP of Sales
Fractional CRO

Fractional VP of Sales

Sales leadership that carries the number, not just the playbook.

Plenty of companies have salespeople and no sales leader, or a leader who is really the best seller with a title. A fractional VP of sales takes the seat part time, builds the process and the forecast, and makes the team better than the sum of its reps.

40–70Hours a month, ongoing
60–100Hours, as interim head of sales
1Forecast the board can use
0Recruiting delay to get started

What Is a Fractional VP of Sales?

A fractional VP of sales is an experienced sales executive who leads your sales team on a part-time or contract basis. They own the pipeline, the sales process, hiring and coaching, and the forecast, and they answer for the number the team carries.

The title varies. Fractional sales leader, fractional head of sales and fractional VP of sales describe the same seat. What separates it from a fractional CRO is scope: a VP of sales leads sales; a CRO leads the whole revenue engine, sales, marketing alignment and retention, under one number.

VP of Sales, CRO or Sales Consultant

Fractional VP of salesFractional CROSales consultant
ScopeThe sales teamSales, marketing alignment and retentionA defined problem
Owns the numberYesYes, the whole revenue numberNo, recommends
Manages the repsYesThrough the sales leaderNo
Best whenSales is the constraintSales and marketing are misalignedThe fix is narrow and known

Signs You Need One

Founder still sellingThe founder closes most of the deals, and growth is capped at their calendar.
A forecast nobody believesCommits slip every quarter, and the board has stopped taking the number at face value.
Reps without a systemEvery seller runs their own process, so wins cannot be repeated and misses cannot be diagnosed.
A leader just leftThe VP of sales is gone and the pipeline is drifting. That is the interim head of sales model below.

Three Ways to Engage

FractionalOngoing sales leadership at 40 to 70 hours a month: process, pipeline reviews, hiring, coaching and the forecast.
InterimNear full-time coverage at 60 to 100 hours a month when a sales leader leaves, then help defining and sourcing the permanent one.
Team optimizationAn overlay on a team that is underperforming: assess it, fix the process and get more from the people you have before adding headcount. See Revenue Acceleration.

What Changes in the First Hundred Days

PlanStages defined by what the buyer has done, not by rep opinion, and one definition of a qualified opportunity shared with marketing.
ActivateA weekly pipeline review with a single forecast method, and an account plan for the deals that matter most.
AccelerateCoaching focused on the stage where deals die, and hiring against a profile built from the reps who win.
SustainAfter day 100: a lighter retainer, your own full-time VP of sales, or a fractional CRO if the constraint turned out to be bigger than sales.

Questions

What does a fractional VP of sales do?

Leads your sales team part time: the sales process, pipeline reviews, hiring and coaching, and the forecast. They carry the team number the way a full-time VP of sales would.

What is the difference between a fractional VP of sales and a fractional CRO?

Scope. A fractional VP of sales leads the sales team. A fractional CRO leads the whole revenue engine, including marketing alignment and customer retention, under one number.

Is a fractional sales leader the same as a fractional VP of sales?

Yes. Fractional sales leader, fractional head of sales and fractional VP of sales describe the same part-time executive seat.

How many hours does a fractional VP of sales work?

Ongoing engagements run 40 to 70 hours a month. An interim head of sales covering a departure works 60 to 100.

Can a fractional VP of sales hire and manage my reps?

Yes. Hiring, coaching and managing the team is the core of the role, along with the process and the forecast.

When should I hire a full-time VP of sales instead?

When the team is large enough to need a leader every day and the sales motion is proven. A fractional VP of sales often builds that motion and the job description for the permanent hire.

Ready to talk?

Thirty minutes is usually enough to know whether this is the right seat for you.

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