Fractional Sales Leadership

But first... some common sales and sales leadership related issues. Many smaller businesses face some or all these.

Founder does it all syndrome

It is so common so see the founder of a business trying to wear all the hats. Are they a good or even great salesperson? They are likely the best in the company. Does this mean they have the best-selling skillset? Generally, no! They have tenacity and a pretty good personality, and they have pushed thru to some degree of success.

Then, they hit a wall. They hire a salesperson or two, or six. They say to these salespeople, go out and do what I did! But that hardly ever works. So, they are all (all of them) frustrated.

Promote the best salesperson syndrome

The previous “syndrome” is typically followed by this one. You know you need some help, so… you do like most do, you promote your best salesperson to sales manager. OUCH! The skills that took them to the top in sales, will almost NEVER translate into sales leadership success. Totally different set of skills.

Therefore, the average tenure for a sales leader is 18 months and shrinking. Sales management is arguably one, if not the hardest job in the building. Don’t lose your top sales rep by subjecting them to the rigors of sales manager.

Just hope and pray syndrome

Hope is never a good strategy. Sales leadership is part science and part art. There are four distinct hats that the sales leader must wear (Manager, Supervisor, Coach and Mentor). There’s a fifth if you consider Recruiting & Hiring. This one should never come off. Recruiting and hiring is an “always-on” hat. Building your bench is so important.

I’m pretty sure I can conjure up a few dozen more “syndromes” but that’s not the title of this post. Let’s get to 10 great reasons to consider Fractional Sales Leadership.

A Dozen great reasons to consider Fractional Sales Leadership

1. Experience – You should expect a Fractional Sales Leader to have lots of it. Maybe 25 years of leadership experience, or more.
2. Perspective – They come from the outside. They will bring different ways of thinking about your situation. The definition of insanity is expecting different results from the same thinking. It may be time for a new perspective.
3. Accountability – They likely have a wealth of experience creating a culture of accountability. Measurable accountability
4. Your Time – As the business leader, it’s time to focus on working on vs. in the sales end of your business. Get your time and focus back.
5. Sales Strategy – Assess and make recommendations for reaching your target market.
6. Sales Process Design and Execution – It’s time to put a formal sales process in place. All great teams need a playbook, shouldn’t you have one?
7. Manage, Coach and Mentor – Managing, coaching and mentoring salespeople is not intuitive, tap into an expert.
8. Hire and Keep Great Salespeople – Take out the guesswork. Develop a formal, effective plan for recruiting, hiring, and onboarding great salespeople.
9. Develop Your Team – Personal and Professional Development takes time and pays huge dividends.
10. Save Money – A good Fractional Sales Leader will save you money because they don’t require bonuses, benefits, and perks that come with a full-time sales leader.
11. Peace of Mind - As a great entrepreneur, you are expert at creating wealth through the value you bring to the market. Many entrepreneurs fill their bank account and wind up emptying their soul. That’s not worth it! Fractional Sales Leadership can help you regain that Peace of Mind.
12. The Ultimate Goal – A good Fractional Leader will always have it as a goal to work themselves out of a job. Meaning, let them help you attract and develop the full-time leader you need, when the time is right.

All or some of these may resonate with you. It may or may not make sense for your business…

However, it’s probably worth a conversation to see if it’s valuable to co-create the perfect fit.

Let’s talk. - Frank  817-771-1313