Fractional sales leadership
Moving beyond founder-led sales
Founder-led sales means every deal depends on the founder: their network, their pitch, their sign-off. It works until the founder runs out of hours. I build a repeatable way to win business beyond your network, and the rules that let terms, discounts and negotiations move without you, so growth stops waiting for your diary.
Signs you're stuck in founder-led sales
- All new business comes from your network and referrals
- Deals stall while they wait for you to approve terms, discounts or the next step
- Your salespeople can't close without you on the call
- Growth slows every time delivery keeps you busy
What do I do?
Two things. I build a way to win business outside your network: the ideal customer profile, outbound and a process your team can follow. And I write the rules that let deals move without you: who can approve which terms, what discounts are allowed and when, and which deals still need you in the room.
What you get
- A repeatable way to generate new business beyond your network
- Approval rules for terms, discounts and negotiations
- A sales process your team can run, written down
- A clear view of which deals still need you
Worth knowing: You stay in the deals where you add most. The aim is growth that doesn't wait for your diary.
How it runs
Diagnosis, then the process and approval rules, then outbound tested and changed until it works. It often pairs with a go-to-market strategy. Before you hire to fix it, run the numbers through the hire cost calculator.
From experience
Seehab AhmedFounder, Stratus Growth
At an engineering software business, every previous sale had come through the founder's relationships. There was no repeatable way to win business outside that network, so the founder was the bottleneck on growth. The process had to be built from scratch, tested and changed until it worked.
If the founder still has to sign off everything, there will always be a bottleneck on how quickly a deal can move.
Related
- ServiceFractional sales leadershipFractional commercial leadership gives a founder-led business a senior sales leader for a day or two a week. I find what's broken in your sales system, or build it from scratch, and make the people already selling more successful. You get a working system you can see and run, and you own all of it.
- ServiceGo-to-market strategyWho to sell to, what to say, which channels and in what order, tested with real prospects within weeks.
- ServiceFractional sales directorA senior sales leader in your business one day a week, running the system, coaching the team and working live deals.
- IndustryMarketing agenciesI ran a 25-person sales organisation at an award-winning UK performance marketing agency. Agency sales, and AI for agency teams.
- BookFree scoping call60 minutes on what's happening in your business and whether I'm the right person to help. If I can't help, I'll tell you what would.
- ServiceSales process and playbookThe stages, qualification and handovers written down, so every lead gets handled the same way.
Questions people ask
When should a founder stop selling?
Should my first sales hire be senior or junior?
Two ways to start
Free
You're weighing up ongoing help
A 60-minute call to work out what's going on and whether I'm the right person to fix it. If I'm not, I'll say so on the call and tell you what would help instead.
£150 · One hour · No VAT is charged
You have one question that needs a straight answer
Bring the question. You leave the hour with my answer and the reasoning behind it, with no retainer and no obligation afterwards.
Not sure which? Answer three questions and I'll point you to the right one.