blog section

Fractional Sales Management: Frequently Asked Questions

Our team of experts can help you understand the nuances of fractional sales management and develop a strategy to increase your bottom line. With our help, you will be well on your way to optimizing your sales efforts and maximizing your profits.

If you're considering hiring a fractional Sales Manager for your business, you likely have many questions. And that's okay! In today's blog post, we'll answer some of the most commonly asked questions about fractional sales management so that you can make an informed decision when deciding if this progressional path is right for you and your team. Ready? Let's dive in.

What is a Fractional Sales Leader?

A fractional sales leader is a person who uses their sales expertise to strategically increase a business's performance without requiring the same commitment and cost of a full-time employee. Fractional sales leaders oversee, providing tailored strategic guidance and advice to help break through revenue ceilings. 

When Should Companies Consider a Fractional Sales Manager?

A fractional sales manager can be the perfect solution if a company is experiencing slow growth and lackluster sales. By allowing small businesses to hire professionals with specific expertise without having to hire a full-time employee, this managerial structure is ideal for many small businesses and startups. 

While it's important to consider fully-engaged employees for certain roles in an organization, fractional arrangements provide much-needed flexibility allowing businesses to work within their budgets while gaining access to higher-caliber leadership than may have been otherwise possible. For example, a fractional sales manager could be the key to unlocking stalled productivity and unexpectedly sparking dynamic growth.

Why Not Hire a Full-Time Sales Manager?

Unsurprisingly, small businesses need help attracting a full-time professional sales manager, as two significant factors hamper their efforts. Firstly, the talent market is relatively limited; most professional sales managers work at giant corporations and are unwilling to jump ship for a smaller business with fewer incentives. Secondly, managing a small-business sales team needs to present more challenges when compared to the demands of a corporate setting.

Company Lacks Sales Leadership

Running a successful business requires all kinds of leadership and one of the essential roles is sales leadership. Unfortunately, only some companies have someone with the necessary skills to fill this role. Finding fractional sales leadership can be the perfect solution for sourcing expertise without completely overhauling existing structures. 

Sales Teams Perform Better With Sales Managers

The success of any sales team depends on the presence of a strong sales manager. A good sales manager serves as an advocate for their team. They create the environment and conditions that allow their team to succeed, providing them with the necessary resources and support. They set clear expectations and provide feedback and critiques that help their teams reach success while motivating them to become even more successful in their positions.

Is a Fractional Sales Manager a Good Fit For You and Your Culture?

A fractional sales manager can be an excellent fit for many large and small businesses. Here are some reasons why:

Flexibility – A fractional sales manager allows you to bring in an experienced professional without committing to a full-time hire. In addition, it will enable you to bring in someone with expertise who can provide on-the-job training and development for your existing sales team.

Increased Productivity – Experienced fractional sales managers can often squeeze more productivity out of their team by identifying and addressing inefficiencies that may have gone unnoticed by existing staff.

Access to Resources – Fractional sales managers typically come with a network of contacts and resources, which can be invaluable for leveraging new opportunities.

Adaptability – A fractional sales manager is more likely to be open to changes and adapt quickly to different situations and market conditions, as they are more used to dealing with multiple clients regularly.

Culture Fit – A fractional sales manager can be an excellent fit for your culture if they share similar values and beliefs about how to do business. It can be especially beneficial for companies that may lack experience in the sales sector, as fractional sales managers can bring their knowledge and expertise to help create an effective selling strategy.

Having a fractional sales manager on board is a great way to add more experience and expertise to your business while providing flexibility and cost savings. It can be an excellent fit for both you and your culture.

What Businesses Should Realize With Fractional Sales Management

Businesses should realize that the traditional route of having one sales manager for their entire team may only sometimes be the best approach. Fractional sales management offers an alternative in which a business can hire multiple specialists who each bring something unique to the table, creating a more dynamic and diverse approach to sales. 

By leveraging fractional sales management, businesses can benefit from improved positioning within the marketplace, broader access to skills and industry knowledge, increased efficiency across organizational functions, and better use of limited budgets.

Day rates for Savvy Fractional Sales Managers

Savvy Fractional Sales Managers typically charge day rates that vary depending on the experience and expertise of the manager. Generally, day rates range from $400 to $1,000 per day for experienced managers with specialized industry or sales knowledge. For less experienced managers or those without extensive sales backgrounds, day rates may be as low as $150 to $400 daily.

Isn't this just a part-time salesperson?

No, this position is more than just a part-time salesperson. This role requires someone knowledgeable about the company's products and services and skilled at understanding customer needs to create tailored solutions. In addition, they must build strong relationships with customers and foster loyalty. 

The job also requires a focus on generating leads, developing and managing sales pipelines, and closing deals. It requires an understanding of the company's objectives and goals and an ability to identify opportunities to meet them. The person holding this position must be able to work with a team and coordinate efforts among different departments within the organization.

How much does Fractional Sales Leadership cost?

Fractional Sales Leadership cost varies depending on the length of engagement and scope of work required. Generally, arrangements last one to three months and are priced by the hour or in packages. Hourly pricing typically ranges from $125 to $300/hour, while package pricing ranges from $3,000 to $15,000, depending on the organization's needs. Additional costs may include travel expenses, technology setup fees, and resources required to ensure success.

What types of companies can use Fractional Sales Management?

Fractional Sales Management can be used by a variety of different types of companies, from small startups to large Fortune 500s. For example, companies looking for experienced sales leadership but don't have the budget or availability to hire full-time leadership may find success partnering with a fractional sales management team. In addition, this partnership benefits companies just starting, as the fractional sales management team can provide much-needed expertise and help them grow their business. 

Shouldn't we just hire a rainmaker to sell for us?

Hiring a rainmaker is one option, but there may be better solutions for your business. Rainmakers typically come with hefty price tags that require considerable upfront investments and long-term commitments. Furthermore, there's no guarantee that their strategies will work for you or that they'll ultimately produce results. Therefore, you need to consider whether or not you can afford to take the risk of bringing on a rainmaker and whether or not they have the right skill set to help you grow your business.

Our firm leaders are really experienced at selling. How does this help us?

Fractional sales management helps firm leaders focus their time and energy on high-value activities with more significant potential for success. By outsourcing the more mundane tasks associated with selling, such as prospecting, customer profiling, and lead generation, experienced firm leaders can remain focused on the most critical areas of sales: strategy development, pipeline building, deal negotiation, and customer relationship management.

We don't have a sales team. Does this approach work?

The fractional sales leader can work for a business without a sales team. It involves outsourcing the responsibilities of running and managing the sales operations to an experienced and knowledgeable sales leader who works on a part-time or project basis. It allows businesses to scale their operations quickly while still keeping costs down. 

Improve Lead Conversion

Companies can now get the best sales talent without having to commit long-term - all thanks to fractional sales management. Instead, companies can engage an experienced fractional sales manager for only the time they need and have access to expert knowledge from someone who has proven results in converting leads into customers. In addition, the fractional sales manager can bring with them extensive industry knowledge and resources as well as strong networks of contacts and potential clients. 

Improve Team Morale

By introducing fractional sales management, businesses can not only supercharge their team's efforts but also boost their morale. Goals and objectives are set to provide focus and direction to the team while developing confidence in each individual. On top of that, fractional sales managers work closely with team members to ensure their skillsets are up-to-date, helping them progress nicely within the group. This dynamic fosters strong relationships between individuals and develops a feeling of accomplishment for each person.

Implement New Processes

Streamlining operations is essential for any business owner, and fractional sales management can be the perfect tool to help them achieve their goals. With this system in place, businesses will have the potential to become even more successful with increased efficiency. It can help identify areas of improvement that need attention while also considering each employee and customer's needs and goals. In addition, this strategy makes it easier to determine where resources may need to shift to provide a better overall outcome.

Free Up Time

Utilizing fractional sales management can be a great way to free up some of your valuable time. Instead of running the whole show yourself, you can offload certain aspects of sales management to someone experienced and knowledgeable. They will take on important tasks like understanding customer needs and developing strategies for marketing so that you don't have to. In addition, it gives you time to focus on your core competencies and other business areas.

Sales Performance Factors

Companies are increasingly recognizing the value of fractional sales management - leveraging expertise on a part-time basis to give their operations an undeniable edge. With executive-level guidance and insight, response speeds improve while customer retention grows - all without sacrificing resources or personnel from within the business. It's no wonder why this approach is quickly becoming popular.

Bring In A New Perspective

Fractional sales management is bringing a fresh perspective to the world of sales. Instead of hiring someone to take on a full-time role in the company, it fills those positions for specific projects or certain periods. As a result, it allows companies to be more targeted and bring the right expertise for the job at hand without having to commit long-term resources. As well as being cost-effective, it can help companies move faster and more quickly to meet customer demands - something every organization strives for.

Cost Effective

Your business is ready to take the next step, but you don't want to break the bank. Fractional sales management may be just what your organization needs! This cost-effective solution teams up a consultant with an internal team for specialized advice and helps optimize one section of the company's overall strategy. It could provide that extra push needed without draining resources.

Get Better Talent

Short-term sales management professionals can offer you specialized skills without any long-term commitment. Utilizing their expertise gives your team access to a wealth of experience quickly and effectively. Not only do fractional sales managers understand how to reach customers and build relationships, but they also bring unique perspectives on industry trends that you might need access to internally.

What To Look For In A Fractional Sales Management Hire

When it comes to Fractional Sales Management, many questions come up. Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of the concept and what it can do for you. AutomatedRev offers sales management services and can be your trusted partner on this journey. With our expertise and the latest technology, we are sure you will get the outcomes you want from fractional sales management. Contact us for more information about fractional sales management solutions so that you start seeing accurate results soon.

Get In Touch Today!

Let our team of experts come in and help startups like you close more deals, WITHOUT
Doing More Work!

Schedule a Call