Fractional VP of Sales
A fractional VP of Sales is a senior sales executive who leads your sales team part-time — typically 5–15 hours a week — for a monthly retainer instead of a full-time salary. Enki Ventures provides fractional sales leadership to B2B companies with $2M–$40M in revenue: building the sales process, coaching reps, running pipeline reviews, and hiring the team that carries it forward.
By Chris Perry, OMG Certified Partner · Updated
What does a fractional VP of Sales do?
The same job a full-time VP of Sales does — setting direction, building the system, and developing the people — compressed into the hours that matter most. At Enki that means:
- Strategic sales planning and execution. Targets, territories, ideal client profile, and a plan the team can actually run, not a slide deck that sits in a drawer.
- Sales team coaching and development. One-on-ones and call coaching built around consultative selling, so reps get better every week instead of repeating the same mistakes.
- Pipeline management and forecasting. Clear stage definitions and exit criteria, so the forecast stops being a guess.
- Weekly pipeline reviews and coaching. A steady rhythm that keeps deals moving and holds the team accountable to the behaviors that create revenue.
- Board and investor reporting. Numbers and narrative your board can trust, presented by someone who has run sales organizations.
Fractional vs. full-time VP of Sales
Neither option is better in the abstract. The right choice depends on whether you need someone to build the machine or someone to run a machine that already works.
| Fractional VP of Sales | Full-time VP of Sales | |
|---|---|---|
| Time commitment | 5–15 hours a week | 40+ hours a week |
| Cost | Monthly retainer | Salary, bonus, equity, benefits, and often a recruiting fee |
| Time to start | Days or weeks | Months of recruiting, then ramp time |
| Best for | Building your first repeatable sales process | Scaling a large team on a process that already works |
| If it's the wrong fit | End the retainer | Costly executive turnover and a reset |
For a detailed look at pricing, see how much a fractional VP of Sales costs.
How is a fractional VP of Sales different from a sales consultant?
A sales consultant typically studies your team, delivers recommendations, and leaves the implementation to you. A fractional VP of Sales owns the outcome. They run the pipeline reviews, coach the reps, sit in the leadership meeting, and are accountable for the number alongside you.
That's the difference between a report and a result. We don't just consult — we execute, working directly with your team every week until the process runs without us.
Signs you're ready for a fractional sales leader
- Revenue is inconsistent. Some months you crush it, others you scramble, and nobody can say exactly why.
- You have the wrong people in seats. Hiring salespeople feels like a gamble, and bad hires keep costing you time and momentum.
- There's no strategic direction. The team is working hard, but without a clear sales strategy, consistent coaching, and leadership, they're spinning their wheels.
- The founder is still closing most deals. Growth is capped by one person's calendar.
Fractional leadership isn't right for every company. We wrote an honest guide to when fractional sales leadership fails so you can check before you commit.
What the first 90 days look like
- Days 1–30: Assess. We learn your business, sit in on calls, review the pipeline and CRM, and evaluate the team — including OMG sales evaluations — to find out what's working and what's broken.
- Days 31–60: Build. We define the sales process and stage criteria, set up a weekly pipeline review cadence, and put a forecasting method in place.
- Days 61–90: Coach and hire. We run a regular coaching rhythm with each rep and build the hiring plan for the seats you need next — then help you fill them through our sales hiring process.
Results: from $7.3M to $10.1M ARR in six months
A mid-market B2B product company came to us with an inconsistent pipeline and underperforming reps. We implemented our fractional sales leadership model and, in six months:
- Revenue grew 38%, from $7.3M to $10.1M ARR.
- Pipeline velocity dropped 57%, from 94 days to 40.
- The forecast went from chaotic to reliable.
We built a repeatable sales process from scratch, introduced consultative selling methodology, held the team accountable to key behaviors, and ran weekly pipeline reviews and coaching. See the case study.
Who you'll work with
Every engagement is led by Chris Perry, Enki's founder and an OMG Certified Partner. Chris has gone from entry-level sales roles to buying, growing, and selling a company, served as an American diplomat overseas, and has worked with hundreds of salespeople and sales leaders across multiple continents. Read Chris's background.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours a week does a fractional VP of Sales work?
Typically 5–15 hours a week, flexed around key moments like planning, hiring, and quarter-end.
How long do fractional sales leadership engagements last?
Most run six to twelve months: long enough to install a repeatable process and coach the team, and often ending with hiring and handing off to a full-time sales leader.
Will you help us hire a full-time VP of Sales?
Yes. Many engagements end by recruiting and onboarding the full-time leader, using the same OMG assessments and hiring process we use for reps.
Do you only work with SaaS companies?
No. We work with B2B companies broadly — product, services, and software — with $2M–$40M in revenue.
How much does a fractional VP of Sales cost?
Most US engagements run $6,000–$15,000 per month depending on hours and scope. Our cost guide has the full breakdown with sources.