April 2026 • 6 min read
Fractional Head of Sales: when it fits (and when it doesn't)
You've outgrown founder-led sales, but hiring a full-time VP of Sales feels too early and too expensive. A fractional Head of Sales bridges that gap. This article covers what it actually is, when it fits and when it doesn't, and what to realistically expect in the first 90 days.
What a fractional Head of Sales actually does
A fractional Head of Sales works two to three days a week inside your team and owns the commercial result. Not an advisory role, not a deck. Real ownership of pipeline, deal strategy, sales process and team coaching. The same job a full-time Head of Sales would do, just part-time and for a defined period.
When this is a good fit
Four situations come up most often. One: you're between 200K and 2M ARR and still doing most of the selling yourself. Two: your first AE is in but pipeline stays unpredictable because the system underneath is missing. Three: you're entering the Dutch market and need someone local with B2B SaaS experience. Four: you know you'll need a full-time VP in 12 to 18 months, but you have to lay the foundation first.
When this isn't a fit
If you have no revenue or no traction, sales leadership won't fix that. If you have the budget and the stage for a full-time VP, hire one. If you're looking for someone to run cold outreach themselves, you want an SDR or AE, not someone at leadership level. Being honest here saves everyone time.
What you get in the first 90 days
Days 1 to 30 are diagnosis: ICP, pipeline, sales process, team. I find out where it actually breaks before changing anything. Days 31 to 60 are foundation: sharper ICP, rewritten messaging, clear qualification criteria, a steady deal-review rhythm. Days 61 to 90 are execution: coaching on real deals, fixing the pipeline you already have, raising the bar.
How this differs from sales coaching or an agency
A sales coach makes individual reps better but doesn't touch the system. A marketing agency runs campaigns but doesn't fix the sales process. A fractional Head of Sales owns the result and works on both the system and the people. Only once that foundation holds do training and campaigns actually pay back.
How you know it's time
Three signals: you still close more than half the deals yourself, you feel something is off but can't pinpoint what, and you know a full-time VP is still too early. If two of those three apply, fractional is almost always the right interim step. Not forever, but long enough to lay the foundation any later full-time hire will need to succeed.
Not sure if fractional fits your stage? Book a call and I'll tell you straight whether it's the right next step.