Insights — Sales Strategy — 3 min read
Sales Consultant vs Fractional Sales Director vs Growth Partner
Three different ways to bring outside commercial expertise into a B2B business. The right choice depends on whether you need a project fixed, a team led, or revenue built.
Choosing between a sales consultant, a fractional sales director, and a growth partner depends on your specific commercial bottleneck. A consultant fixes a specific process; a fractional director leads your existing team and owns the number; a growth partner builds revenue streams alongside the founder.
None of these models is automatically superior. The right choice aligns with your current capacity and the specific barrier to growth you are facing today.
Comparing the models
| Feature | Sales Consultant | Fractional Sales Director | Growth Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Solving a specific problem (e.g., CRM, strategy, training) | Ongoing leadership, management, and accountability | Building and scaling revenue alongside the founder |
| Time | Fixed-term project or irregular days | Regular, ongoing (typically 1-2 days per week) | Ongoing hands-on support and execution |
| Ownership | Owns the project outcome | Owns the sales function and the number | Shared ownership of growth objectives |
| Price | Project-based or scope-dependent | From £2,950 + VAT per month | £1,950 + VAT per month + 2.5% commission |
| Best When | You have a defined project with a clear start and end | You have a team that needs management and a strategy that needs owning | You need to build new commercial infrastructure from scratch |
| Not Right When | You need ongoing management or lead generation | The problem is a one-off technical fix | You only need a specific piece of advice or training |
The Sales Consultant: The Project Specialist
A consultant is usually brought in to solve a defined, finite problem. This might be auditing a sales process, implementing a new CRM, or designing a commission structure. They are experts in 'how' but rarely stay to manage the 'who' on an ongoing basis.
Consultancy is the right choice when you have a specific bottleneck that requires deep expertise to clear, but you already have the internal management capacity to run the operation once the fix is in place.
The Fractional Sales Director: The Leader
A Fractional Sales Director (FSD) provides the leadership and management that a full-time Sales Director would, but for a fraction of the time and cost. They join the leadership team, manage the salespeople, conduct one-to-ones, and are accountable for the forecast.
This model often suits established businesses where the Managing Director is still trying to run sales. It provides the senior commercial weight needed to professionalise the function without the overhead of a six-figure salary.
The Growth Partner: The Builder
A Growth Partner works more closely with the founder or MD to build new revenue streams, often being more hands-on than a traditional director. It is a collaborative model designed for businesses that need to scale but don't yet have the infrastructure to support a full leadership role.
The inclusion of a commission element aligns the partner's incentives with the business's results, making it a lower-risk entry point for significant growth initiatives.
How to decide
If you aren't sure which you need, ask yourself one question: 'Do I have a problem with my sales machine, or do I just not have anyone to drive it?'
- If the machine is broken (e.g., your process is messy), call a consultant.
- If the machine is fine but the driver is the MD who is too busy, hire a fractional director.
- If you are still trying to build the machine itself, look for a growth partner.
Not sure what kind of sales help you need?
Start with the problem rather than the service: sales help for founders, owners and Managing Directors, organised by what is actually going wrong.
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