Executive summary · TL;DR
Outsourced commercial direction (fractional CRO) gives a B2B SME a senior sales leader 8-16 hours per month at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. The model fits companies of 2 to 20 commercial staff that need executive sales leadership but do not yet have the volume to justify a full-time CRO at €90k+ per year.
Outsourced commercial direction is the part-time, on-demand version of a full-time Chief Revenue Officer. In an SME of 2-20 commercial staff, the cost of hiring a senior CRO — €80k-€120k base plus variable, plus a notice period of three to six months — is rarely justifiable. But the cost of not having executive sales leadership is usually higher: undefined process, no forecasting, sales-team rotation, founder spending 40% of the week firefighting opportunities.
The fractional model resolves the dilemma. The same senior profile, the same scope of work (pipeline, forecast, team coaching, CRM, commercial strategy), at the cadence the SME actually needs: 8-16 hours per month, predictable monthly retainer, no notice period after the first quarter.
What does an outsourced commercial director do?
- Weekly pipeline review with the sales team (45 minutes, closed agenda).
- Monthly forecast cadence with the CEO (30 minutes, dashboard-based).
- 1:1 coaching with each AE/SDR (30 minutes per person per month).
- Process design and CRM oversight: ICP, qualification framework, stages, mandatory fields.
- Hiring and onboarding of new commercial staff when needed.
- Quarterly business review (QBR) with the board or CEO.
When does outsourced commercial direction make sense?
It makes sense in three specific situations:
- Growing SME without a sales head. The founder is still leading sales personally, has 3-10 sales reps and the commercial function is starting to break. A full-time CRO is too expensive; doing nothing is too risky.
- SME in transition. The previous sales head left and the company needs interim executive leadership for 6-12 months while it decides whether to hire a replacement or restructure the function.
- SME entering a new market. The company wants to test a new vertical, a new geography or a new product line and needs senior sales leadership only for the duration of the test.
How much does outsourced commercial direction cost?
Standard retainer ranges:
- 8 hours / month (advisor mode): €2,000-€3,000 per month.
- 16 hours / month (fractional CRO): €3,500-€5,500 per month.
- 32 hours / month (half-time CRO): €7,000-€10,000 per month.
Compared with a full-time CRO at €90k-€120k all-in, the fractional model represents a 60-80% saving with similar executive output, provided the SME's commercial volume genuinely fits the part-time cadence.
What results to expect
In the engagements I have led as a fractional commercial director for B2B SMEs:
- Quarter 1: pipeline visibility, weekly cadence in place, CRM hygiene at 80%+.
- Quarter 2: forecast accuracy within ±15% of plan, sales cycle reduced by 10-15%.
- Quarter 3: predictable revenue, founder freed from operational commercial firefighting, team coached to the new process.
- Quarter 4: decision on full-time hire or continuation of the fractional model.
How to start?
First 45-minute session at no cost. We'll review the current commercial situation and define whether the fractional model is the right answer for your SME or whether what is needed is a full-time CRO, a consultancy engagement or none of the above. Related: B2B sales consultancy: commercial process audit.
Authored by Ángel Ortega Castro · independent consultant in strategy, quality and digitalisation for SMEs.
El marketing del cerebro es más predictible que el marketing de la opinión. — Ángel Ortega Castro