Fractional Sales Director for Small Business.
You need someone to lead sales. You don't necessarily need another full-time employee. MySalesDivision gives Australian small businesses experienced, hands-on sales leadership to bring order to the pipeline, coach salespeople and build a sales process that doesn't depend on the owner doing everything.
Led by Lesley Craboledda · Founder, MySalesDivision
have to do it all.SME / 01
without a full-time hire
Senior sales leadership. Sized for an SME.
“You don't have to hire a full-time Sales Director to get someone responsible for leading sales.”
A Fractional Sales Director is an experienced sales leader who works with a small business on a part-time or outsourced basis. They provide sales strategy, pipeline oversight, forecasting, coaching and management of the sales process, without the business taking on a full-time senior executive role. The scope is agreed around the team's actual needs.
For a broader overview, read our Fractional Sales Director Australia guide.
You built the business. Now you're also the sales manager.
This is often what happens when a small business grows beyond owner-led selling but has no one clearly accountable for the sales function.
Every important deal still lands on your desk
The team relies on you to move opportunities forward, approve next steps or rescue stalled conversations.
Your BDMs are busy, but results vary
Activity is happening, yet coaching, priorities and deal reviews aren't consistent enough to explain performance.
The CRM is there, but nobody owns it
Pipeline stages, next actions and forecasts are unclear, or important details live in someone's memory.
Follow-up slips between jobs
Good leads go quiet when the team gets busy and there is no dependable follow-up discipline.
Sales meetings don't change much
The same issues return each week because targets, ownership and accountability haven't been clearly established.
Hiring another rep feels like the only option
But adding a salesperson without stronger leadership and systems can leave the underlying problem unresolved.
Someone to lead the work — not just recommend it.
The priorities depend on your team and stage of growth. These are the practical parts of the sales function a Fractional Sales Director can help lead.
Sales strategy & targets
Clear sales priorities, achievable activity plans, revenue targets and ownership of the numbers that matter.
Pipeline & forecasting
Useful deal stages, regular opportunity reviews and forecasts grounded in what is happening in the pipeline.
BDM management & coaching
One-to-ones, deal reviews, feedback and accountability for the salespeople you already employ.
CRM & sales process
Practical CRM discipline, lead allocation, follow-up expectations and a repeatable way to progress opportunities.
Prospecting & recruitment support
Stronger sales messaging, outreach planning and input into hiring when the business is genuinely ready to add capacity.
AI-enabled execution
Appropriate automation for follow-up and administration, under experienced human sales leadership.
A working sales rhythm, not another report.
A practical leadership engagement starts with understanding the sales operation and then improving how people, pipeline and systems work together.
Understand the gaps
Review your current sales process, team, pipeline and where deals are getting stuck.
Agree the focus
Set realistic priorities, responsibilities and operating measures for the business.
Build accountability
Introduce useful sales reviews, coaching and a more reliable follow-up process.
Adjust from evidence
Use pipeline and activity data to refine the approach as the team develops.
The engagement's scope, cadence and responsibilities are agreed with your business; this is an outline, not a fixed package or guaranteed timeline.
Right-sized leadership starts with an honest fit check.
Fractional leadership can be a sensible choice for some SMEs. It is not automatically the right answer for every sales problem.
It may be a good fit if…
- You run a team of roughly 1–20 people and sales leadership still falls to the owner.
- You have 1–5 BDMs or sales reps who need clearer coaching and management.
- There are opportunities in your pipeline, but follow-up and forecasting are inconsistent.
- You need director-level direction without a full-time executive position.
Another approach may be better if…
- You mainly need an additional person to make sales calls or cover a vacant selling role.
- You need a sales leader on site and available full-time every working day.
- Your offer or market has not yet been validated and the primary problem is product-market fit.
- You are looking for a one-off motivational training session rather than ongoing leadership.
The ranges above are useful examples of typical SME situations, not hard eligibility rules. We assess fit through an initial discussion.
Do you need another BDM, a consultant or sales leadership?
Before spending money on a new hire, work out which part of your sales function is actually missing.
| If your main need is… | A new BDM / sales rep | A Fractional Sales Director | A full-time Sales Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| More direct selling capacity | Primary purpose | Can organise and manage selling | Can direct the team |
| Ongoing team leadership | Usually not their role | Part of agreed scope | Core responsibility |
| Pipeline and forecasting oversight | Own opportunities | Across the sales function | Across the sales function |
| Commitment | Employee or contract role | Part-time / agreed engagement | Full-time executive role |
| Best suited to | Not enough selling capacity | Leadership gap without full-time need | Sales function requiring continuous executive leadership |
General comparison only. Actual accountabilities, cost and time commitment depend on the arrangement. For a detailed service overview, see Fractional Sales Director Australia.
Experienced sales leadership, without the big-company overhead.
MySalesDivision is led by Lesley Craboledda, an experienced sales leader who works with businesses to strengthen their sales systems, team performance and commercial accountability.
For smaller businesses, that means senior leadership focused on practical implementation: clearer priorities, stronger sales conversations and a pipeline the owner can actually understand.
- Sales strategy and direction
- Sales team coaching
- Pipeline and CRM structure
- Human-led, AI-supported execution
Questions small-business owners ask.
Straight answers to help you decide whether fractional sales leadership is worth exploring.
Do I need a Sales Director if I only have one salesperson?
Not always. But if you are still setting sales priorities, reviewing every deal and handling all coaching yourself, a part-time sales leader may be useful. The right option depends on your pipeline, sales cycle and the support the salesperson needs.
Can a Fractional Sales Director manage my existing BDMs?
Yes. Managing sales activity, reviewing deals, coaching and clarifying accountability can form part of the agreed engagement. The scope should be clear before work begins.
How many days a month would they work?
There is no universal schedule. A fractional arrangement is agreed around the business's needs, team size, priorities and required level of involvement.
Can they help if our CRM isn't being used properly?
Yes. CRM structure and discipline are often central to the role: making sure opportunities, ownership, next actions and reporting support the real sales process.
Will a Fractional Sales Director replace my salespeople?
No. The role primarily provides leadership, structure and accountability. If you need someone to undertake all day-to-day selling, a dedicated salesperson may be more appropriate.
How much does fractional sales leadership cost?
Costs vary with the agreed scope, time commitment and level of responsibility. A strategy discussion can help define what the business actually needs before any proposal is made.
Can fractional sales leadership work remotely?
Many sales leadership activities can be managed remotely using regular meetings, CRM reporting and structured communication. The right balance of remote and in-person support depends on the business and agreed arrangement.
Where does AI fit into the service?
AI and automation can support activities such as lead follow-up, administration and process consistency. MySalesDivision positions these tools as support for experienced human sales leadership, not a replacement for it.
You don't need to keep carrying sales on your own.
If the business has outgrown founder-led selling, let's talk about what stronger sales leadership could look like — and whether a fractional arrangement makes sense.