Self-serve growth stalled. Enterprise deals are not coming.
Trial-to-paid is solid, but ARPU is small. You need larger customers.
Fractional CSO for
SaaS companies
For SaaS companies where self-serve hit a ceiling and you need a sales-assisted or enterprise sales motion. No full-time VP Sales commitment.
We have worked with
The pain
Self-serve got you to 5M ARR. Enterprise deals need a different motion.
SaaS companies with a working self-serve model often hit a ceiling where further growth requires a sales-assisted or purely enterprise sales motion. That is a completely different discipline - multi-stakeholder deals, security review, procurement, contract negotiation. Most SaaS founders are not doing this for the first time in their life.
The founder or CEO closes enterprise deals. That does not work long term.
The team cannot do enterprise sales. The CEO has no time to run the company.
Expansion revenue is neglected.
Net revenue retention below 100%. Existing customers do not pay more.
Hiring a VP Sales is unrealistic pre-Series B.
But a junior AE will not close enterprise.
The solution
A sales director who moves SaaS from self-serve to enterprise sales.
A Fractional CSO for SaaS companies means a senior partner who builds your sales motion for larger segments. Discovery framework, multi-stakeholder selling, security review, procurement, expansion plays.
Enterprise sales motion
Multi-stakeholder deals, ROI calculator, security review process, contract negotiation. A concrete playbook.
Expansion revenue strategy
Net revenue retention above 110%. Upsell triggers, expansion campaigns, customer success-led growth.
Hand-off from founder to sales team
Gradually taking enterprise deals over. Mentoring AEs, deal review, role-play. Goal: the team closes enterprise on its own.
If you stay purely self-serve / SMB segment - you do not need a sales lead. Hire customer success.
How it works
What the first engagement looks like
Phase 0
We go for lunch (or online)
We talk through where you are, where you want to go and whether fractional CSO makes sense for you. If not, we tell you.
Phase 1
Workshop at your place
4 hours at the company. We define where it grinds, what the priority is, and build a plan for 3-6 months.
Phase 2
Implementation
If we shake on it, we go into action. Regular meetings, aligned expectations, clear reporting.
Phase 3
Reporting
We hide nothing. Clear reporting on the goals we agreed on - as automated as possible, as clear as possible. Every week you see concrete steps.
Phase 4
Partnership
After the project ends we can extend the engagement either in a similar spirit, or within the Partnership program, which is long-term strategic advisory.
After Implementation the engagement typically continues as Partnership for CEOs and founders. Meanwhile we develop the people on your team through 1:1 mentoring.
References
What clients say
"We have been working with Honza and Richard for several months now. Marketing and sales finally understand each other, something we could not pull off for years. I recommend them both without hesitation."
"Thanks to Richard we built an entire sales team from scratch, and he helped us scale the company abroad with the right go-to-market strategy. I really value that."
"We were looking for someone to help us get our marketing in order. With Honza it works mainly because he keeps the team on track, so I can finally focus on developing our platform."
"Working with Honza was easy. He picks things up fast and things start moving. What stood out was how he got to the results. He knows how to use technology to do more with less. He works smart, and you can see it. He also pours into the project like it's his own."
FAQ
What clients ask most often
Have you worked with a SaaS sales motion?
Yes. Specialization: SaaS sales-assisted and enterprise motion in B2B. We routinely report sales metrics incl. MRR cohorts, sales-influenced revenue, NRR, CAC payback.
Do you understand the difference between self-serve, sales-assisted and enterprise sales?
Yes. We typically help with the move from self-serve to sales-assisted or enterprise. That is a completely different discipline than performance marketing.
Will you help us hire our first AE?
Yes. JD, screening, interview rounds, an onboarding plan. Goal: the AE reaches 70% of the founder's enterprise conversion rate within 6 months.
How do you handle expansion revenue?
Expansion plays connected to product data - upsell triggers, expansion campaigns, customer success-led growth. NRR target usually 110%+.
Can you be paid for performance?
In selected cases yes. A hybrid model: a lower fixed part + a bonus for hitting the MRR target or NRR. We discuss it case by case.
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Find out whether fractional CSO makes sense for you
Let us have lunch together. We find out where you are, where you want to go and whether we can help. If not, we recommend someone who can.