What is a fractional CSO
A fractional CSO is an external sales director on a part-time basis, typically 1 to 3 days a week. They set the sales strategy and processes, lead the sales team, put a CRM and measurement in place and connect sales to marketing. They work for 2 to 4 companies in parallel; the engagement has a project frame of 3 to 6 months with an option to extend.
The fractional CSO's role
Sales in Czech B2B companies up to 250 people often has the same footprint: it is done by the owner alone, or by a few salespeople without proper leadership. The pipeline exists in people's heads, the CRM is a graveyard of contacts, the forecast is guesswork. And the company is not held back by the product, but by the fact that sales has no system.
A fractional CSO is the answer for companies that cannot justify a full-time sales director. They come in for 1 to 3 days a week and build:
- The sales strategy. Segmentation, the ideal customer, the sales process from first contact to signature.
- Leadership of salespeople. A regular rhythm, coaching, priorities. Salespeople stop being soloists and start being a team.
- CRM and measurement. Pipeline, conversion, forecast. Sales that is not measured is run by chance.
- Connection to marketing. A shared definition of a qualified lead and a handover process. This is where the biggest share of the value is created - which is why a fractional CSO often works in a pair with a fractional CMO.
Why almost no one talks about this role in the Czech market
The term fractional CSO barely appears in Czech search so far - companies look for a "sales director" or an "interim manager". Abroad, meanwhile, sales leadership is the fastest-growing fractional category: the number of fractional sales leaders in the US and Canada rose from 5,000 in 2020 to 9,000 in 2024 (Vendux, 2026).
The Czech names for the same thing: external sales director, part-time sales director, sales director for 2 days a week. The model is one - fractional CSO.
What a fractional CSO does not do
They do not sell for you. A fractional CSO is not a hired salesperson calling through your database - they are a leader who builds the system in which your people sell. And they do not run the daily operations of a large sales department: that is a brief for a full-time or interim role, not for the fractional model.
Updated: July 2026
Frequently asked questions
What does a fractional CSO do?
They build the sales strategy: segmentation, process, pipeline, pricing. They lead and develop salespeople, put a CRM and reporting in place and define a shared funnel with marketing. They are a partner to the CEO on the sales side of the company.
When does a company need a fractional CSO?
Typically when sales rests on an owner who has no time for it, or on salespeople without leadership and process. The company is growing, but sales is a black box with no pipeline and no measurement.
How does a fractional CSO differ from an interim sales director?
An interim sales director joins full time in a working sales department that has lost its leadership. A fractional CSO comes for part of the week to build or straighten out sales: process, team, measurement.
Does it make sense to combine a fractional CSO with a fractional CMO?
Often yes. The most common cause of weak performance is not bad marketing or bad sales, but that they do not talk to each other. One pair of hands on both sides means one strategy, one definition of a lead and one funnel.
The fractional model in practice
We describe what fractional leadership of marketing and sales looks like in a complete guide. And if you have a specific situation, let us meet over lunch. No slides, no commitments.