Freelance Sales Managers – The Affordable Solution Between Founder-Led Sales and a Permanent Hire
For many founders, CEOs, and business owners, the allure of overseeing their sales team can be strong. After all, no one knows the vision of their company better than they do. However, the demands of founder-led sales often pull leaders away from other critical areas of their business. Enter the freelance sales manager: a flexible, cost-effective solution that bridges the gap between founder-led sales and the expense of hiring a full-time employee.
The Challenge of Founder-Led Sales Management
Founders often find themselves wearing too many hats, including that of sales manager. While this hands-on approach can initially ensure alignment between the sales team and the company’s vision, it’s not sustainable in the long run. Here’s why:
Time Drain: Managing a sales team requires consistent coaching, strategy development, and pipeline monitoring - tasks that can detract from higher-level responsibilities.
Skill Set: Founders may lack the expertise to implement proven sales processes, and infrastructure, leading to subpar sales team performance.
These challenges imply that founder-led sales is a short-term solution at best and a costly bottleneck at worst.
What is a Freelance Sales Manager?
A freelance sales manager is an independent professional who brings senior-level expertise to manage and optimize your sales team. Operating on a contract basis, they take on the strategic and tactical responsibilities of sales management, helping to:
Improve team performance.
Refine sales processes.
Implement systems that drive revenue growth.
Unlike a full-time hire, freelance sales managers work on a 1099 contract basis and offer the flexibility to scale their involvement based on your company’s needs, making them an ideal choice for small and medium-sized businesses.
Hidden Costs of Continuing Founder-Led Sales
Inefficient sales management often results in missed opportunities, underperforming reps, and slower revenue growth, resulting in hidden costs of a founder trying to succeed at a subject that might not be their core competency. Consider the following:
Opportunity Cost: Every hour spent managing sales is an hour not spent on product development, finance, strategic partnerships, or scaling operations.
Employee Morale: Without a true sales manager, reps may feel unsupported, leading to burnout or turnover.
Revenue Loss: Inefficient sales processes and sales insight can put your sales team on a downward spiral to lost deals and falling short of your company’s revenue potential.
Bringing in a freelance sales manager addresses these issues, allowing founders to focus on driving their business forward.
Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Sales Manager
The advantages of engaging a freelance sales manager include the following:
Expertise on Demand: Freelance sales managers bring years of experience to the table, often having worked across multiple industries and sales environments. Their ability to hit the ground running ensures minimal disruption.
Cost Savings: Hiring a full-time sales manager can be prohibitively expensive, especially when you factor in salary, commission, benefits, and onboarding costs. Freelance sales managers provide a cost-effective alternative, offering high-level expertise without the baked in long-term commitment.
Flexibility: Freelance sales professionals can work on a project basis, part-time, or for a fixed period. For example, they might dedicate 15 hours per week to your business with a laser focus on pipeline management, sales meetings, coaching, and helping your sales reps close deals. This flexibility allows businesses to scale their sales management needs in line with their growth.
Focus on Core Business: By delegating sales management responsibilities, founders and CEOs can concentrate on other areas where their unique skills add the most value.
Why Quality Matters: Avoiding Low-Cost Platforms
When searching for a freelance sales manager, it’s tempting to turn to platforms like Fiverr, Freelancer, or Upwork. These websites are highly populated with entry-level sales managers offering casual help without proper business licensing. Here’s why you should aim higher:
Experience Gaps: Many candidates on these platforms lack the senior-level experience required to manage and optimize a sales team effectively.
Unvetted Talent: The lack of thorough vetting means you may spend significant time filtering through unqualified candidates.
Short-Term Thinking: Lower-cost options might seem appealing initially, but they often result in underwhelming performance and additional hiring costs down the line.
Instead, prioritize finding a high-caliber freelance sales manager with a proven track record. Look for professionals who operate independently, have at least 10 years of formal sales management experience, and can demonstrate measurable results.
Freelance Sales Managers vs. Full-Time Hires
If you’re weighing the decision between hiring a freelance sales manager and bringing on a full-time employee to manage your sales team, consider the following comparison:
| Freelance Sales Manager | Full-Time Permanent Sales Manager | |
|---|---|---|
| COST | Flexible, lower overall cost | High salary, commission, benefits, and overhead |
| COMITTMENT | Short-term, flexible, scalable | Long-term, fixed / permanent | ONBOARDING | Minimal ramp up, immediate impact | Time-consuming, requires detailed training | EXPERTISE | Varied, usually senior-level | Varies based on candidate's background | CONTRIBUTION | Adjustable involvement – usually 10, 15, or 20 hours per week laser focused on high impact sales factors | Fixed responsibilities, 40+ hours per week, focused on sales, but distracted by a lot of non-sales admin |
For many growing businesses, a freelance sales manager strikes the perfect balance between expertise and affordability.
Making the Transition: Tips for Success
If you’re ready to bring on a freelance sales manager, follow these steps to ensure a smooth transition:
Define Your Goals: Clearly outline what you want the freelance sales manager to achieve, whether it’s improving team performance, increasing revenue, implementing a CRM system, maturing sales processes, or all of the above.
Vet Candidates Thoroughly: Look for professionals with a track record of success, strong references, and at least 10 years of experience not just in sales, but in sales management – preferably with some experience at a Director or VP level.
Set Clear Expectations: Agree on deliverables, timelines, and communication methods upfront to avoid misunderstandings.
Monitor Progress: Regular check-ins ensure alignment and allow for adjustments as needed.
A Smarter Way Forward
Founder-led sales management can only take your business so far. By engaging a freelance sales manager, you’re not just delegating tasks - you’re investing in the growth and efficiency of your sales operation. The flexibility, cost savings, and expertise they bring make them an invaluable asset for companies looking to scale.
So, if you’re ready to reclaim your time, empower your sales team, and drive revenue growth, consider hiring a freelance sales manager. It’s the solution that sits perfectly between founder-led sales and the commitment of hiring an expensive permanent sales manager.
