Fractional VP of Sales / CRO

Fractional VP of Sales / CRO for Microsoft partners.

See what you get

The short answer

Ascend's fractional VP of Sales / CRO service gives Microsoft partners and ISVs senior revenue leadership alongside their existing team: a weekly operating cadence, live deal coaching, structured forecast reviews, sales hiring support, sales-to-delivery handoff design, and executive reporting and QBRs.

It is delivered through DOMINATE, a six-month engagement that includes everything in the ACCELERATE pipeline build, so leadership and the system are put in place together.

Fit

Is this the right conversation for you?

A strong fit when

  • The founder or CEO is still the de facto head of sales and needs to step back.
  • You are preparing to hire AEs or BDRs and want a hiring and onboarding process first.
  • Forecasts are missed or unreliable and there is no regular review discipline.
  • Deals are won by sales and then stumble at the handoff to delivery.
  • The board or leadership team wants consistent reporting on pipeline, revenue and Microsoft co-sell status.

Probably not a fit when

  • You only need a diagnostic and plan; IGNITE is the focused starting point.
  • You need a permanent full-time executive in every internal role; fractional leadership complements that decision, it does not make it for you.
  • You want leadership without changing the underlying sales system.

Deliverables

What the work actually produces.

DOMINATE includes all ACCELERATE deliverables. The leadership layer adds the following.

  1. 01

    Weekly operating cadence

    VP of Sales / CRO-style leadership with a regular rhythm for pipeline, priorities and accountability.

    DOMINATE
  2. 02

    Live deal coaching and forecast reviews

    Coaching on active opportunities and structured forecast reviews with your sellers.

    DOMINATE
  3. 03

    Sales hiring support

    Job descriptions, interview scorecards and onboarding plans to recruit and ramp AE and BDR hires.

    DOMINATE
  4. 04

    Sales-to-delivery handoff

    Process design so sales can focus on closing while delivery teams own execution.

    DOMINATE
  5. 05

    Executive reporting and QBRs

    Reporting on pipeline, revenue, team performance, Microsoft co-sell status and next-quarter priorities.

    DOMINATE
  6. 06

    The full ACCELERATE build

    Sales system design, pipeline infrastructure, a new channel, AI-assisted outbound and monthly scorecards.

    ACCELERATE

Engagement process

How the engagement runs, step by step.

  1. 1

    Baseline the team

    Review pipeline, forecast practice, roles and handoffs to set leadership priorities for the six months.

  2. 2

    Install the cadence

    Start the weekly operating rhythm, deal coaching and forecast reviews alongside the ACCELERATE build.

  3. 3

    Build the bench

    Prepare hiring materials and onboarding plans, and design the sales-to-delivery handoff.

  4. 4

    Report and transition

    Run executive reporting and QBRs, and enable your managers so the cadence continues after the engagement.

What this service does not do.

Clear boundaries make better engagements. Read these before you book a call.

  • Fractional leadership complements your team while the system is built; it is not presented as a replacement for every internal role or hiring decision.
  • Hiring support covers job descriptions, scorecards and onboarding plans. Final hiring and compensation decisions remain yours.
  • Forecast reviews improve discipline and visibility; they do not guarantee forecast accuracy or revenue results.
  • Reporting on Microsoft co-sell status reflects your activity. Ascend does not control Microsoft co-sell decisions.

Buyer questions

Questions partners ask before engaging.

What does a fractional VP of Sales do for a Microsoft partner?

In the DOMINATE engagement, Ascend provides VP of Sales / CRO-style leadership: a weekly operating cadence, live deal coaching, structured forecast reviews, sales hiring support, sales-to-delivery handoff design, and executive reporting and QBRs, alongside the full ACCELERATE pipeline build.

How is fractional leadership different from hiring a full-time VP of Sales?

Fractional leadership adds senior oversight alongside your existing team while the sales system is built. It complements your team and can prepare you for future hires, but it is not presented as a replacement for every internal role or hiring decision.

How long is the engagement?

DOMINATE is a six-month engagement that includes all ACCELERATE deliverables plus the fractional leadership layer.

Can you help us hire salespeople?

Yes. Hiring support includes job descriptions, interview scorecards and onboarding plans for AE and BDR hires. Your leadership team makes the final hiring decisions.

What happens when the six months end?

The goal is a system and cadence your team can run. Ascend enables your sales managers during the engagement so coaching and reviews continue afterwards.

Keep reading

Related services, guides and packages.

Related service

Sales & Business Development Consulting for Microsoft Partners

Ascend helps Microsoft partners and ISVs diagnose where revenue breaks down and build a repeatable sales system with their existing sales, marketing and CRM.

Related service

Pipeline Development & Sales Systems for Microsoft Partners

A six-month build for Microsoft partners and ISVs: ICP and messaging, CRM stages and reporting, a new pipeline channel, AI-assisted outbound and monthly scorecards.

Guides

Packages

Decide whether fractional leadership is the right move now.

Book a consultation. We will talk through your team, your forecast discipline and your hiring plans, and whether embedded leadership fits.

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