Fractional CRO Pricing
How Much Does aFractional CRO Cost?
The range is $6,000–$14,000/month depending on scope and hours. Here’s exactly what each level includes, what drives the price, and how it compares to a full-time hire.
Fractional CRO Pricing
The range is $6,000–$14,000/month depending on scope and hours. Here’s exactly what each level includes, what drives the price, and how it compares to a full-time hire.
Best for: Sub-$3M ARR founders who need senior guidance and strategic direction
Best for: $3M–$10M ARR companies scaling a sales team
A documented, working sales playbook — ICP, discovery questions, demo structure, objection handling, pricing conversation, follow-up cadence. Not a template. Built specifically for your company and your buyers.
Action-based pipeline stages that reflect real buyer behavior, not wishful thinking. Replaces 'Interested' and 'Proposal Sent' with stages based on what the prospect has done and agreed to.
Weekly 1:1s with your sales reps, field coaching on live deals, demo reviews, call recordings. Your reps get better every week. Not just high-level direction — actual skill development.
A weekly forecast process that gives you real visibility into what's likely to close, what's at risk, and what needs action. Not a number from the CRM. A defended forecast you can trust.
If you need to hire reps, SDRs, or a VP of Sales, I help with job spec, sourcing, interview questions, candidate evaluation, and offer structuring. I've hired a lot of salespeople. I know what to look for.
I’m Louie Bernstein — I have 50 years in business experience, including 22 as a bootstrapped founder. My Fractional Sales Leadership business has been helping founders since 2017.
Monthly retainer. Hourly billing doesn't work for strategic sales leadership because the most valuable work — being present in your business, building relationships with your team, making judgment calls — doesn't fit a time-tracking model. A retainer gives you access and alignment. You always know what you're paying.
A full-time CRO typically earns $200k–$350k base salary, plus variable compensation and equity (0.5%–1.5%). Total first-year cost including benefits, recruiting fees, and onboarding is often $300k–$500k. At $6k–$14k/month, you're getting the same level of experience for 20–30% of that cost — with no equity dilution, no recruiter fee, and you can start in two weeks.
Three months. Real results — playbook built, reps coached, pipeline redesigned — take 90 days minimum. I don't take one-month engagements because they don't produce enough change to be worth your investment. Most engagements run 6–12 months.
Typically no. My standard engagements are retainer-only. At very early-stage companies where a longer-term relationship makes sense, I occasionally discuss a small equity component. But it's not a requirement.
I help you hire. At that point, I know your business, your team, and your sales motion better than any recruiter ever will. I help you write the right job spec, avoid the wrong candidates, and onboard the person well. Transition planning is part of what I do.
Let’s spend 30 minutes together. We’ll look at your ARR, your team, and your specific revenue challenges — and I’ll give you a straight answer on what the right engagement scope looks like and what it would cost.