When pricing, sales, and marketing are pulling in different directions, a fractional Commercial Director aligns them around a single, profitable commercial engine.
Commercial underperformance is often not a sales problem or a marketing problem — it is an alignment problem. Sales teams are selling to the wrong customers because the ICP is vague. Pricing is inconsistent because no one owns the pricing strategy. Partnerships that looked promising on paper are generating no revenue because there is no commercial infrastructure to support them. And marketing is generating the wrong type of demand because no one has defined what the right type looks like.A fractional Commercial Director from Leadership Services is a board-level commercial leader who owns the full revenue architecture — pricing, sales strategy, marketing alignment, partnerships, and commercial performance management. They are not a specialist in one part of the commercial function; they are the integrating force that makes all the parts work together. In businesses where the commercial engine is fragmented and underperforming, this integration role is often the single most valuable leadership intervention available.
The first 90 days of a fractional Commercial Director engagement are about establishing commercial coherence — aligning sales, marketing, and pricing around a single, commercially rigorous strategy that the whole business can execute.
Commercial architecture audit: assessment of pricing strategy, go-to-market coherence, sales and marketing alignment, channel performance, and partnership value. Identification of the three commercial changes that will generate the fastest revenue improvement. First board-level commercial strategy review delivered.
Priority commercial improvements live: pricing model reviewed and rationalised, sales and marketing ICP aligned, the highest-potential partnerships actively supported with a commercial framework, and commercial performance reporting established at board level.
Commercial strategy embedded: a 12-month commercial plan with clear revenue targets by channel, segment, and geography. Pricing framework approved and adopted. Commercial Director owning the full revenue architecture and accountable to the board for delivery against agreed milestones.
Within 90 days, the business will have a coherent commercial strategy, aligned sales and marketing execution, and a fractional Commercial Director who is accountable for the revenue outcomes the strategy is designed to deliver.
A clear commercial strategy defining your revenue model, pricing architecture, target markets, customer segments, and the commercial levers required to achieve growth objectives. Aligns sales, marketing, and product around a single, coherent commercial narrative that the whole business can execute.
Strategic review and redesign of your pricing model — from cost-plus to value-based, subscription, or tiered approaches. Analyses competitive positioning, customer willingness to pay, and margin dynamics to build a pricing strategy that grows revenue, improves margin, and positions your offer correctly.
Identification, development, and active management of strategic partnerships, channel partners, and reseller relationships. Builds the commercial frameworks, partner enablement programmes, incentive structures, and governance processes that transform aspirational partnerships into a reliable, scalable, and measurable additional revenue channel for the business.
Senior oversight of all customer contracts, commercial terms, and complex procurement negotiations. Ensures your commercial agreements legally and commercially protect the business, accurately reflect the full value you deliver, include appropriate risk and liability protections, and build sustainable, profitable long-term customer relationships throughout the commercial lifecycle.
Leadership of commercial expansion into new sectors, geographies, or customer segments — combining rigorous market sizing and analysis, structured go-to-market planning, low-risk pilot programmes, and disciplined commercial execution to build a sustainable, profitable new market presence without wasted investment or unfocused, low-return activity.
Design and implementation of commercial KPIs, management dashboards, and performance review frameworks. Provides the board and CEO with accurate, timely visibility of revenue performance and the commercial health of the business across all active channels, customer segments, products, and geographic markets.
Leadership Services
per month — no recruitment fees, no long-term contracts
Full-Time Hire
per year plus benefits, recruitment fees, and on-costs
A fractional commercial director provides board-level commercial leadership on a part-time basis. They own the revenue strategy, pricing, partnerships, and alignment between sales, marketing, and product. Unlike a sales director focused on pipeline, or a marketing director focused on brand, a commercial director takes a holistic view of how the business creates and captures value — and drives the structural and strategic changes required to improve commercial performance across the full revenue system.
A fractional commercial director from Leadership Services ranges from £1,500 to £5,000 per month, depending on scope and the number of days required. This compares to a full-time Chief Commercial Officer salary of £120,000 to £180,000 per year plus employer on-costs, benefits, and recruitment fees. The fractional model gives you access to the same calibre of commercial leadership at a fraction of the permanent hire cost, with the flexibility to scale the engagement as your commercial agenda evolves.
A fractional sales director focuses primarily on the sales function — team leadership, pipeline management, and revenue execution. A fractional commercial director has a broader remit, encompassing pricing strategy, commercial contracts, partnerships, channel development, and the alignment of marketing and product with revenue objectives. Many businesses engage a commercial director when they need a senior leader who can oversee the full commercial picture rather than one functional area.
Yes — pricing is one of the most commercially impactful areas where a fractional commercial director can add value. Many UK SMEs undercharge for their products or services, or use pricing structures that create friction rather than revenue. A fractional commercial director analyses your cost base, competitive positioning, and customer value drivers to build a pricing strategy that improves margin, reduces churn, and positions your offer correctly in the market.
Most engagements begin within one to two weeks of an initial consultation. Leadership Services matches you with a fractional commercial director whose sector experience, commercial model expertise, and growth-stage background are directly relevant to your business. There is no recruitment process, no lengthy notice period, and no extended onboarding — your fractional commercial director joins the leadership team and begins contributing to commercial decisions immediately.
Our fractional commercial directors have experience across B2B services, technology and SaaS, financial services, professional services, manufacturing, healthcare, and business services. We match engagements based on your customer type, commercial model complexity, and growth priorities — ensuring the commercial director you work with understands the dynamics of your market and can make an immediate, relevant contribution to your commercial strategy.
Book a free, no-obligation discovery call. We’ll match you with the right director within 5 business days.
