When you step into a company as a fractional sales leader, the clock starts ticking immediately. You’re expected to deliver results quickly—refining processes, improving pipeline health, and driving revenue growth. But amidst the urgency to fix numbers and strategy, it’s easy to overlook one critical element: the sales team itself.

If you don’t identify team challenges early, you can expect unnecessarily difficult conversations down the road. Think about it: waiting months to tell your client that “the team isn’t aligned” or “the talent isn’t where it needs to be,” can easily sound like an excuse. And, at that point, it’s your team. Which means you own the problem.

A smart, thorough consultant gets ahead of this challenge by evaluating the team early, setting clear expectations, and framing people development as an opportunity, not a problem.

How Do You Spot the Issues – Before They Become Problems?

The best way to ensure you – and the team – are set up for success is to start any engagement by developing a deep understanding of where each member stands, and what they need to thrive. We can break this down into two actionable steps.

Step 1: Generate a Quick and Accurate Assessment of Team Alignment, Engagement, and Role Fit

You need to determine—quickly—whether the team is:

• Aligned: Does everyone understand their roles and how they connect to overall objectives? Are there overlaps or gaps?

• Engaged: Are team members motivated and focused, or are there signs of burnout or underperformance?

• Role Fit: Do individuals have the skills, traits, and inclinations they need to excel in their current roles? Misalignments here will create friction later.

A structured, objective approach to assessing these factors early enables you to diagnose what’s holding the team back and communicate those insights before they become larger issues – which are likely to reflect poorly on your own performance.

Step 2: Develop Actionable, Individualized Insights for Each Team Member

Not all sales challenges are created equal, and one-size-fits-all coaching rarely works well. Each team member brings a unique mix of strengths, blind spots, and motivational needs. To help everyone maximize their potential, you need insights that:

• Identify Individual Strengths: What are their “superpowers?” How can these be leveraged more effectively?

• Address Specific Challenges: Where do they struggle? And what targeted coaching will help them improve?

• Offer Practical Steps for Development: Align actionable feedback to the demands of each person’s role, so they can begin making progress immediately, and gain energy from that success.

When team members are seen and developed individually, you’ll build trust and confidence. They begin to understand how their success aligns with the bigger picture—and this is when you’ll see momentum.

The Opportunity Starts Early

The very first weeks of an engagement serve as your window to learn and lead. Early team assessment isn’t about pointing fingers or placing blame. It’s about building credibility through transparency and framing the opportunity to unlock better performance. You might say to the team:

• “This team is talented, but you’re stretched thin. With better role clarity and targeted development, we can drive significant improvements.”

• “There’s an opportunity to improve engagement through individualized coaching, particularly around qualification and closing skills.”

Setting these expectations upfront shows you’ve done the work, you understand their challenges, you want to help, and you have a plan.

Avoid the Excuse Trap

If you wait too long to acknowledge people-related challenges, you risk eroding trust with leadership. They may start to wonder why you didn’t see it sooner, or whether you’re using the team as a scapegoat. The hard truth: when you surface issues a few months in, the problem becomes yours.

By addressing the team early—its alignment, engagement, and role fit—you position yourself as a thorough, proactive leader. You’ve shown the client that you’re not just there to fix numbers; you’re there to help their team succeed.

Final Thought

Every fractional sales leader understands the pressure to produce quick wins. But sustainable success begins with the people executing the plan. Identify team opportunities early, share actionable insights, and prioritize development alongside strategy. The team will thank you—and so will your client.

The opportunity to get the team right happens early. Take it.

About the Author

John Lane is a Raleigh, NC-based leadership consultant specializing in helping fractional sales leaders ensure their teams are aligned, engaged, and positioned for success. His expertise enables fractional leaders to maximize their world-class consulting impact while improving their chances of securing renewals.

John elevates teams through a two-step program:
People Alignment Audit – Boosts team engagement and alignment.
Personalized Growth Plans – Enhances team performance and execution.

Ideal for SKOs or offsite meetings, John's approach energizes teams and equips them to execute effectively.