01
Sales Performance Diagnostic
A focused assessment of the sales organization, pipeline, CRM, forecasting, talent, strategic accounts, KPIs, compensation, and sales process.
Executive findings and a prioritized 30/60/90-day action plan.
00/ Story & Stone Advisory
Senior Sales Leadership. When You Need It Most.
Fractional and interim VP of Sales leadership for PE-backed, founder-led, and growth-stage service businesses navigating growth, transition, leadership gaps, acquisition integration, or sales underperformance.
Brief / 01
For leaders who need a clear read on what comes next.
A senior point of view, close to the work, at the pace the moment requires.
Story & Stone Advisory
Schedule a Conversation →01/ Who we help
Built for the business behind the moment.
For private equity operating partners, portfolio company CEOs, presidents, founders, business owners, PE portfolio operations leaders, and executive recruiters.
01PE-backed service companies
02Founder-led businesses
03Growth-stage companies
04Multi-location organizations
05Companies integrating acquisitions
06Businesses experiencing a sales leadership gap
07Companies where the founder is still leading sales
08Organizations with weak pipeline visibility or unreliable forecasting
09Companies with underperforming sales teams
02/ When to call
When the usual answer is not moving fast enough.
01VP of Sales recently departed
02Company is recruiting a permanent VP of Sales
03Founder is still directly managing the sales team
04Sales growth has stalled
05Pipeline is large but conversion is weak
06Forecasts are unreliable
07CRM adoption is inconsistent
08Sales team lacks accountability
09Company recently acquired another business
10Multiple sales teams need integration
11Company is expanding into new markets
12Strategic accounts need stronger leadership
13Sales and operations are misaligned
03/ Services
The right level of leadership for the moment.
02
Fractional VP of Sales
Ongoing senior sales leadership for companies that need executive-level guidance and management without immediately hiring a full-time VP.
May include team leadership, pipeline management, forecasting, CRM discipline, strategic accounts, recruiting, coaching, performance management, PIP support, territory and compensation review, and sales operating cadence.
03
Interim VP of Sales
Short-term executive leadership during a vacancy, transition, acquisition, restructuring, or search for a permanent VP of Sales.
May include full sales-team leadership, pipeline ownership, forecasting, executive reporting, recruiting, team assessment, PIP and performance support, strategic account leadership, and transition support for the permanent VP.
Optional / as needed
Industry & Association Representation
Optional representation for trade shows, conventions, association events, customer meetings, prospect meetings, and strategic account engagement. Event attendance is separately scoped unless explicitly included in an engagement.
Schedule a Conversation →- Trade shows
- Conventions
- Association events
- Customer meetings
- Prospect meetings
- Strategic account engagement
- Pre-event planning
- Account targeting
- Meeting scheduling
- Post-event follow-up strategy
04/ Why Advisory
Experienced where the work gets real.
A plainspoken approach to senior sales leadership, grounded in the operating details that shape a team’s performance.
0120+ years of senior sales leadership
02Experience building and leading teams
03Strategic and national account growth
04Multi-market leadership
05Strong sales and operations partnership
06Hands-on CRM, pipeline, and forecasting leadership
07Talent assessment and performance management
08Ability to step into leadership gaps quickly
09Comfortable operating nationally and traveling as needed
05/ Industries we serve
Deep experience in service businesses that keep things moving.
RestorationMitigationContents restorationPack-out / pack-backContents storageEnvironmental servicesEnvironmental testingMold, asbestos, and indoor air quality testingAEC — architecture, engineering and constructionFacilities servicesBuilding servicesCommercial constructionRoofing and exterior servicesProperty servicesMultifamily servicesSenior living servicesInsurance-adjacent servicesBuilding technologyCritical infrastructureOther multi-location B2B service businesses
06/ How engagements work
A clear path from conversation to action.
1
Discovery
Understand the business, the moment, and what needs to change.
2
Assessment
Look closely at the sales organization, operating rhythm, and commercial reality.
3
Leadership Plan
Set a focused path with clear priorities, owners, and decision points.
4
Execution
Step in, lead the work, and create the cadence the team can carry forward.
07/ First 30 days
What the First 30 Days Look Like
When Story & Stone Advisory steps in, the first priority is clarity.
Schedule a Conversation →During the first 30 days, we typically:
- 01Meet with executive leadership and key sales-team members
- 02Review the sales organization, roles, territories, and accountability
- 03Assess CRM usage, pipeline quality, and forecast reliability
- 04Review strategic and national accounts
- 05Identify talent and performance gaps
- 06Evaluate sales and operations alignment
- 07Establish a consistent leadership and forecasting cadence
- 08Identify immediate opportunities and risks
- 09Build a prioritized 30/60/90-day leadership plan
The goal is simple: give leadership a clear view of what is happening in sales, what needs attention first, and how to move forward.
08/ Situations
Common Situations We Step Into
Situation
VP of Sales vacancy
Leadership coverage is needed now while the organization determines its next long-term move.
Situation
Founder still managing sales
The business has outgrown founder-led sales management and needs a stronger operating rhythm.
Situation
Recent acquisition or integration
New teams, accounts, and expectations need one clear commercial operating rhythm.
Situation
Sales growth has stalled
The same effort is producing flat results, with no clear read on what needs to change.
Situation
Forecasts are unreliable
Leadership needs a more dependable view of pipeline, timing, and risk.
Situation
CRM discipline is weak
The system is not yet giving the team or leadership a usable view of the work.
Situation
Sales team lacks accountability
Clear expectations, ownership, and cadence are needed across the team.
Situation
Multi-location teams lack consistency
Distributed teams need shared standards without losing local market knowledge.
Situation
Strategic accounts need stronger ownership
Important relationships need executive attention, clear plans, and visible follow-through.
Situation
Sales and operations are misaligned
Commercial promises and operational delivery need to work from the same plan.
09/ Questions
A few practical answers.
The shape of the work depends on the moment, the organization, and what leadership needs to see clearly.
Schedule a Conversation →What is the difference between a Fractional VP of Sales and an Interim VP of Sales?
Fractional leadership is ongoing part-time VP-level leadership. Interim leadership typically provides more intensive temporary coverage during a vacancy, transition, or executive search.
How long do engagements typically last?
Fractional engagements generally begin with a three-month minimum. Interim assignments vary depending on the leadership gap and business need.
Do you work nationally?
Yes. Story & Stone Advisory is Florida-based and works with companies nationally, including onsite travel where appropriate.
Is CRM access required?
For engagements involving pipeline, forecasting, sales management, or performance analysis, appropriate CRM access is generally necessary.
Can you help with hiring and performance management?
Yes. Services may include recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, coaching, PIP support, performance management, and termination recommendations. Final employment decisions remain with the client.
Do you work with PE-backed companies?
Yes. PE-backed and growth-stage service businesses are a core focus.
10/ Start with a conversation
Need VP-level sales leadership now?
Whether you are navigating a leadership gap, scaling a sales team, integrating an acquisition, or trying to improve performance, Story & Stone Advisory can step in quickly and provide experienced sales leadership.