Our services
Advise, diagnose, build and lead the revenue organization your growth plan requires
For investors
How fractional revenue leadership stabilizes a portfolio company
- Growth
- Planning
- Sales evaluation
- Analytics
- Forecasting
- Leadership
- Hiring
- Operations
How we work · Revenue Ascent™
Companies enter at the level their situation requires
01 · Expedition Prep
Advise
Experienced advice
Executive-level guidance to work through decisions, clarify priorities and agree on next steps. No embedded executive needed.
- Revenue priorities and decision support
- Pipeline and forecast review
- Business-development accountability
- Targeted coaching and capability development
Clearer priorities. Better revenue decisions.
Ongoing advisory, typically a fixed monthly retainer.
Learn more
02 · Trailhead
Diagnose
A clear assessment and plan
A 30-day diagnostic of what is constraining revenue and what to address first, before committing to a larger solution.
- Revenue strategy and market focus
- Pipeline quality and forecast credibility
- Sales process and qualification
- Leadership, roles and accountability
- Founder or key-person dependence
- Team capability and readiness
Leave with clarity, not guesswork.
Fixed fee, typically 30 days. 75% in advance, 25% on completion.
Learn more
03 · Base Camp
Build
Help putting it into practice
Design and install the sales process, CRM, scorecards, compensation, hiring profiles and management routines, alongside the team that will run them.
- Sales process, pipeline stages and qualification criteria
- CRM structure and operating discipline
- KPI scorecards and forecasting method
- Compensation, hiring profiles and onboarding
- Management cadence and sales-to-operations handoffs
- A defined 90-day execution roadmap
A repeatable system leadership can manage and sales can execute.
Defined project, typically 4 to 6 months, with a monthly retainer.
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04 · Summit Push
Lead
Someone to lead sales
Embedded Fractional CRO and Revenue Operating Partner: lead the team, strengthen the organization and prepare for a permanent sales leader.
- Commercial leadership through scale, transition or exit preparation
- Hiring, coaching and team development
- Sales-team performance and accountability
- First-100-day or transformation execution
- Internal ownership that outlasts the engagement
Senior revenue leadership without the commitment of a full-time CRO.
Embedded, part-time, typically 12+ months, with a monthly retainer based on scope and complexity.
Learn moreJohn E. Spencer leads every engagement. Vetted specialists in areas like CRM, compensation and recruiting are brought in when the work calls for them.
01 · Expedition Prep · Advise
Experienced advice
- For
- Leaders at companies of any size, including startups, seeking experienced guidance.
- What happens
- Working sessions to align on decisions, priorities, and next steps.
- You get
- Clearer priorities and better revenue decisions.
- Format
- Ongoing advisory, typically a fixed monthly retainer.
Most accessible starting point.
Covers:
- Revenue priorities and decision support
- Pipeline and forecast review
- Business-development accountability
- Targeted coaching and capability development
Clearer priorities. Better revenue decisions.
02 · Trailhead · Diagnose
A clear assessment and plan
- For
- Companies with underperforming revenue that need clarity.
- What happens
- A focused 30-day review of strategy, pipeline, process, people, and founder dependence.
- You get
- A clear view of what’s constraining revenue, what to fix first, and a recommended path forward.
- Format
- Fixed fee, typically 30 days. 75% in advance, 25% on completion.
Still the top salesperson? Get a clear path to step out without revenue slipping.
Covers:
- Revenue strategy and market focus
- Pipeline quality and forecast credibility
- Sales process and qualification
- Leadership, roles and accountability
- Founder or key-person dependence
- Team capability and readiness
Leave with clarity, not guesswork.
03 · Base Camp · Build
Help putting it into practice
- For
- Companies that know what to change and need help putting it in place.
- What happens
- Design and install the sales process, CRM discipline, scorecards, compensation, hiring profiles, and management routines.
- You get
- A repeatable sales system and a team better equipped to execute.
- Format
- Defined project, typically 4 to 6 months, with a monthly retainer.
Covers:
- Sales process, pipeline stages and qualification criteria
- CRM structure and operating discipline
- KPI scorecards and forecasting method
- Compensation, hiring profiles and onboarding
- Management cadence and sales-to-operations handoffs
- A defined 90-day execution roadmap
A repeatable system leadership can manage and sales can execute.
04 · Summit Push · Lead
Someone to lead sales
- For
- Companies where revenue is a strategic risk or a critical part of a growth or exit plan.
- What happens
- John E. Spencer serves as an embedded Fractional CRO, leads the team, executes the plan, and prepares the organization for a permanent sales leader.
- You get
- Senior revenue leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time CRO.
- Format
- Embedded, part-time, typically 12+ months, with a monthly retainer based on scope and complexity.
Covers:
- Commercial leadership through scale, transition or exit preparation
- Hiring, coaching and team development
- Sales-team performance and accountability
- First-100-day or transformation execution
- Internal ownership that outlasts the engagement
Senior revenue leadership without the commitment of a full-time CRO.
Across all levels
One person accountable
- John E. Spencer leads every engagement.
- Vetted specialists in CRM, compensation, recruiting, and assessments are brought in when the work calls for them.
Moving between levels
The levels are not a required sequence
- The organization changes. A company that builds a sales force for the first time may later need sales leadership.
- Rapid growth. Scaling quickly often requires someone to step in and lead.
- Speed and urgency. A company that needs to move fast can move quickly to Build or Lead after a focused diagnosis.
Tools we use inside the work
Training, assessments and related services
Tactical Sales Plan
The structure behind sustainable growth
Our Tactical Sales Plan delivers the structure, accountability, and leadership needed to unlock your team’s full potential. We provide the systems, strategy, and key personnel to help you exceed your revenue goals, without guessing what to fix.
Start with our complimentary Sales Growth Evaluation to see how your sales organization stacks up against industry benchmarks. You’ll receive specific, actionable recommendations to strengthen your sales engine and drive sustainable growth.
Sales hiring and onboarding
Hiring the right salesperson should not be a guessing game
Clear Direction helps established B2B companies define the role, build the candidate profile, assess fit, and lead the selection process with the same discipline applied to the broader revenue system.
Working as your Fractional CRO or Revenue Operating Partner, John aligns the hire with the company’s strategy, sales process, market, compensation plan, and leadership expectations. Where appropriate, objective assessments are used to evaluate sales capability, motivation, role fit, and team alignment.
The work does not stop when an offer is accepted. Clear Direction also helps establish the onboarding plan, early performance expectations, management cadence, and accountability required to improve the likelihood that the new hire succeeds.
The result is a better-defined role, a more disciplined hiring decision, and a faster path to productive performance.
Start with the Trailhead Revenue Diagnostic to determine whether the company needs a new hire, or whether the real constraint is leadership, process, structure, or accountability.
Sales training, coaching, and mentoring
Build confidence. Sharpen skills. Drive results.
Our training and development programs are rooted in proven methodologies and customized to your team’s needs. We offer:
- RAIN Group training
Modern, consultative sales strategies that help reps sell value, not just price.
- Integrity Selling®
A time-tested approach focused on trust, ethics, and customer-focused selling.
- Leadership coaching and mentoring
For sales managers and executives, focused on developing strong leadership habits, accountability, and team performance.
Delivered through a mix of workshops, hands-on coaching, and ongoing mentoring, our programs help your team grow with structure and purpose, so they can sell more, more consistently.
Ready to discuss your growth plan? Start with a 30-minute conversation.
Tell John where revenue stands today and what the plan requires. You will leave the call knowing whether advice, a diagnostic, a build or embedded leadership is the right next step.
Sometimes you need an outside perspective. Sometimes you need hands-on help. We’ll agree on the scope, investment, and what completion looks like.