Managed · Sales Manager Recruitment
Hire a sales manager in the UK,or borrow one first.
Sales management is a leadership hire, not a database filter. We run a bespoke retained search for a permanent sales manager — or put fractional and interim leadership in place while you decide.
Option 1 — Permanent sales manager placement
A retained search run end to end by us. Sales manager candidates are a small, mostly passive pool, so this sits outside our self-serve marketplace — that side of the platform covers closers, setters, SDRs and BDRs, where browsing profiles genuinely works. For a manager, we go and find them.
- Role scoping — package, remit, scorecard and the benchmark a good manager hits in 90 days
- Retained search across our own network plus targeted outbound to managers not actively looking
- Structured assessment: live scenario interview, DISC profile, reference and track-record checks
- Shortlist of 3-5 managers with written assessment notes, not a CV dump
- Offer support, onboarding plan and a 90-day check-in cadence after they start
What it costs
Bespoke, scoped on a call
Retained search for a permanent sales manager, priced against seniority, package and scope. Fractional or interim cover is available as a lighter-weight alternative.
Option 2 — Fractional or interim sales management
Lighter weight, faster to start, and reversible. You get experienced sales leadership a couple of days a week — pipeline reviews, coaching, scorecards and 1:1s — without committing to a permanent package. Founders use it as cover during a permanent search, or as the answer itself when the team is still small. If what you actually need is leadership at director level — owning the number, the framework and the hiring plan — that is a Fractional Sales Director engagement, from £4,000/month.
Related: Fractional Sales Director, Hire Sales Closers, Sales Audit.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
- Should I hire a permanent sales manager or a fractional one?
- Hire permanent when you already have three or more reps, predictable lead flow and enough revenue to carry a full package without it hurting. Choose fractional or interim when you have one or two reps, an unproven process, or you need cover while a permanent search runs. Most founders under roughly £500k ARR get more out of fractional leadership first, then hire permanently once the function is stable enough to hand over.
- What does it cost to hire a sales manager through PrimeClosers?
- Sales Manager Placement is bespoke, scoped on a call — Retained search for a permanent sales manager, priced against seniority, package and scope. Fractional or interim cover is available as a lighter-weight alternative. We quote a fixed search fee against the seniority and package of the role before any work starts, so there is no percentage-of-salary surprise at offer stage. Fractional or interim cover is priced separately, from £4,000/month with a 3-month minimum term.
- How are sales managers vetted?
- Every shortlisted manager goes through a live scenario interview run by our founder, a DISC profile for working style and team fit, and verification of their actual numbers — team size managed, quota attainment, ramp times and retention. We check references with people who reported to them, not only the people they reported to. You receive written assessment notes on each shortlisted manager alongside the CV.
- How is this different from hiring on the self-serve marketplace?
- The self-serve marketplace covers individual contributor roles — closers, setters, SDRs and BDRs — where you post free, browse vetted profiles and pay a flat placement fee on hire. Sales management is a leadership hire with a much smaller candidate pool, so it does not work as a database filter. Sales Manager Placement is a bespoke retained search run by us instead of a listing you manage yourself.
- How is this different from a Fractional Sales Director?
- A Fractional Sales Director is a senior leader on your team part-time — typically 1-2 days a week — owning the number, the framework and the hiring plan, from £4,000/month. Sales Manager Placement finds you a permanent, full-time manager who runs the day-to-day: pipeline reviews, coaching, 1:1s and quota. Director level sets strategy; manager level executes it. If you want leadership without a permanent headcount, start with the Fractional Sales Director page.
- How long does a sales manager search take?
- Typically four to eight weeks from kickoff to signed offer. Scoping and outreach run in the first two weeks, the shortlist lands around week three or four, and the remaining time covers your interview process and notice negotiations. Interim cover can usually be in place within two weeks if you need someone running the team while the permanent search continues.
- How big does my sales team need to be?
- A permanent sales manager makes sense from around three to eight reps — below that the founder or a fractional leader can carry it, and above that you are usually looking at a Head of Sales or Sales Director instead. If you are unsure where you sit, a 20-minute call and a look at your pipeline is normally enough to tell you which of the three routes fits.