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Forward Share Network
Sales + Revenue Expert Operators
Get Matched in 48 Hours →A sales expert operator has carried a quota, built a sales motion, and hired the team that runs it. They step into fractional VP Sales, GTM advisory, or first-sales-motion engagements that produce a playbook, a pipeline process, and a hiring bar – not a sales strategy document. Forward Share Ventures has 11 vetted sales and revenue leadership expert operators with verified STAR Portfolio™ outcomes.
What sales expert operators do that consultants don't
A sales expert operator joins your revenue operating cadence as the senior sales voice. They run pipeline reviews, evaluate deal health, rebuild ICP targeting when conversion is stalling, and make the hiring and coaching decisions that improve sales team performance. The accountability distinction: they are not advising on what a VP Sales should do. They are doing what a VP Sales does, for the duration of the engagement. That means their recommendations carry the weight of someone who will be in the next pipeline review defending the approach – which changes both the quality of the recommendation and the speed of implementation.
How Forward Share Ventures vets sales expert operators
Sales STAR cases must document specific revenue outcomes: conversion rate changes, pipeline growth percentages, time-to-first-enterprise-deal, or ARR added during the engagement. Cases must also document what the expert operator specifically built or changed – not what the team sold, but what sales infrastructure, process, or playbook the expert operator constructed. Verified STAR cases include first-sales-motion builds with documented ARR outcomes, GTM rebuilds with specific conversion rate improvements, and enterprise sales motion builds with documented deal sizes and cycle times. General sales leadership experience without documented operational outcomes does not meet the Forward Share Ventures vetting bar.
When a sales expert operator is the right call
The clearest situations: you are transitioning off founder-led sales and need a VP Sales-level expert operator to build the repeatable motion while the full-time search runs; your conversion rate has been flat for two or more quarters and you need a diagnostic and rebuild; or you are entering enterprise for the first time and your current sales motion was built for mid-market. A sales expert operator also provides the hiring bar calibration for a VP Sales search that founders without sales backgrounds cannot supply – the difference between a strong VP Sales candidate at $5M ARR and one at $20M ARR is not obvious without having made that hire before.
Expert operators in this practice
Andre DeRussy – GTM rebuild, first sales motion build, ICP targeting · Seann Bishop – GTM growth advisory, enterprise sales, revenue architecture
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the right expert operator for my specific context within this function?
The intake brief asks for your stage, the specific gap, and your timeline. From there, the matching team surfaces 2–3 candidates who've held functional ownership in comparable situations – not just the function in general. Domain depth and stage fit are the primary match criteria.
What does a typical engagement in this function cost?
Advisory seats in this function typically run $3,000–$8,000 per month depending on the expert operator's background and your engagement format. Scoped projects are priced on scope and duration at the kickoff session. There are no placement fees in addition to engagement fees.
How long does a typical engagement last?
Advisory engagements run month-to-month with a 30-day notice period. Scoped consulting projects run 30–90 days with defined deliverables. Ongoing strategic advisory – where the expert operator functions more like a part-time team member – typically runs 3–6 months before transitioning to a lighter advisory cadence.
What's the difference between a fractional hire and an advisory engagement?
A fractional hire is embedded in your operations – on your systems, attending your standups, accountable for a function's output. An advisory engagement through Forward Share Network is structured, session-based, and focused on pattern recognition and specific expertise rather than operational execution. Many companies use both: advisory first, then fractional if the engagement proves out the need.
How do you verify that an expert operator's experience is relevant to our stage?
Forward Share Network's STAR credentialing framework requires documented proof points – specific outcomes (revenue milestones, team scale metrics, turnaround results) from prior roles at comparable stages. Operators who can't produce STAR evidence in a relevant domain don't get listed in that domain.
Ready to match? No prep needed. 20 minutes.
Get Matched in 48 Hours →How It Works
Tell us your gap
20-minute read with Vish. We map the function, stage, and urgency — no deck required.
We match in 48 hours
You receive 1–3 STAR-verified operators matched to your exact situation — reviewed and accountable.
Deploy in days
No contract lock-in. Start with a sprint or ongoing engagement. Cancel any time.
How We Compare
The honest breakdown — what separates a Forward Share expert operator from your other options.
| Criteria | FSV Expert Operator | Staffing Agency | Full-Time Hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to deploy | 48 hours | 3–6 weeks | 3–6 months |
| Commitment | Cancel anytime | Contract-locked | 12+ months |
| Track record | STAR-verified outcomes | Resume-screened | References only |
| Cost model | Engagement-based, no fee | 20–30% placement fee | Base + equity + benefits |
| Quality | Top 5% — curated from 400+ | Available candidates | Best hire at this stage |
| Risk | Low — no long-term lock-in | Medium — fee non-refundable | High — mis-hire is 1.5–2× salary |
Find Your Expert in 48 Hours.
No prep needed. 20 minutes. You'll leave with a clear read on your gap — and the right operator to close it.
STAR-Verified · No Placement Fee · Cancel Anytime