If you have searched for ways to grow revenue without committing to a six-figure full-time hire, you have probably encountered the term fractional BDM. But what does it actually mean, what does the person do every day, and is it the right fit for your company?
I have spent the last several years operating as a fractional business development manager across more than 10 companies, helping generate over $100M in pipeline. In this guide I will give you a clear, honest picture of what a fractional BDM is, what separates a good one from a bad one, and how to decide if this model fits your growth stage.
The Definition: What Is a Fractional BDM?
A fractional BDM is an experienced business development professional who works with a company on a part-time or project basis rather than as a full-time employee. The word fractional refers to the fraction of their time they dedicate to your company, typically between 10 and 40 hours per week depending on your engagement structure.
Unlike a consultant who delivers a strategy and disappears, a fractional BDM is embedded in your business. They own pipeline targets, run outbound campaigns, attend sales meetings, build partner relationships, and drive revenue the same way a full-time hire would, just without the full-time salary and overhead.
The model has grown significantly over the past five years as companies realized they could access executive-level talent at a fraction of the cost by sharing that talent across multiple engagements.
What Does a Fractional BDM Actually Do?
The day-to-day work of a fractional BDM varies by company, but the core responsibilities fall into four categories.
1. Outbound Pipeline Generation
A fractional BDM identifies target accounts, builds prospect lists, writes outreach sequences, and books discovery calls. They own the top of your funnel. This is not delegated to a junior SDR while the BDM watches from a distance. They are personally sending emails, making calls, and building relationships with potential customers.
In my own engagements, this means logging into Apollo or HubSpot every morning, reviewing the sequence activity from the prior day, responding to replies, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Pipeline does not build itself.
2. Partnership and Channel Development
Many fractional BDMs also manage strategic partnerships, reseller relationships, and co-sell motions with complementary vendors. If your business benefits from channel partners or technology alliances, a fractional BDM can build those relationships and create the processes to generate inbound referrals through them.
3. Market Expansion and ICP Refinement
A seasoned fractional BDM brings pattern recognition from working across multiple companies and industries. They will test new verticals, refine your ideal customer profile based on real data, and help you figure out which segments convert at the highest rate.
This is one of the highest-value activities I provide. By week 12 of a typical engagement, I have usually identified two or three ICP segments that were invisible or underserved before I arrived.
4. Revenue Infrastructure
A good fractional BDM does not just generate leads. They build the systems and processes that make lead generation repeatable after they leave, or after they step back to a lighter engagement. This includes CRM setup and hygiene, outbound playbooks, meeting frameworks, and handoff processes to your account executives.
Fractional BDM vs. Other Revenue Roles
People often confuse fractional BDMs with other fractional roles. Here is a quick comparison:
- Fractional BDM vs. Fractional BDR: A BDR (Business Development Representative) is typically a more junior role focused on outbound prospecting and booking meetings. A BDM operates at a more strategic level, managing partnerships, owning larger deals, and building the overall BD function. A fractional BDR works the phones and inbox. A fractional BDM builds and owns the revenue strategy.
- Fractional BDM vs. Fractional CRO: A Chief Revenue Officer oversees the entire revenue org including marketing, sales, and customer success. A fractional BDM is specifically focused on new business development and pipeline generation, not the full revenue stack.
- Fractional BDM vs. Fractional VP of Sales: A VP of Sales manages the sales team and closing process. A BDM is upstream of that, creating the opportunities that the sales team then closes. In smaller companies these roles often overlap, and a fractional BDM may wear both hats.
Who Needs a Fractional BDM?
Based on my experience, the companies that get the most value from a fractional BDM fall into a few distinct categories.
Early-Stage Startups (Pre-Series A)
Founders at this stage are often doing all their own BD, which is fine until it is not. When a founder is spending more than 40% of their time on sales and pipeline activities, that is a clear signal they need dedicated BD support. A full-time BDM hire at $120,000 to $180,000 per year plus equity and benefits is often not justifiable at this stage. A fractional BDM at $8,000 to $15,000 per month solves the same problem at a fraction of the cost.
Series A Companies Preparing to Scale
After a Series A, companies often have the budget to hire but not the clarity on what kind of BD talent they actually need. A fractional BDM can come in, run the function, and help the leadership team understand what a full-time BDM hire should look like before they make a permanent decision.
Companies Entering New Markets
If you are an established company launching into a new vertical or geography, a fractional BDM gives you dedicated focus on that expansion without diverting your existing team. I have done several engagements specifically structured around new market entry where my only mandate was to build pipeline in a segment the company had never sold into before.
Companies Between BD Hires
When your head of BD leaves, pipeline can stall for months while you recruit a replacement. A fractional BDM can step in immediately, keep momentum going, and often help define the job spec for the permanent hire based on real observations from the role.
What Does a Fractional BDM Engagement Look Like?
Most fractional BDM engagements follow a similar structure. Month one is discovery and setup: understanding the product, the existing pipeline, the ICP, and the current BD motion. Months two and three are execution: running outbound, building partnerships, and generating pipeline. Month three onward is optimization: doubling down on what is working and systematizing it.
Engagements typically run three to twelve months, with the most common structure being a six-month initial term with an option to extend or transition to a lighter advisory role.
Pricing varies based on time commitment and scope, which I cover in detail in my fractional BDM pricing guide. As a rough benchmark, expect to pay between $5,000 and $20,000 per month depending on hours and experience level.
How to Evaluate a Fractional BDM
Not all fractional BDMs are equal. When evaluating candidates, look for these signals:
- Verifiable pipeline numbers: Anyone worth hiring should be able to tell you exactly how much pipeline they have generated, with specifics on deal sizes, sales cycles, and win rates.
- Industry relevance: The best fractional BDM for your company has sold to your buyer before. Pattern recognition from relevant experience is worth far more than general sales skill.
- Systems thinking: Ask how they plan to make the function sustainable. A great fractional BDM builds infrastructure, not just relationships.
- References from leadership: Talk to CEOs or founders who hired them, not just colleagues. You want to know if they moved the needle on revenue.
Is a Fractional BDM Right for You?
A fractional BDM is the right choice when you need senior BD expertise but cannot yet justify a full-time hire, when you are entering a new market and need focused execution, or when you want to test and build your BD motion before scaling it with a permanent team.
If you are generating less than $500K in ARR and need to prove out your go-to-market, a fractional BDM gives you the firepower to do that efficiently. If you are at $2M to $10M ARR and need to 3x your pipeline, the fractional model gives you an experienced operator who can hit the ground running on day one.
Ready to explore whether a fractional BDM is right for your company? Book a strategy call and we can walk through your current BD motion, identify the gaps, and figure out whether a fractional engagement makes sense. Or review my pricing page to understand what different engagement structures look like.