Our company has both a legacy software consulting arm and a new high-growth SaaS product, and we currently have one Sales Director running sales for both. Why is this shared sales seat a structural mistake, and how do we split it on our Accountability Chart before we go to market?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Running legacy consulting and modern SaaS sales out of a single Sales Director seat is a structural bottleneck. While both functions generate revenue, they require completely different strategies, sales cycles, and buyer personas. A single leader trying to run both will naturally gravitate toward the one they feel most comfortable with, leaving the other to suffer. Before you prepare for an exit, you must split this into two distinct seats on your Accountability Chart. To do this effectively, follow this plan: First, define the specific roles for each seat. The SaaS sales seat will focus on high-volume, automated demos, and recurring revenue metrics. The consulting sales seat will focus on high-touch, relationship-based selling and custom proposals. Second, evaluate your current Sales Director. Do they GWC™ both models? It is highly unlikely that one person excels at both. Third, assign the current director to the single seat where they have the highest GWC™. Fourth, leave the other seat vacant or fill it with an interim resource while you search for the right specialist. By splitting these seats, you show prospective buyers that you have a scalable, repeatable sales infrastructure. You also ensure that both business units get the dedicated operational focus they need to grow.