Over the past year, this innovative service has gained significant traction and with good reason. Fractional Sales Management doesn’t just improve team efficiency; it fosters stronger internal relationships and equips your staff with expert-level sales skills tailored to the medical market. Graduates of our program walk away with more than training; they gain insight, confidence, and a deep appreciation for the roles of employer, patients, and firm.

Cost efficiency without compromise 

Executive-level sales leadership at a fraction of the cost

Optimum RTS has always aimed to make our services available to all companies, no matter their size. Hiring a full-time sales manager can be expensive when factoring in salary, benefits, bonuses, and onboarding. With fractional sales management, companies access top-tier leadership without the full-time financial commitment; ideal for scaling teams or optimizing budgets. 

Immediate access to proven expertise 

Skip the learning curve. Get results faster.

Our fractional sales manager, John Dalton, brings a wealth of industry experience, best practices, and tested sales strategies. With over 30 years of experience, John is someone who can hit the ground running, identify bottlenecks, and implement solutions with minimal ramp-up time. He is not only respected by company owners, but the trainees he directly works with through the program are grateful for his knowledge and hands-on training approach. 

Flexibility to Scale 

Grow as you go with leadership that adapts

Whether you’re expanding into new markets, testing new products, or responding to seasonal demand, fractional management lets you scale your sales leadership up or down without the long-term commitments of full-time hires. Our services can be on a temporary or long-term basis. Whatever your company’s needs are, basic training of new sales employees or long-term sales team management, Optimum RTS can help. 

Objective, strategic perspective 

Fresh eyes. Focused solutions. 

Internal managers can become too close to day-to-day operations to see the bigger picture. A fractional leader offers an outsider’s objectivity, helping you refocus your strategy and realign your team with business goals. Our services act not only as a boost to employees’ sales numbers but as a full education in the art of sales. John’s passion for training has made him a trusted mentor, known for equipping employees with knowledge that advances their careers.

Leadership that builds teams 

Mentor. Motivate. Manage. 

John Dalton doesn’t just oversee your team; he develops it. We focus on mentorship, skills development, performance tracking, and creating a healthy sales culture that fosters long-term success. These elements don’t just build skilled individuals; they come together to create a high-performing sales team that drives lasting results for your company.  

Focus on Core Business Objectives 

Let Optimum RTS handle sales so you can run your business 

Free up executive bandwidth by delegating sales team oversight to Optimum RTS. This enables CEOs and founders to concentrate on innovation, operations, and growth strategy while knowing sales is in good hands.

Optimum RTS’s Fractional Sales Management services are more than a temporary solution; they’re a strategic advantage. By combining expert leadership, tailored training, and flexible engagement options, we empower businesses of all sizes to strengthen their sales operations without overextending resources. Whether you need support during a growth phase or a long-term partner in sales leadership, we’re here to help you build a smarter, stronger, and more successful sales team. 

Let’s grow your business one sale, one team member, one strategic move at a time.

As this new offering takes shape, we believe it’s important for our clients and partners to get to know the person behind it. In this interview, Susan shares what fuels her passion for HR, explains the concept of Fractional HR, and outlines how it can help your company improve efficiency and drive success. Read on to learn more about Susan’s journey and the exciting direction Optimum RTS is heading.

Can you tell us a bit about your career path and how you got into Human Resources?

I actually started out in staffing, and I’ve always been drawn to the human side of business, how people work, grow, and thrive within organizations. Early in my career, I found myself gravitating toward roles where I was solving people’s problems, maximizing operational efficiency, and shaping team dynamics, even when it wasn’t technically in my job description.

Eventually, I realized that what I loved doing most was actually what HR should be all about: building cultures that bring out the best in people and aligning people strategy with business goals. So I leaned in, pursued formal training and opportunities, and built my career from there.

Since then, I’ve worked across industries and company sizes, from high-growth startups to more established organizations, leading People Operations, developing leadership teams, and helping businesses scale in thoughtful, human-centered ways. Now, in my fractional work, I get to partner with mission-driven companies that are ready to take their people practices to the next level, without needing a full-time HR executive just yet.

How do you define or describe “Fractional HR” to someone unfamiliar with the concept?

“Fractional HR” is a way for companies, especially startups or small to mid-sized businesses, to get experienced HR leadership without hiring someone full-time.

Here’s a simple way to explain it: Fractional HR means hiring an experienced HR professional (often at the leadership or strategic level) on a part-time, contract, or project basis. Instead of bringing someone on as a full-time head of HR, a company gets a “fraction” of their time and expertise to handle specific needs like shaping people strategy, supporting leadership, managing org changes, or building foundational processes. Think of it like having a “rent-a-head-of-HR” or on-demand HR executive who can plug in quickly, bring big-company know-how, and scale their involvement based on what the business actually needs and can afford.

What makes Optimum RTS’s approach to Fractional HR services unique?

What sets Optimum RTS apart is our blend of big-company expertise with small-company agility. We’re not just filling a seat or managing HR tasks; we act as strategic partners, embedding ourselves into your business to truly understand your goals, challenges, and culture. That way, we can deliver tailored, high-impact solutions that make sense for where you are now and where you’re headed.

Our approach is hands-on, relationship-driven, and results-oriented. Whether it’s refining your people strategy, supporting leadership through change, or building out foundational HR systems, we bring a level of senior insight without the full-time cost. And because we work across industries and growth stages, we’re able to bring fresh perspective, tested frameworks, and a “been-there-before” steadiness to the table.

Ultimately, our goal is to help your company scale in a way that keeps people at the center, building not just processes, but a culture you’re proud of.

What do clients often not realize they’re missing until they work with fractional HR support?

Many organizations don’t realize how much time they’re spending managing people-related issues or how much strategic opportunity they’re missing until they have the right HR partner in place. HR is often seen as purely administrative, focused on compliance, payroll, or hiring logistics. But with fractional HR support, especially at a senior level, businesses quickly discover the value of having a strategic thought partner to help navigate leadership dynamics, organizational design, culture shifts, and performance challenges.

Fractional HR isn’t just about policies, it’s about aligning people with business strategy and building a foundation for sustainable growth. By bringing an outside perspective and cross-industry experience, we help uncover hidden gaps, such as unclear leadership accountability, underdeveloped management, or misaligned culture. Our presence gives leaders the clarity and space to think bigger, lead more effectively, and ultimately drive their business forward, often realizing just how essential strategic HR is only after experiencing the difference it makes.

When they bring in fractional HR support, they’re often surprised by:

• The clarity that comes with strategy. Instead of reacting to issues, they start making intentional, proactive decisions about culture, structure, and growth.
• How quickly things can improve. Even small interventions like tightening up hiring practices, creating clearer roles, or coaching a leadership team can have a ripple effect on performance and morale.
• What “great” can actually look like. Many haven’t seen what strong People Ops looks like at scale, so when we bring in best practices that are tailored to their size and stage, it’s eye-opening.
• The relief of having a trusted thought partner. Someone who can zoom out, understand the business, and say, “Here’s what matters most right now and here’s how we tackle it.”

It’s not just about compliance or checklists, it’s about creating the foundation for a culture and company where people can thrive, and where leaders feel equipped to lead well.

What drives or motivates you most about your work?

What motivates me most is seeing the real impact that thoughtful people’s practices can have, not just on business outcomes, but on people’s everyday experiences at work.

I love helping leaders connect the dots between strategy and culture, and watching teams transform when they feel seen, supported, and set up to succeed. Whether it’s helping a founder navigate a tough org change, coaching a new manager into confidence, or designing systems that make people’s lives easier, I’m driven by those moments where things just click and momentum builds.

At the end of the day, I do this work because I believe companies can be both high-performing and deeply human. Helping to build workplaces that reflect that belief is what keeps me going.

Let’s start off by defining who your customer is. Immediately, you envision the person currently utilizing your service or products. Typically, these people would be called your prospect, patient, client, shopper, patron, etc. Other people fall into this category as well, however, when you examine this a little closer. A customer is not always only the person using your services. It could be the parents of a child in school, the family members of a parent using your services. It could be the candidate you’re attempting to hire or the employees in your organization, or even your manager or one of the company’s vendors. In brief, it is everyone you come into contact with during the course of your work day. Beyond your work day, the term “customer service” can be substituted for just being polite in your interactions with everyone you meet. 

Now that we have defined who a customer is, let’s dig deeper into why understanding their emotional state might be important to a successful and positive interaction. To do this, think of a child and his or her parents going back-to-school shopping. In this scenario, there are two clients you will be faced with, and both may have very different emotional states. The child may be excited about going back to school, buying their new binders, pencils, and backpacks, whereas the parent is cranky about all the money they are spending, and trying to corral their children, the traffic, or crowds in the stores and malls. In both cases, how they are feeling has a direct relation to the way you or your employee will need to interact with them. For the child you will need to show that same excitement, and for the parent you might need to just be courteous and efficient. Now let’s look at a new patient being referred to a Home Health Agency. What could be the mental state of this customer? They could be scared, feeling vulnerable, tired of being sick and within the healthcare system, ready to be home, and concerned for the potential financial burden they might incur. Initially, the patient is not your only customer in this case, and each one of those involved may have one or more of the aforementioned emotions going on. As an example, when speaking to Mr. Smith and his wife, your ideal customer service would lead with empathy, reassurance, competence, and the timely nature of nursing, therapies, and caregivers. Whereas, when dealing with Mr. Smith’s daughter or son, you may want to switch the focus of your customer service to being efficient, actively listening, and providing concise descriptions of services and cost. This sounds easy, like basic information, but honestly, in most interactions, everyone is only thinking of themselves. For instance, the cashier at the office supply store in the first example might only see a grumpy lady and an obnoxious kid, or the staffing coordinator at the home health agency might be put off by the curt conversation Mr. Smith’s son is having with her. In both cases, the person who should be providing customer service has focused on themselves rather than the customer.

As you begin to read this list of best practices, think about your customer and their emotional state and how you would need to modify these best practices to be most effective.

Top 7 Customer Service Best Practices:

1. First Impressions: How your client initially interacts with you has nothing to do with you. Do not personalize a person’s attitude or behavior.
2. Observe and Drive: In face-to-face interactions, look your client in the eye, and all interactions use active listening skills to determine what the needs are and the driving force behind their need or question.
3. Be the fixer: Be concise in your response and only promise or solve issues that can be done at that time. Apologize and explain how you will get the information to answer the question or solve that problem. Be as specific as you can about the expected resolution time frame.
4. The Follow-up: Follow up on what was promised by keeping your client aware of your progress, should the timeframe you set move.
5. Make it personal: Personalize your customer service by introducing yourself and using your customer’s name when appropriate.
6. Smile: Smile. Really, it’s that simple. This applies when you are face to face or talking to someone on the phone. A smile can be heard as loudly as it can be seen.
7. Remove yourself: Remember, this interaction is not about you.

In my 26 years in recruiting, sales management, and national sales as a trainer and now a business owner, I have seen communication and customer service lead to unbelievable successes and an equal amount of failures. The primary causes of those failures occur when the person providing the service did not fully understand the “why” behind an attitude or question of a client. Without that understanding, even the best customer service plan will fail.

About the Author: John Dalton is the owner of Optimum RTS, a medical employment and consultant company. He has taught and consulted for clients that have just opened their doors to Fortune 100 companies. He can be reached at jdalton@optimumrts.com and you can visit his website at www.optimumrts.com

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