Dennis Sprute (repr. different companies)

With fractional selling tailored to early-stage startups, you get real deals, not just advice. Different mandates, not all on display.

Fractional Seller

Solo Salon

We unite creativity and business for solopreneurs and provide a space for ideas exchange.

Co-Founder

Codesphere

Codesphere's tech autoscales AI apps, cutting GPU expenses by 90%, adding Free GPU Tier, and boosting cloud DevOps and launching features 6x faster.

GTM Advisor

BetterUp

Closed six-figure deals and reached 87% of my top 15 enterprise accounts, building an $8M pipeline. Also trained teams and led a strategic partnership.

Sr. Enterprise Account Executive

Unbabel

In charge of EMEA Retail (grew it by 6x), then DACH pod. Grew that by 10x to $2M+ (+18% of company revenue). 

Top AE (Global) - 2021
Top AE (EMEA) - 2020

Pod Leader

Enterprise Account Executive

Groupon

Exceeded annual goals managing a diverse business portfolio and trained teams in business writing.

Sr. Account Executive

Hey Ride

Led sales and partnerships for our mobility-as-marketing app, gaining 2,000+ sign-ups through a successful Product Hunt campaign. Secured deals with top mobility companies and global restaurant chains.

Commercial Co-Founder

BILD

Honed my communication and writing skills through research, interviews, and story editing for the best-selling European newspaper.

Freelance Editor

Teaching early-stage startups how I closed $5M+ ARR, 1:1 and team training || Documenting my solopreneur journey

For founders and early-stage startups, I'll sell with or for you -- just not full-time, on a retainer and commission basis.

You'll get 10 years of hands-on startup sales experience, from pre-seed (my own) to Series B and E, and post-IPO. Millions of dollars signed with large Enterprises (LEGO, Panasonic, Zalando, Nike, AB InBev...)

And yes, always sold full-cycle with little to no resources. 

Sounds good? Then let's connect: 

hello@dennissprute | dennissprute.com | @dennis.sprute (Insta, where I share personal things)

P.S. Sign up for my weekly newsletter on holistic sales approaches and my free ebook on Email Design.

Lots of new followers since I’ve last introduced myself.
Let me share again who I am, how I think and what I do today:

👶 Born and raised in Bremen, grew up as an exchange student in the US, became an adult while studying in Berlin, and a man while living in Lisbon

😬 Since childhood, magnetically drawn to interesting people and views (especially “forbidden” ones) to find truth; equally allergic to dogmas and obvious nonsense, which I can’t hide

👨‍💻 This wiring led me to (TV) journalism as an obvious career choice. Interned and freelanced at Europe’s largest tabloid, then stumbled into startup sales and loved it more

👨‍🚀  Own startup failed, but gave me network + taught me 360 and 0 to 1 thinking, which I carried into helping two growth startups land/expand into Europe/Germany—one success, one less so

☝️ Some sales principles developed along the way:

1. Be broadly interested → become interesting = build rapport & think outside the box

2. Treat networking like compound investing (currently writing an ebook on it) to create levers

3. Never apologize for having high standards (if so, run!!)

4. Always iterate! What’s worked today (through luck?) won’t work tomorrow

5. Best sales books: biographies, dating books (yes!)

🧬 Battled mental and physical issues in the 2nd half of my 20s. Contrarian mindset was key to finding cure, but bigger healing was losing fear of disease (read Nietzsche: “Amor Fati”) 

Having spent over €80K between 2018-2022 taught me: best maintenance is through weight training, stretching (reduced chiropractor visits, fixed male health), high adrenaline / outdoor activities, animal protein, stable male friendships  

💊 A great therapist trumps most substances (high in openness, I’ve probably tried everything under the sun). Nothing has been as sustainable. 

And: a healthy mind can’t exist in an unhealthy body.

If my nervous system is down, I procrastinate, watch/eat things I shouldn’t, become nihilistic

Therefore: Stabilize the body → stabilize the mind

🇧🇷 After 3 months in Rio, I'm currently planning on moving to Brazil (visa process underway). Love the country, culture, people

AND BESIDES?

Since last fall, I've been working with startups and founders (seed/Series A stage or bootstrapped) as a fractional seller.

That means: on a freelance and part-time basis with a monthly retainer + commission.

In most cases, it's a mix of sparring (on account strategies, outreach + messaging, deal cycles with large orgs, meeting prep/debrief), and hands-on selling.

Is it going perfectly yet? 🤝

Nope. I’m still not earning what I’ve earned as an Enterprise rep. Many mandates were not the right fit in terms of maturity/market/product.

But things are headed in the right direction. And: I love my lifestyle. 

If you want to know more about my story, I'm happy to come on your pod.

Want to work with me? 👉 Get in touch, tag your friends –– and sign up for my free ebook and weekly newsletter on holistic sales nuggets.

Dennis Sprute

Thank you Dominic Klingberg & Julius Göllner! ARRtist Circus 🎪 was lit. I had a blast.

A lot of old faces, many new ones, and even more that I’d only known through LinkedIn’s comment section or Zoom calls before. 

The new business opportunities and valuable feedback on my positioning and business model is one thing.

But also getting to know these folks beyond that, and what interesting lives they’re living, is always the icing on the cake for me. 🙏

Well done!

(Und ne, definitiv nicht ins Wasser gefallen. Aber ein cooler Shot für Insta!)

I’ve NEVER received an inbound through my website.


Each opp came via LinkedIn or WhatsApp (existing contacts). 
At my stage –– still early being on my own –– not uncommon.

So much for: Do I need to have a website (in the beginning)?

In many cases, probably not (yet).

Why I still have one already:

(a) for people to download my ebook and sign up for my newsletter 
(I prefer it over something like Substack)

(b) I like having more flexibility on UX/UI in how I present myself

That’s it, really. 

No website needed to save the domain with your name (I use GoDaddy). 

The same for using your domain as an email address: Just set up the DNS in Google Workspace to direct your email traffic to their servers.

Lastly, don’t repeat the biggest mistake I made even before I had a business:

Dropping a few € kilos on an agency to build a website for me (using WordPress, which is clunky and not fun to use). 

(a) it's a false sense of getting something done if there's no need

(b) you'll always be dependent to make changes (if you also find WP confusing) 

(c) wayyy too expensive -- but I was still earning f-you money 😬

Now I pay 17€/month for Squarespace (no worries, I don’t qualify for their affiliate program yet). Super easy to navigate, incl. server hosting (30€/month with agency!).

Hope that helps someone thinking about it, since I keep getting this question. 

Not only from (future) solopreneurs, but also execs who want to position themselves. 

Happy Sunday, let me know what movie I should watch tonight!

95% of sales events are a waste of resources. Instead…


host your own. Much cheaper and more effective.

(Talking 100% from my own experience, as always)

1. Target the execs of your top accounts
2. Pick a prestigious venue (nice restaurant)
3. Use an industry-relevant speaker as an anker

These invites will have a high response rate:

1. Execs won’t be on floor of mass events
2. They want to be in intimate environments
3. Being amongst peers: networking, inspiration 

What is key: have your own top execs as hosts!

Those are the ingredients for an events with REAL
opportunities and deals that came through the top.

Bonus tip: Plan and invite AT LEAST 6-8 weeks in
advance. Otherwise nobody will have time for you. 

Ever held an event like this?

Visit www.dennissprute.com to get more information, subscribe to my newsletter, and download your free ebook.

I don’t work with more than three clients.
That’s my business model, and it’s lucrative.  

As a fractional seller,

I sell with and for founders at a Seed/Series A stage.
The big difference? I’m not a full-time employee.

 📅 DAY-TO-DAY

The other difference: I’m not just in the trenches like an IC or to shadow. 

I also support the sales and general business strategy, like a consultant, which is fun and challenging in a good way.

Why no more than 3 clients? Too much context-switching.

💵 PAY

What’s usually a base salary, is a retainer fee in my case.
On top comes a commission cut for deals, at times, equity. 

The minimum commitment I ask is three months, otherwise 
you can’t have an impact. 

Why not 6? I don’t want to be stuck if we don’t click or the
product / market isn’t as promising as I initially thought.

💰 BONUS INCOME:

I have a number of agreements solely for warm intros + insights. If a deal happens, I get a cut. Little to no effort! ("Only" my reputation)

If you have more questions––since people keep asking me––drop them below. 👇

I’m not reinventing the wheel and still figuring this out, but it’s allowing me a different lifestyle. (Also thanks to working with Stephanie Sgura.)

Super excited to attend ARRtist Circus tomorrow and Friday in Berlin. Came back JIT to see what Dominic Klingberg and team have put together. 🤩

Will be lovely to see a lot of old and especially new faces. 

(Especially excited for the sessions of Christoph Karger and Jan Benedikt Mundorf.)

Most of the Brazilian tan has worn off by now, but I'm sure you'll still recognize me, so don't be shy. ;)

See ya there! 🙋‍♂️

Referral deals convert 3-5x better than other channels.

But that doesn't mean you must not actively earn them.

For someone to refer you, you need to quasi-sell them, too.
As with cold outreach, that means diligence and focus.

Is it more comfortable to approach someone you already know?
Yes, but no one will ruin their rep if you aren't polished.

That's why you should research and send clear emails.
Even with help, the message must sell itself.

"Pre-chewing" helps the person to help you more effectively.
(I cover this mindset in my free ebook on email design.)

This will boost your message, but it can also stand alone.
More referrals, lower CAC, and better conversions result.

Ready to be proactive and achieve 3-5x higher conversions?

Founders: A seller won’t build your company for you.
If that’s your expectation, you’re in for a bumpy ride.

So here’s how the story goes (saw + lived it multiple times):

1. A seller gets paid (in the founder's mind, a lot; in reality, not)
2. With that comes the idea that the seller has to take care of:

- filling gaps that marketing had to own (brand, comms, events)
- go way out of depth to help mitigate product issues (for SaaS)
- help train and mentor younger reps because nobody has time

… all while trying to do their main job: facilitating between orgs.

And then wonder that sellers:

- don’t hit their (often absurd) targets from an ivory tower
- as a consequence, get fired (often as the scapegoat)
- burn out and/or quit themselves, because: “no, thanks!”

If that is you, and you want to avoid or stop this, consider this:

1. Design your seller’s environment to focus on their main job
2. This means hiring the right air coverage to free them up
3. Are the patterns of complaints? Take them seriously!!

If things still don’t work out (might happen), it’s less your fault!

The goal of a sales meeting is not to show how smart you are.
But to collect as much info as you can––then build from it.

This was probably my biggest learning from the early days.
I was insecure and felt I had to justify why I was in that room.

Pure ego. 

So rather than trying to shut up and soak everything in, I was forcing myself to come off like I already knew everything.

What a waste of time:

😒 The buyer skipped explanations because they felt I already knew

🫤 I knew just as much after the meeting as before and missed out on valuable information

Here’s a better way to think of this:

🤩 Being openly curious takes little to no knowledge at all

🧑‍🎨 It will not only get you tons of insights, but is an art form

🤓 IF your goal as a seller is to come off as smart (still an ego thing), this would be the best way to do it

As long you have some basic knowledge from your research that you can inject into your questions, you’re good. 

Or as one of my communications professors always said to us:

“The person asking is the one leading the conversation.” 

Groupon taught me to be hardcore at simplifying offers.
Here are 4 rules that you’ll want to keep in mind as a founder.

Groupon’s service is simple: local businesses like restaurants sell unused capacity at a discounted price to cover fixed costs. 

In an ideal scenario, they make a profit through items that were
purposely not included in the deal, like beverages (high margin)

How they structured their deals wasn’t groundbreaking, but I’ve seen many sellers and founders not apply these simple rules: 

RULE 1️⃣

Groupon has at least 2 options, no more than 4. 3 is ideal. That way you avoid the paradox of choice (“What should I pick?”)

Many tech products follow this structure because it’s familiar. 

RULE 2️⃣

Make it understandable what’s the benefit to buying each (ideally buyers land on option 2), but don’t inflate artificially.

To justify a higher price, we’d throw in something like a dessert.

RULE 3️⃣

Gradual discounting per option to entice buying the bigger option. Make sure discounting is exponential, not decreasing.

Groupon showed the percentages that people would save. I’ve done the same in my offers when selling software deals.

You’d be surprised at how often buyers care more about the % they’ll save than the actual amount. Why?

It triggers a sense of achievement and smart buying.

RULE 4️⃣

Play with commitment. How long and how many vouchers they wanted to commit upfront reduced the cut they had to pay us.

That’s it. 

Is what Groupon did groundbreaking? Nope. But it’s allowed them to once be the fastest-growing internet company in history.

Let’s demystify how successful negotiations work.

I must have sat in hundreds of them by now.

As a founder, private person, seller, solo.

I wish I'd known some of these sooner.

What else would you add here?

Share it with us below 👇

Starting Guide To Negotiation - 11 Things To Know

Nobody cares HOW your deals were sourced & closed 😇
… as long as you close them.

When I started out, I wanted to do it without the help of SDRs, 
managers, and partners. Stupid ego thinking, and unrealistic. 

Most of your SaaS deals WILL come from these sources and/or 
help you to close them––and that is perfectly fine, because:

Managers, future employers, investors want actual revenue #s. 

→ My first SaaS deal was mostly closed by my old manager.
→ My first million-dollar deal used a strategic partner as a lever.

And guess what:

Accepting help in the early days, and then later strategic help IS a skill in itself and part of successful SaaS selling. 

So don’t try to be a cowboy. 

Or as soccer coach José Mourinho put it when told that
Manchester City’s possession rate was more than 80%:

"They can take the ball home, I take the 3 points.”

Sellers fixated on personas miss crucial buyer insights.
Here's the kicker: 

A lot of rapport and trust-building happens outside of the persona context.

Buyers, as everyday people, have their own dreams and challenges: 

- Keeping their partners happy
- Building a great life for their kids
- Progressing in their own careers

… whatever.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from having dealt with hundreds of buyers over the last 10 years, it’s this:

Look at them holistically. Pay attention to everything. Then action it.

- The trivia they drop during a call
- The things that get them excited or worked up
- Areas where they seem confused, overwhelmed, or clueless

Try to build on these, go deeper. Ask questions, label. Note it down, follow-up proactively.

A lot of sellers don’t do it. They just leave that info on the table, right there for the taking. 

Too bad for them––better for us.

Is that alone going to sell your product? Nope. It still has to be relevant.

But the point I want to make is that you might be able to help your buyers in more areas.

I’ve helped buyers:

- plan their honeymoon trip to Portugal
- get them access to health practitioners
- brainstrom for their personal passion projects

While I’m highly curious to connect with people personally, I’m still not a Samaritan. I have a commercial agenda.

But the beauty is, that buyers won’t mind––if you’re helping them what matters to them on a personal level. 

As an exercise this weekend, think about where you can help.

Not (just) with the product or service you’re selling (let’s assume that is a good fit). But also what else you as a person have to offer, your assets:

- The network you have
- The experiences you’ve had
- Skills you’ve developed in one domain

And sometimes literally just… time. Giving a person the feeling to be seen.

The beauty is that with that, you tap into the psychological principle of reciprocity. 

Humans are wired to return favors. 

Even if a person cannot help you progress a deal, they might be able to give valuable feedback, industry insights, or warm intros. 

A win-win scenario, that is more about paying attention than extra effort. 

Why your follow-ups fail (mail, LinkedIn, phone)?

You're not meeting your prospects where they are.

The mindset that most sellers have for follow-ups:

Prospect (a) didn’t read it or (b) needs more info.
Hence, I’ll send them the same info or even more.

What’s often the reality, though:

– There’s a project deadline
– They’re on the road for an event 
– They’re getting ready for vacation

In short, they don’t have time for what you offer.
Even if it’s the best innovation since sliced bread.

A much more effective way––even in times of AI:

– Anticipate the above scenarios 
– Verify through other sources if you have
– Then don’t be afraid to label and take their lead

Now you’re talking to the person behind the persona.

Most buyers have a sweet spot for that and will reply.

Even if the answer is not positive, it’ll be real information.

That’ll give you real amo to come up with new strategies.

P.S. This is true for both cold and ongoing conversations! 

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