When you are looking to hire a VP for sales job in your company, it is important that you take the time to analyze each candidate's experience and skills. You should also make sure that they understand how your business works and what your goals are as well as ensure that they have the ability to achieve those goals. This article will go over several things that you need to keep in mind when hiring a VP for sales job in order to find the right person for the role!
One of the most important things you can do for your growing company is hiring an effective, capable sales team, and selecting the proper candidate to lead your sales organization is critical to your startup's success. The VP of Sales is responsible for developing the initial sales team, assisting their salespeople in closing deals, optimizing the company's sales process and playbook, defining the high-level strategy, and occasionally closing deals personally in the early days of a company.
When Should You Be Hiring A VP?
You are the company's first salesperson as the founder. However, as your business grows, you should concentrate on strategizing rather than prospecting and closing agreements.
That doesn't imply you should hire a VP of Sales as your first hire. If you need someone to handle front-line sales, hiring a salesperson or sales manager is generally the best option. They are much less expensive than a VP, and unlike a high-level recruit, they won't be afraid to get their hands dirty and bring in money.
Let's pretend it's been about 24 months since you started the business. You have one or two sellers, product-market fit, and a sales process that is relatively repeatable. You are now ready for a Vice President!
Who Are The Eligible Candidates For The Post Of VP?
A VP of Sales for a startup should not appear like a VP of Sales for a large corporation. Every day is a battle in your organization's early stages. Prospects must be persuaded to take a chance on an unproven product from an unknown vendor by the startup's vice president of sales. He is still learning the ropes. Your revenue will be quintupled or even tenfold with the help of this VP.
Your VP's role will be to supervise managers of managers after your organization is established. He prefers to think in terms of dashboards.
When you are reaching out to candidates, keep this distinction in mind. Many entrepreneurs are drawn to well-known companies because of their large names (especially because these VPs will bring a stacked Rolodex with them). However, if a VP's strategy, philosophy, or relationships are better suited to a large corporation, you'll likely part ways quickly - which can be disastrous for a startup.
Your VP doesn't even have to be a vice president at their current firm. An ambitious, creative, and industrious manager who is eager to get in and help you expand your firm could be ideal. A VP of Sales is in charge of ensuring that their sales team meets and exceeds sales targets. A VP of Sales' main responsibilities include hiring and developing team members, devising and implementing sales strategies, and developing and managing the sales department's budget.
Key Responsibilities A VP Holds!
Searching for potential hires on LinkedIn, bringing recruits to coffee, asking their network for leads, interviewing, and hiring consumes one-fifth of the VP's time — or a whole day of their workweek. You will need a lot of human power to scale. It's up to your vice president to get it for you.
Their second job is to assist their salespeople in closing deals. This includes going over their pipelines, pointing out roadblocks, recognizing opportunities, and so on.
The VP must then concentrate on the big picture. What are the best ways for the company to upsell and cross-sell to its current customers? Which businesses or verticals should it focus on next? What is the most efficient approach to allocating the company's funds?
Last but not least, closing deals should take up the least amount of their time, attention, and resources. Yes, it might be a good idea for your VP to jump in the car with you and meet with the prospect if you are attempting to land a whale.
The 5 responsibilities of a VP are;
How To Hire A Sales VP?
Post a job description that says you're looking for a seasoned, experienced sales executive to join the leadership team of our growing organization. In this position, you will be in charge of creating and implementing revenue-generating sales strategies, as well as tracking and reporting on sales targets and altering methods as needed to meet them. The VP of Sales will also collaborate closely with other executives to guide the company's strategic direction and resource allocation.
You may choose to hire a recruiter depending on your budget. Yes, finding and contacting candidates can take a long time — but that isn't the major reason to hire a third party.
It's difficult to tell who is the real deal and who is not because salespeople are so excellent at selling. Recruiters, on the other hand, typically have a considerably larger network than founders. You will be exposed to candidates you would not have come across otherwise.
The same interview method applies whether you handle the hiring process yourself or use a recruiter. You are required to:
To avoid hiring someone just because they appear good on paper or you need a warm body, try to be as patient and meticulous as possible. The improper VP of Sales can derail your startup's growth and cost you money. In half a year, the proper VP of Sales can treble your sales.
