Hire a Vice President of Sales – You Need to Look Past the Sales Pitch
One of the most challenging positions to fill on an executive team is the vice president of sales position. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that, like most salespeople, even a sales executive can be coin-operated. That means that rather than serving as a patriot and putting the needs of the business first, a sales exec might be more motivated by their compensation package.
It can also be hard for a CEO or other senior execs who don’t have sales and marketing experience to properly evaluate whether a new VP is truly good at selling like they might say they are. That’s tied to the fact that all good salespeople are good at selling themselves. You can go through an extensive interview process and get entirely wowed by everything the person tells you, only to see them completely flunk the test on their first day as your VP.
The good news is that you can learn from this experience as there are a couple of tips to find a sales leader who can scale your business.
1. Look for a Proven Track Record
The first step in hiring a VP of sales is to evaluate their track record of success. Look for candidates who have experience building and managing sales teams in organizations similar to your size and industry.
A strong candidate should have abilities like,
- Recruit top sales talent.
- Train and mentor their team effectively.
- Build scalable systems and methodologies to drive revenue growth.
Pro Tip: During interviews, ask candidates to share specific examples of how they’ve scaled sales operations in the past.
2. Prioritize Team Results Over Individual Sales
While hands-on sales experience is valuable, the primary role of a sales VP is to build and lead a team. Instead of focusing solely on their individual sales accomplishments, evaluate their ability to:
- Empower their team to achieve collective goals.
- Implement strategies that drive consistent sales performance.
- Foster collaboration between sales, marketing, and other departments.
By prioritizing team success, you’ll ensure your sales VP is focused on long-term growth rather than short-term wins.
3. Hire a Team Player
A great VP of sales understands that success is a team effort. Look for candidates with a background in team-oriented activities, such as playing sports or leading group projects. These experiences often translate into a collaborative leadership style.
Key traits to assess include:
- Motivation to help the team succeed rather than chasing personal achievements.
- Ability to align their goals with the company’s objectives.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
4. Assess Their Business Knowledge
The best sales leaders understand that revenue alone doesn’t guarantee business success—profitability is key. Beware of candidates who prioritize closing deals at any cost, such as offering unnecessary discounts that harm margins.
Questions to ask:
- How do they balance driving revenue with maintaining profitability?
- Have they ever faced a situation where they prioritized long-term growth over short-term gain
5. Lengthy Vetting Process
While team interviews have become common, where multiple people inside the company participate, you might consider inviting folks from outside the business into the process when evaluating your VP of sales candidates. That’s especially true if your executive team lacks a lot of sales and marketing experience.
That might mean asking a CEO friend or a member of your peer group with that kind of experience to participate. If you have a high-level person with sales experience asking the tough questions, you’ll stand a better chance at getting past the surface material a candidate might try to wow people with.
Avoid Common Hiring Mistakes
The biggest mistake CEOs make when hiring a VP of sales is falling for the candidate’s sales pitch. Great salespeople are often skilled at selling themselves, which can make it difficult to identify genuine capabilities.
Action Plan:
- Develop a structured interview process with clear evaluation criteria.
- Conduct reference checks to validate the candidate’s claims.
- Focus on their ability to build and scale a team, not just their individual performance.
Build a Winning Sales Team
Hiring the right VP of sales requires more than just finding someone with a stellar sales record. It’s about identifying a leader who can build a scalable sales organization, foster collaboration, and align their efforts with your company’s goals.
By following these tips, you’ll increase your chances of hiring a sales executive who can help your business achieve sustainable growth and success.
