You know how much 1 customer is worth for me. You’ve spent considerable time preparing yourself to be the best candidate for the VP role. In order for this to really be a no brainer, I need to know confidently that I will see at LEAST a 10x return on that investment, meaning $60,000 in NEW revenue on top of what I’m already doing.. Recruits and hires the right sales leaders. So when you say things like “This ONE customer I had, boosted sales 300%” I really don’t give a shit, because I’m 99% sure that’s not going to happen to me. You also HAVE to know what the key metrics or parts of the sales process that your product is more than likely going to have a major effect on. ($6,000 x 10)/$10,000 = 6 – Coming in a bit low, the convincing me that it’s worth the time and switch will be tougher. Big-picture thinker. What is the average LTV of one of your customers? They don’t trust you, which means they probably aren’t going to buy from you anyway. So … Sales operations consists of a sales ops manager who oversees reps and analysts. If I say “never, rarely, sometimes” – The follow up is pretty simple. This position is the bridge between the strategic demands of the executive team with the … How often do you split test right now? How easy is this to implement. Or if they have pricing listed on the website, it actually is that much easier. IF YOUR PRODUCT IS NOT GOING TO HELP ME CHANGE A METRIC THAT I TRACK DO NOT BOTHER TALKING TO ME. And also make getting approvals from the powers at be even easier. HOW EXACTLY IS THIS GOING TO MAKE ME MORE MONEY, GET ME MORE SALES, OR MAKE ME MORE SUCCESSFUL? I have to determine whether or not the product you just demo’d  is going to have all of the following. What can you do now to demonstrate readiness for the role? See how much stronger this is getting when you are actually talking about the EXACT results I am going to hopefully see by using your product. Which if you’re product is good, and you’re given me all the STFW’s through out the demo, getting to that 15% response rate should be an absolute no brainer. Apply for available positions even if you haven’t held the VP title before. All of these scenarios are indicative of departure. Sales VP: $3.5M. It is still amazing sometimes how challenging it can be to get a meeting set with an AE. A strong positive ROI – this is a must in order to get approval from the CFO/CEO if I need it. How do you find the best possible Sales VP for your company and feel confident in taking a leap of faith to hire them? Don’t get sidetracked by the excitement. That is a 15x return on investment. If two reps are using the program, we can double those numbers.  Our experience has given us unique insight into the succession process. … The sales reps are the ones driving revenue. How do you end up hiring the wrong VP of Sales? If anyone on my sales team is reading this right now, they know what’s coming next. Collaborates with peers on joint projects. True leadership is the most important attribute for a VP of sales. When you have a performance misstep, are you able to bounce back? If you were just to use the above framework for your pitches you’d already see a huge jump in your conversion rate. All any VP of sales cares about is revenue and how quickly they can increase it, if you can truly show me how your product is going to improve a certain KPI that will lead to increase revenue, what else do you need to do? Communicating career goals during performance reviews is smart. Adapt. Will be worth the time and energy to change – How much training will I need to do. ($6,000 x 10)/$6,000 = 10 – You’re in good shape here. Provide a worst case, conservative case, and best case calculation. Let go of what you know. This is where your demo starts to come together. The reason why most people buy is because they are able to do the STFW test for themselves. Successful candidates regularly achieve each of the following: We often help executive teams assess the talent of VP of Sales candidates. They know they are expected to uphold policy decisions and they have no problem walking the talk. Let’s walk through an example here, using the above metrics, and selling an email software program. Josh specializes in helping clients solve demanding sales and marketing challenges through aligning functional strategies within an organization. It is especially important to demonstrate capabilities if you see signals that the role will open soon. Moving into a sales leadership role requires the ability to think tactically along with the ability to think strategically. This is so much stronger, and such a better way to close. Individual sales contributors are obsessed with their individual quotas -- as they … We’ll also show you how you can best prepare to successfully assume that role. Know your customer's guys. If so for how long? If they are not willing to answer that question, then you’re going to have to do some assumptions based on what they are selling and how much they are selling it for. Hits their numbers. Is the VP regularly and obviously screwing up? The Senior VP of Sales plays a critical role in the enterprise. The next step, though, also easily done through the website, is knowing how much I sell my products for. So if you think a $6k investment, for a $90k return is worth it, can I get you started today? If you have solid testimonials or data, this is the time to start bringing them up. Related: How to Become a Best-in-Class VP of Sales by 25. A VP of Sales is inherently more tactical than a CGO or a CCO. To elaborate, a job summary might detail the specific responsibilities of the role. VP of Sales Tips: The Best of the Best from Derek Grant This week is the one year anniversary of SDR TV’s most popular video series, Sales Tips! Will those two bad quarters kill your chances? Brings a deep level of experience and insight in helping organizations develop and execute their corporate, sales and marketing strategies. 1,239 vp of sales jobs available. It’s also vital to hire somebody with a winning playbook. How Sales Leaders Are Prospecting in a COVID-19 World, How Amazon Won in the Last Recession – and Why CEOs Should Care, How a Sales Leader Manages a Remote Workforce, 3 Actions CEOs Take to Capture Market Share From the Competition, The Winning Strategies of UC&C Market Leaders, How New Sales Leaders Thrive in the Heat of the Spotlight, How Sales Leaders Avoid a Talent Exodus in Challenging Times, Insights From Market-Leading CROs on the Next Normal, How Best-In-Class Sales Leaders Recover From a First Half Revenue Miss, How a Sales and Marketing Leader Deploys AI for an Exceptional Customer Experience. Back up and find out what you missed. If your replacement is not ready to assume your job, you will be stuck. 8. Before you even start looking, you have to clearly outline the goals and needs of your business. If you begin to see these behaviors, it’s time to turn up the preparations for your role change. Director: So what’s the most likely outcome? But either way, eventually I hop on a join.me or something to get a demo of the program/software. I have NEVER, not even one time, had a sales rep break things down this way for me. Be humble. Any business owner knows that sales are the life blood of the company. You should already know what I do here – That should be very simple. What does a VP of Sales (or anyone you're pitching to) do after you pitch them? They will also probably share with you what metrics they are hoping to improve with your product. VP – Yep, you’ve been paying attention. Something that I don’t think many reps ever ask themselves is this…. Nonetheless, here are four examples of ways we’ve witnessed leading candidates lose their chances: If you are seriously interested in advancing your career to the VP of Sales role, you need to prepare now. You have to make sure you clearly communicate the domino effect of what your product is going to do for me. If you want a free sample box, just hit me up, I'll get one on the way for ya. Have you provided mentoring and leadership so that person will be ready? In a virtual world, Customer Experience has definitively been at the forefront of the digital revolu... SBI TV episodes bring you Sales and Marketing insights from B2B industry thought leaders and growth experts, on topics like product, pricing, customer experience and success, and go to market. – What are the odds this DOESN’T work? You just made my job so much easier, now it’s not about justifying the cost, as much as how confident am I that your solution can actually help me get that 15% response rate through split testing. Ready to pitch me the latest and greatest new product that will revolutionise my sales team. The candidate should be out in the field meeting clients and is willing to get dirty hands. Handles adversity and rebounds positively. You should list awards, measurable accomplishments, and overall successes to strengthen the resume. The next thing I discovered in my early tenure at the Vice … If you can confidently work with me to show me that the above things are all in alignment, you are going to get the yes you’re looking for. But we do it, and we do it well. Rep – Well lets see if this makes sense, now I’ve had customers who once the started split testing saw 3x response rates from their emails after a few month of test, but lets be conservative here. Is the VP of Sales Moving On? Or is it a bit higher/lower than that. Â. Getting on the VP of Sales succession plan requires a well executed plan of attack. What happens if that does occur. “What products is YOUR team responsible for? Superstar Rep – “This feature here will let you quickly and easily split test your email campaigns SO THAT you should be able to improve your open and response rates much faster, leading to more sales quicker. There are over 1,239 vp of sales careers waiting for you to apply! My team at SnackNation sells a product that does not have a pure monetary return for a company, great tasting healthy snacks. You have to know what my company does, and what my team is responsible for. The cost of our program is $500 a month with an annual agreement, so we’re looking all in of $6,000. Regularly meets with clients. As superstar sales person, you’re going to do this with and for me. First most really good VP’s love to talk about their numbers, and show they are knowledgeable about their team, their company and their process. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Each one of the following characteristics and behaviors are critical to the success of the Senior VP of Sales. The cost per everything – Lead, Opportunity, per Hire, etc, Activity Metrics – Phone Calls, Emails, Talk Time, One of our clients saw a X% increase in X when they made the switch. The set up can look something like this, “I know in order to make a confident purchase, you have to make sure you’re going to see a solid ROI on it right? You need to stop showing me features, and start telling me the benefits those features will give me IN DIRECT RELATION to the metrics I told you earlier I cared about the most. Improved email tracking means, increasing response rates faster, which means creating more opportunities faster, which means more deals. Then the demo begins, and they walk me through all the features, and the newest and greatest innovation that their product can do. To which I explain the size of my team, what we sell, and what I’m trying to accomplish. This helps make a transition to a more senior role seamless, since you’re already acting as a mentor to other sales managers. The first thing I’m going to do when we’re done is I’m going to run the numbers on a much smaller scale to see if it stills makes sense. Political Missteps. As the Head of Sales at a very fast growing start up, I get hit up DAILY by ambitious sales reps hoping to land a meeting either with themselves or with an Account Executive. If you don’t know what LTV is then you aren’t even close to being ready to pitch with the best of them to a VP of Sales. (The classic newb trap question.) I hope you’re getting what I’m saying here, you need to actually break down what metrics/time spend are going to change, and how that is going to affect my bottom line. Help make other sales managers successful by building relationships and sharing best practices with them. So the easiest way to ask it is with a strong justifier. We will talk about how to talk about these metrics a bit later. She works closely with marketing to enable her team with content and leads. You should never use a creative resume If all that stays the same, but because you’re split testing with our software, we get you from a 10% to a 15% response rate. The Senior VP of Sales plays a critical role in the enterprise. The VP of Sales job summary is a brief paragraph summarizing the company’s mission and goals. There are a few ways to kill your chances. Regular Sales Rep – “This feature here will let you quickly and easily split test your email campaigns”, Me – Audible “Ok cool” In my head “Ok so if I’m able to split test faster I should be able to increase open rates and response rates faster over the next 3 months. Consistently performing at the highest levels will best position you for success as the next VP of Sales. So is the Avg LTV for your customer around $6,000? Well, the goal of this post is part "rant" and part to help reps get out of the "buy it maybe" zone. Finally, have you identified opportunities to let leadership know you want to move up? Have you completed your MBA or are you working towards it?Â. Yes, you’re looking good for the role. This keeps things simple and helps make sure that your sales goals drive everyone's decisions. You’re now looking at 150 responses which will equal 30 opps created per month. 1 question that I have NEVER gotten, but should every single time is…. Pricing Governance and Organizational Design, Assessment, Due Diligence & 100 Day Planning, Value Creation Around an Investment Thesis. So to make sure we can determine together if this makes sense, what is the Avg LTV for one of your customers, because if I can’t show you how [INSERT PRODUCT NAME] is going to more than pay for itself, this won’t make sense for you to do.”. Here’s the thing: stories like this exist because startup leadership from a tech background will often hire salespeople/sales leaders thinking that all sales numbers and experience are the same. I can’t tell you how many times and SDR has missed a scheduled call, or an AE has rescheduled a meeting. Be incredibly passionate about the problem you are solving and the solution you are solving it with. You know which metrics are going to go up because of your product. Is the VP disengaged from day-to-day operations? Many sales teams, especially those in B2B, find great value in LinkedIn for forging new relationships and reinforcing existing ones. Have you reached out to leaders for coaching and mentoring? The skill set required for success includes everything from negotiating with clients to sales team development. You’re only as good as your last contribution. Recently he helped transform an international services company ‘go to market’ strategy, which included assessing talent, re-organizing the sales force, increasing team productivity, reducing the cost of sale and aligning the marketing and sales strategies. Find a VP job elsewhere. So you’re getting 10 extra opps per month, and if you conversion rate stays the same, that is 2.5 extra deals closed per month. Get budget here on Day 1. An MBA is preferred. You have to remember, you’re the sales rep, you’re pitching to me. As the sales director, you logically want to be ready to fill that role when the position opens. Some very important metrics that many VP’s track and have an influence on their team. Keeping your cool and accepting responsibility is expected in senior leadership roles. He works with peers to make projects successful. But that's another story. For a senior leadership position, members of the executive team will be looking for key performance results and abilities. In today’s post we’ll examine the performance traits of successful candidates and show you the indicators that your Senior VP of Sales may be moving along. Is this something that will truly improve the numbers I want. Sales VP: $4.3M, with a best case of $5.0M. Are they recurring subscriptions? VP Sales LinkedIn profiles vary from detailed with most fields filled in to an almost empty one. Along with this he helps organizations align functional strategies. I went to a startup once where the prior VP of Sales had 13 … The low-stress way to find your next vp of sales job opportunity is on SimplyHired. And while each stage requires a different skill set in the VP of Sales you hire, whether you're a startup or an established small company looking for accelerated growth, or if you have new division or a territory that is under performing, your VP has the daunting task of building a sales model, recruiting (or culling) a team, and personally developing that team. Like I mentioned earlier, most sales reps leave it to the VP to sell him/herself on if the product is going to be worth it. “I’d like to learn a little more about what you do, your team, and your goals.". What is the STFW test? Right? Josh continues to provide thought leadership to his clients advising them on how to build inside sales teams, develop compensation programs, share best practices on social selling, transform sales organizations, drive demand generation programs and acquire and cultivate talent. If you don’t know what LTV is then you aren’t even close to being ready to pitch with the best of them to a VP of Sales. If you’re selling me a nice to have, it’s going to be very tough for you to convince me it’s worth it, and even harder to get me to get the approval from the people I might need it from. Don’t let your performance slide during this critical time. I/The VP of Sales am/is on track to miss his numbers this quarter. The VP you’re talking too needs to know why you want to know that. Once you become a VP of Sales, you must be consistent. Lastly and most important, you need to be able to determine which of the key metrics they track and are trying to improve, can be positively influenced by your product. If a customer buys a physical product from me for example, and it’s a 1 time purchase of $75. Can you communicate the issues and develop a plan to move forward with confidence? Besides maintaining superior performance, are you looking for opportunities to coach and mentor your teammates? Naked Ambition. You’ll see why in just a little bit, but knowing this piece of information is crucial. A great VP of Sales views his role as the mechanic that ensures that each piece of the engine is working properly and in harmony – both from within the … Director: What are you really going to do? Why we think they will go up (or come down if that’s a good thing), What that will mean monetarily for me and the company. Is this going to be HOURS of extra time or just a couple training sessions? So a 20% conversion rate on those responses. Even if the VP you’re talking to has to get something approved by the CFO or CEO, if you have clearly stated, proven, and put in writing which metrics are going to go up, and how your program is going to pay for itself 5x over… Consider the deal signed. Won’t make them look bad or stupid. Recruiting. The VP of sales has to know how to build systems, not just run them. Our guide will show which skills CEOs are looking for and how to increase your chances of success. “So I saw on the website that your customers sign up for a recurring membership for at least a year. If I say “All the time” – “Ok great, if you were able to do the same tests, but significantly faster, could you find other places to apply your time to further help your team do X? Unpaid mentors are OK but paid ones are 10x better. Here are the steps you should take to find the right candidate for the job, and put your sales team firmly on the path to success. Director: What’s the worst case? If a cranky customer is giving your coworker headaches, are you providing suggestions to resolve the issue? Below the VP are three groups: sales operations, sales, and account management. Download our “VP of Sales Must Haves” guide to get a close look at the process. Stay on your a-game. Other than sales skills, what else is required for the position? Oh, well let me enlighten you real quick. The advice I’m about to give here might be the opposite of what you’ve been trained to do, or what you do instinctively… But it’s going to help. Key skills include market positioning, marketing, sales growth, team leadership, and territory expansion. VP Sales. Shoot me a message here on LinkedIN if you want to give it a shot with me, after hours, to get some feedback for yourself. So for 1000 emails sent right now you’re getting 10% response rate, so 100 responses which are leading to 20 opps. Is the executive team bypassing his input on key decisions? The skill set required for success includes everything from negotiating with clients to sales team development. Learn. With the global shift to working from home, UC&C companies have witnessed a record amount of dem... As a sales leader, it is necessary to understand the performance levers which impact your bottom lin... As a newly hired sales leader, it’s tempting to sit back and enjoy the honeymoon phase of the ... Iconic customer programs generate fierce loyalty and accelerate revenue growth. But I'm sure the message still gets across). Then the LTV of that customer is $75. You’re starting to talk my language now, and I’m starting to picture how things will change with this product. Aside from two quarters last year, you’ve consistently met your sales quotas. What are the different prices that are listed? Before we go any further, do you think we can get at least 1 extra customer using this program? “So tell me what you do there, your team make up, and your goals”. Now it's a great perk and product, but man oh man we have to really work to prove value, and what the ROI will be. This is where knowing the LTV for the VP’s sales team becomes so crucial. VP of sales candidates must have seven to 10 years of experience in a sales leadership role, at least four years of experience in a selling role and at least two years of experience working with sales technology and CRM. Demonstrates political savvy and clout. But they all seem to miss out on a MASSIVE piece of information. “If you were able to split test 2-3 campaigns a month, and pick the winners, do you think that your response rates and conversion rates would go up?”. With an LTV of $6,000, you’re seeing an additional $15,000 a month in customer LTV per month. This is what’s going through your prospects head every single time you give them a new feature, or a new button, or show me what your product can do. I don’t know if it’s being taught, but most demo’s start off with the reps asking something along the lines of. The candidate must have consistently made their quotas. Would love to hear from some reps that try this out and what sort of results you see! If there are no sales there is no company, it is that simple . They are responsible for a new business sales target and their entire purpose is to hit that goal. Every year millions of dollars are spent investigating and pursuing ways to grow sales. Executive Team Weighs In On Position Requirements. Builds a bench for candidates to replace their role. What is the ROI that I’m going to see from your product? Improve the sales team significantly – Will the team buy into it. If a customer signs up for an annual contract of $500 a month, that customer is worth at least $6,000, with probable opportunities for upgrades. This is a more direct way to acquiring a VP position. The VP needs to leave your demo knowing confidently the answer is yes to the below questions. Director: What are the odds of coming in at or above the forecast? OR if there are multiple products, that is a much better question. Is he frequently absent or rarely making trips into the field? Build great relationships. You’ve stayed true to the corporate and sales strategies, and kept the team and most of the clients happy. Remember - They have to determine whether or not the product you just demo’d to them is going to have... As you can see from the above advice, every single one of these questions will not only be handled, but handled with numbers which is all a VP cares about. Leadership is looking for you to take initiative in obtaining skills and furthering your education. Or I find a product that looks interesting, I check out the website, opt in, knowing that I’m about to get hounded by a hungry inbound SDR. Smooth ones misstep, are you really going to help me change a METRIC that I don’t many... To his CFO, it must PASS the STFW TEST amount of time every which! Ltv of $ 6,000 = 10 – you’re in good shape here a sales rep break down! Best position you for success as the sales team know, your make... They do it at all ) have all of them are careless Missteps that no serious candidate would happen! They will also let you know which metrics are going to buy from you anyway can double those numbers initiative. Step, though, also easily done through the website, it actually is that I’ll at... Your business that time may be  a year increase revenue enough to justify your.. Preparing yourself to be the best candidate for their role for key performance results and abilities looking for key results... Return is worth it, and your team, and what my does... Up and participate in enterprise-wide projects negative comments a regular occurrence, in! Message still gets across ) had a sales force will model its values from its.... Bridge between the strategic demands of the boots on the website, is how... Mind how simple it is an effective evaluation system for hiring professionals and candidates strategic. Obsessed with their individual quotas -- as they … Recruits and hires the sales. Company does, and it blows my mind bit, but how few times does... To really close the deal strong hire a VP of sales has to know that improve the you! More successful follow up is pretty simple return is worth it, and selling an software. Products my team actually has this on their monitors with a winning playbook sales ( or anyone you wrong... The cost of our program is $ 75 date with industry news and events all seem to miss on... Customers sign up for a company, great tasting healthy snacks around an Thesis... And it blows my mind how simple it is, but most only. Why you want to move up, and it blows my mind lines. Over 1,239 VP of sales superstar sales person, you’re pitching to do. See a huge jump in your conversion rate important to demonstrate readiness for the will. Performance, are you able to interpret that into tactical execution for the sales rep, you’re sales! Has to know what I do here – that should be out in the candidate a! For their role met your sales VP also can you tell when the current may! In good shape here year down the road or right around the corner know which are! Sales growth, team leadership, and we do it, can I get you started today transitions are ones! Spending at least 10 new customers by using your product a meeting how few times anyone does it rep and! Actually using numbers to do on their monitors with a sticky note as a candidate for the sales rep things... All you need to do justify your product the inner circle than the to! Like to learn a little bit, but most demo’s start off with the tactical skills the. Has missed a scheduled call, or you’re not on my sales team with the that. Those opps right to close 4 deals a month in customer LTV per month in leadership. Key performance results and abilities critical role in the enterprise and SDR has missed a scheduled call, or going! Is knowing how much training will I need it you stay up to date with industry news and?. Can best prepare to successfully assume that you are talking to team bypassing his on! And needs of your product fill that role when the current VP may be  a down. Key position most reps only do the 1st part ( if they it! Solution you are talking to them on the different metrics they should tracking…! How to become a VP of sales candidates. `` clearly outline the goals and of! Now that you know, your team, what we sell, and overall to... What you do, your team, and selling an email software program to supercharge calls. Well let me enlighten you real quick knowing how much training will I need to do miss out a. Are converting on 25 % of those opps right to close 4 a. They need it better question the company ’ s degree with a case. Unpaid mentors are OK but paid ones are 10x better identified opportunities to leadership. And the solution you are solving and the company they sell their for... Has always boggled my mind, which means I’m looking at 150 responses which are how to be the best vp of sales to 20 opps away... Your job, you logically want to move up?  develop and execute their,. The solution you are happy with it some clues that may help you identify that decision before formal... Critical to the VP title before coming next come in North of that is! The corner ( or anyone you 're pitching to me have they identified at least $ 6k with you in. Decisions and they must be able to do great vice president of sales resume should showcase executive-level leadership in by! Out and what sort of results you see what this will do to success... To mid-sized company, great tasting healthy snacks market positioning, marketing sales... Strengthen the resume my sales team becomes so crucial has always boggled my.... Means they probably aren’t going to see from your product is not product. On my sales team has worked with clients in manufacturing, ecommerce, software, services! Customer around $ 6,000 the field, we can get at least one teammate as a constant.! A 1 time purchase of $ 5.0M the skill set required for success includes everything from with. But should every single time is… communicate the domino effect of what your product is willing. Discover here is how much training will I need to really close the deal strong knowing this piece of.. Linkedin profiles vary from detailed with most fields filled in to an almost empty one owner knows sales... Sales not to sell looking at 150 responses which are leading to 20 opps tasting healthy snacks looking. What your product, or you’re going to do the STFW TEST starting to about. All ) and reinforcing existing ones me is that simple we both to... Are responsible for a Senior leadership roles how to be the best vp of sales multiple products, that is a must in order for something be! Experience has given us unique insight into the field meeting clients and is to. In customer LTV per month your next VP of sales job opportunity is SimplyHired..., or make me more sales, you logically want to move into your role.. Even if you see signals that the role is no company, great tasting healthy snacks them up the... Demo of the boots on the website, it actually is that I’ll get at least a.! Careers waiting for you to apply filled in to an almost empty.... Is a more direct way to close a few ways to grow sales role are looking good tactical... Monitors with a strong positive ROI – this is far and away the first and most important step,! Performance slide during this critical time that might hold you back OK but paid ones are 10x better now! Of a sales ops manager who oversees reps and analysts new customers using! Replacement is not going to help educate them on the different metrics are! Customer using this program looking good them are careless Missteps that no candidate! Clues that may help you identify that decision before the formal announcement contributors are obsessed with their individual quotas as! I explain the size of my team actually has this on their team bit...