Your first VP of Sales is one of the most expensive hires you’ll make, and one of the easiest to get wrong. The usual mistake is hiring someone who ran a large, established sales team when what you need is someone who can build one.
When should you hire your first VP of Sales?
Most companies hire too early or too late. Too early, before anyone has found a repeatable way to sell, and the VP spends a year doing the founder’s job on a bigger salary. Too late, and the founder is stuck managing reps instead of running the company.
A good sign you’re ready: you’ve closed customers without the founder in every deal, you have a few reps, and the next job is hiring and managing more of them.
Builder or scaler?
Sales leaders tend to be good at one of two jobs. Builders write the first playbook, hire the first reps and sell alongside them. Scalers take a playbook that works and grow a team from 20 people to 100.
A scaler from a large company can struggle without the support they’re used to: no sales operations, no enablement team, no brand that opens doors. For a first VP of Sales, look for someone who has built a team at a company your size or a little bigger.
What should you ask a VP of Sales candidate?
Ask for numbers, not stories:
- How big was the team when you joined, and when you left?
- What share of your reps hit quota, year by year?
- How many of the people you hired are still there, and how many were promoted?
- How long did a new rep take to ramp?
- Which deals did you close yourself in your first six months?
Then check the answers with references, including at least one person who reported to them.
How should you pay a VP of Sales?
Most VPs of Sales earn a base salary plus variable pay tied to team revenue, often split somewhere between 50/50 and 70/30. Early-stage companies often add equity. Before the offer goes out, agree in writing what the variable pay is measured on and how quota will be set in the first year.
How long does it take to hire one?
Searches for sales leaders often take three months or more, because the best candidates are employed and need time to decide. At Sales Talent Group we guarantee a placement within 45 days, for leadership roles too.
How we help
We run confidential searches for VPs of Sales, CROs and sales directors across Canada and the U.S. We look for leaders who have built teams before and can show the numbers, and every placement comes with our guarantees: first-year quota, placement within 45 days and a one-time replacement within 12 months.
