Six Criteria to Assess VPs of Sales

What should CEOs look for when hiring a head of sales? There are six key criteria to consider when hiring. While all six are important, the relative importance of each one will depend on the specifics of your company.

To use these criteria most effectively, map out your ‘jobs to be done’ so you have a clear understanding of how important each criterion is and how it should apply in your specific situation.

Here are the six criteria, along with some assessment questions to ask when evaluating head-of-sales candidates.

1. Technical selling skills

Having the right technical skills to sell is fundamental to a head of sales’ ability to do their job. Do they have strong communication skills? Can they close sales and handle objections? Are they well versed in any technical skills relevant to the particular product or service?

2. Process orientation

A process-driven sales function is a key driver of growth, and your head of sales needs to both believe in it and be involved in it. Do they talk about the process? Have they experienced a great process in the past? Are they a process builder or can they be coached to follow the process? Avoid anyone who either doesn’t believe in process or is unwilling or unable to follow or help build one.

3. Track record and industry connections

You want a head of sales who is established in your industry. Do they have a consistent track record of success? How well do they know your industry, and do they have a good network of friendly connections in the market that they can leverage?

4. Company culture fit and peer relationships

Cultural fit is an important yet often overlooked criterion. Is your candidate a team player who works well with other business units? Do they have credibility with their peers and subordinates? Do they have financial aptitude, and can they present credibly to the board of directors? Are they aware of their peers in the ecosystem?

A potential head of sales may look perfect on paper and have a great track record, but if they don’t fit the company culture and ethos, are unwilling to share, or are difficult to work with, then they are unlikely to succeed.

5. Customer culture fit and credibility

How your customers will react to your head of sales can have a direct impact on their decision to buy. Will the candidate be able to connect with customers? How will customers react to them? Do they have experience selling to the type of customers that fit your Ideal Customer Profiles, and are they a good fit in terms of culture and values? Will they be credible to the key stakeholders in the buying process? You don’t want your customer to say, “This is not the type of person I want to buy from.”

6. Team building and management capability

A head of sales needs to be a natural teacher, collaborator, and coach who can build and manage a team. Are they willing and able to coach the rest of their team to be great salespeople? Can they hire and fire? Do they have strong management skills? Do they have the patience to help the company learn how to build a sales organization?

You also want a head of sales with a learning mindset. Building a sales process is iterative, so you need someone who can admit when things go wrong, learn from those mistakes, and keep moving forward.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to learn more or access any popular tactical resources such as our library of interview questions and hiring worksheet.