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The ability to recruit, coach, and develop effective sales teams; have a relentless pursuit of key strategic goals; and posses a long track record of high integrity transactions with peers, customers, and partners are all traits employers look for in their next (or first) VP Sales. But in order to <\/span>attract<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>hire<\/span><\/i> a great VP Sales and outpace competitors who vie for the same stellar candidates, employers need to understand the job traits that a VP Sales values most when evaluating prospective employers. <\/span><\/p>\n Why? Great VPs of Sales \u2013 those who consistently lead their teams to achieve aggressive growth targets \u2013 are happily employed and understand that they are the most highly coveted salespeople on the market, so they won\u2019t consider making a move to a new employer unless the perfect opportunity comes their way. <\/span><\/p>\n So, what job traits do great VP Sales value the most when considering a new career opportunity?<\/span><\/p>\n If an executive decides to join a new company, it\u2019s because they believe in what the company is selling. World-class employers understand this, and, when sales recruiting, clearly detail to candidates how their offering fills a need in the market, has an excellent market reputation, and will continue to solve complex business problems today and into the future. <\/span><\/p>\n The number one thing all salespeople consider when evaluating an employment opportunity is compensation. A typical VP Sales compensation package will be comprised of a six-figure base salary plus additional incentives, such as equity, stock options, and bonus plans. <\/span><\/p>\n No VP of Sales is going to consider a job that doesn\u2019t have a lot of financial potential, whether that comes through a traditional commission structure or substantial equity. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>A VP of Sales wants to make money <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> wants to make a lot of money on their stock. They want to make coin. Anyone that\u2019s good is not going to join your company at $5,000 or $20,000 MRR a month, it\u2019s just not going to happen.\u201d \u2013 <\/span>Jason Lempkin<\/span><\/a> \u2013 CEO Echosign.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n If a VP doesn\u2019t respect (or like) their colleagues, or if their colleagues don\u2019t respect their strategic vision or management approach, it\u2019s going to be difficult for them to be effective. When a VP is assessing a new opportunity, they want to know who they\u2019ll be working with on a day-to-day basis. They want colleagues who will execute their vision, as well as a leadership team that supports their strategic philosophy. <\/span><\/p>\n Every company needs a corporate strategy to succeed in today\u2019s marketplace. A good corporate strategy<\/a> determines where resources are allocated, how the competition stacks up, what markets to compete in, and what advantages the company has in order to meet their growth targets.<\/span><\/p>\n When a VP considers a new role, he or she wants to see that the leadership has outlined clear goals and needs for the business, and that they\u2019re committed to helping the VP execute their sales strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n Whether the company is an early-stage startup that requires the VP to create a sales process, or is an established business that needs a VP revamp existing processes, the VP Sales wants to join a company that understands their corporate strengths, weaknesses, and growth objectives. <\/span><\/p>\n Great salespeople will only join a company that offers growth, change, and the ability to rise within the organization. In fact, <\/span>one in three employees leave their jobs<\/span><\/a> because of a lack of career growth. <\/span><\/p>\n When a VP of Sales assesses a new opportunity, they want to know if the company is private and going public, or if there is an opportunity to move into a C-level position. They assess the role beyond the moment, looking to the future to see how they\u2019ll be able to grow within the organization. Specifically, they will want to know if there is the opportunity to become the VP over a larger territory, or move into an Executive VP, Global VP, or President role. <\/span><\/p>\n When assessing a new position, a VP wants more than just a large paycheck and a great product. They want to know that their future employer will give them the autonomy necessary to make significant changes and solve critical problems that will drive selling costs down and revenue up. <\/span><\/p>\n At the VP level, autonomy is extremely important. VPs want to have complete P&L control over their region and staff. If they feel the leadership team will micromanage and try to direct their every move, they will pass on the position, regardless of the compensation or room for growth offered.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA Sales VP won\u2019t be content if they\u2019re not able to provide value to an organization. The best VPs want to be confronted with challenges they\u2019re excited to solve.\u201d \u2013 Brent Thomson<\/a>, CSO, Peak Sales Recruiting.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n When a VP Sales is assessing a prospective employer, they want to know everything about its corporate leadership team including:<\/span><\/p>\n Sales VPs<\/span> also want to know that they will have the ability to learn from other proven executives who possess unique business experiences and who value their perspective on how to achieve aggressive growth targets. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When a VP is considering joining a company, they want to know what stage the business is in.<\/span><\/p>\n Is the organization in the compete stage, where there is a deep need to build and grow a new sales team, or is the organization in the maintain stage, when there is an established sales force, but a need to continue to grow revenue without adding headcount? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Why does organization stage matter to a VP? Running a medium-sized $50 million sales department requires a much different skill set than leading a large billion-dollar sales organization. <\/span><\/p>\n When a VP Sales is assessing a new opportunity, they want to understand the challenge they\u2019ll be faced with and if their experiences and skills sets will help them be successful. Will they need to come in and build out a sales team, or overhaul an existing process? The best VPs enjoy a challenge, are intrigued by the possibilities, and will join a company if they feel they can make a difference.<\/span><\/p>\n There are some sales teams that will do virtually anything to make a sale, and there are others who work to make ethical choices about selling. <\/span><\/p>\n Unethical sales practices damage sales numbers, and repels salespeople from joining the team. These unethical practices include executives and reps making promises about product developments that cannot be fulfilled, misrepresenting products or promotions to close deals, and not being transparent about price changes.<\/span><\/p>\n When a VP sales is scouting a new opportunity, they look carefully at the company\u2019s sales philosophy and ask the following questions:<\/span><\/p>\n If an organization doesn\u2019t offer the best tools, infrastructure, and budget to its sales team, it won\u2019t be very attractive to an established VP Sales. In order for VPs to be successful, they need the organization behind them, and want the right tools and processes to make their sales goals a reality.<\/span><\/p>\n For a list of the top sales management tools, read our Sales Management Tools Study results<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Proven VPs are highly sought-after by employers. In order for them to accept a new role, they must feel that the new opportunity provides the challenges, products, leadership and compensation that they need to be successful. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n relpost-thumb-wrapper <\/p>\nIn no particular order, here are the 10 job traits every VP sales considers when evaluating a career opportunity from a\u00a0prospective employer:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. An offering they believe in<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. A compensation plan that is above market<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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3. Colleagues who share their vision<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. A company that understands its corporate objectives<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Opportunities for growth and change<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Ability and autonomy to solve challenges and provide real value<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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7. A proven leadership team<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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8. Organization stage<\/strong><\/h3>\n
9. An ethical approach to selling<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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10. Being set-up for success<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Job Traits for VP Sales<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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