A first sales leader can transform a company or set it back a year. The most common mistake is hiring the best seller you can find and expecting them to build a system.
Seller versus builder
Great individual sellers are wired to win deals. A first sales leader needs to build the process, hire the team, set the forecast, and coach others. Ask candidates to describe systems they built, not just deals they closed.
Match their experience to your stage
A leader from a large enterprise may be used to marketing, operations, and enablement teams doing much of the work. In a growing company, they will need to build those things themselves. Look for someone who has operated at a similar size.
Define the role before you hire
Write down what success looks like after six and twelve months: a documented process, a reliable forecast, a hiring plan, and specific revenue targets. Candidates who engage deeply with that document are usually the right kind of builder.
Consider a bridge
Some companies bring in a fractional revenue leader first to build the foundation and define the role, then hire a full-time leader into a system that already works.
We start by understanding where revenue is stuck, then scope the work to fit.
