Archive for July, 2009
“Why can’t we hire a VP Sales who can deliver?”
Posted by Rick McPartlin on July 7th, 2009
Last month, Jane wrote “I’m lying awake worrying about sales,” which addressed three late-night revenue-related stresses many CEOs face, including “Is my sales manager doing a good job?” and “Is my star salesperson going to quit?” This month, I’m tackling a related issue — turnover in the VP Sales role.
A lot of CEOs share with me their frustration over this painful situation. “We need a sales leader who can build our team, lead us into the market and close business,” they say. “I’ve spent a million dollars hiring, firing, and starting over. How can I stop the churn and hire someone who will deliver?”
Here’s the problem: A great sales VP won’t accept a job where there is no revenue generation strategy, infrastructure or organizational alignment. Top people know that this chaos impedes their success, and they can spot issues a mile away.
Even if they do join a chaotic company, great sales leaders eventually find themselves in lose-lose situations at exactly the time you need their expertise most. They take the blame for organizational problems and leave you to start the vicious cycle again.
