Gartner Research

Startup Lift: Don’t Hire a VP of Sales Until You Are Ready to Scale

Published: 13 April 2023

Summary

Hiring a VP of sales (also known as a sales manager, sales director or head of sales) too soon often leads to lost time and lost revenue. Startup tech CEOs should first develop salespeople and achieve product-market fit. Then they should determine if they are ready to scale and can hire a VP of sales.

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Overview

Key Findings
  • Tech CEOs are often under the false impression that they can hire a VP of sales who is initially going to be selling, and then will build a sales team over time. However, this rarely materializes, as the role does not align with the expected outcome.

  • Tech CEOs tend to hire too big and too early. This can result in a top-heavy sales team that lacks focus on sales execution and revenue growth, right at a time when they need that most.

  • Key markers for knowing when it is time to bring on a VP of sales are a predictable

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