Hiring a new VP of sales is somewhat of a different process than hiring an entry level sales rep. For every increasing level within your organization for which you are looking to hire, additional strategy and focus need to be put into the interview process. A VP of sales will have significant influence over your sales team, and you need to make sure you are making the best possible hiring decision.

1. What to Focus On

You need to be thorough with your research and investigation into potential VP of sales candidates. It’s important to take a holistic approach toward how you assess and compare candidates. Here are a number of key areas to focus on:

• Previous success
• Analytics and metrics management
• Performance management of sales team
• Sales process evaluation and development
• Compensation plans and team motivation
• Recruiting capabilities
• Organizational culture fit

Candidates with the best overall profile across these areas will give you a well rounded candidate who can positively impact your company.

2. Questions to Ask During the Interview Process

It’s important to ask a variety of questions that address all aspects of the role. You’ll want to ask questions that help you get to know the candidates better, understand their core competencies, and assess how they will perform in a variety of situations.

You’ll want to ask questions about:

• How they will manage the sales team
• Sales strategies they want to implement/past sales successes
• What the candidate knows about your company, industry trends, best practices
• How they use metrics and analytics as part of the sales process
• Planning and sales forecasting
• Customer relationship building

3. Consider Using a Sales Recruiter

Perhaps one of the most effective strategies to employ when hiring a VP of sales is to consult with a sales recruiter. Sales recruiters can help you connect with top candidates, secure interviews, and help you find the types of candidates you want to interview. Plus, a sales recruiter can provide you with some outside insights that can help you more effectively assess potential candidates.

More Sales Interview Tips

Learn about more sales interview tips and strategies to boost the success of your hiring and recruiting efforts:

Hiring for a Sales Position in the Insurance Sector? 4 Top Interview Tips

5 Questions You MUST Ask When Interviewing for a Sales Position in the Legal Sector

4 Sales Recruiter Tips to Ace Your Next Medical Sales Interview

SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit salespeople in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Find the right salesperson for your organization, start your search here.