The VP of Sales owns the revenue the business runs on. It is also one of the most commonly mis-hired senior roles. Here is how to hire one well.
Don't just promote your best seller
The most common mistake in hiring a sales leader is assuming the best individual salesperson will be the best leader of salespeople. They are different skills. A VP of Sales builds and leads a team, sets strategy and structure, manages performance, and owns the number — none of which individual selling talent guarantees. Hire for leadership of a sales organisation, not for the strongest personal track record.
Define the stage you're hiring for
A VP of Sales who builds a first real sales function is a different leader from one who scales an existing team or turns around an underperforming one. Define honestly which you need — builder, scaler, or fixer — because a leader strong at one is often wrong for another. This is the single most useful thing to get clear before the search.
Match to the sales model
Selling through retail and wholesale accounts is a different discipline from direct or B2B selling. Define your model — the channels, the buyers, the sales cycle — and hire a leader whose experience genuinely fits it, rather than assuming sales leadership transfers cleanly across models.
How the search works
A retained search defines the stage and the model, and finds sales leaders proven at building and leading teams that deliver — not just at selling.
Hiring a sales leader?
We recruit VPs and Heads of Sales and senior commercial leaders across beauty and consumer.
Explore Commercial Search →Frequently asked questions
Should you promote your top salesperson to VP of Sales?
Not automatically — leading a sales organisation is a different skill from personal selling. The role rewards building and leading a team, setting strategy, and managing performance, which individual selling talent doesn't guarantee.
What should you look for in a VP of Sales?
The ability to build, develop, and lead a sales team and run a sales system, matched to the stage you need (builder, scaler, or fixer) and your sales model (retail/wholesale, direct, or B2B).
Related: What Does a VP or Head of Sales Do? · How to Hire a Chief Commercial Officer · How to Hire a CMO
