SaaStr Workshop Wednesdays: The Top 10 Mistakes I See In The VP of Sales Hiring Process These Days with Jason Lemkin Speaker: Jason Lemkin, Founder and CEO at SaaStr

2. The World Has Changed:
The Top 10 Mistakes I See In The VP of
Sales Hiring Process These Days
We’re Still Learning What World
We’re In Now

3. #1. Hiring a VP of Sales Who Never Really
Understands Your Product During The Interview
Process
You can’t really learn on the fly. Not in most spaces,
at least.

4. #2. Hiring a VP of Sales With No One Lined
Up to Follow Them
You gotta do the work here. Almost no one does
real reference checks anymore.

5. #3. Hiring a VP of Sales That Actually Doesn’t
Want to Sell Themselves Anymore
I get it. It’s just not what 99% of startups need.

6. #4. Hiring a VP of Sales That Doesn’t Want to
Go Visit Customers In Person
Some of us just want to stay home now. Maybe
stick to SMB then.

7. #5. Hiring a VP of Sales That Doesn’t Want to
Close At Least Some Customers Themselves
Related to Point #3, But a Bit Different. You Have to
Close Yourself To Learn.

8. #6. Hiring a VP of Sales That Has Gotten
Cynical on Startups, Tech, and Sales
Yes, Every Quarter Gets Harder. But If You’re
Done -- You’re Done. Move On.

9. #7. Hiring a VP of Sales Constantly On Social
Media, Especially LinkedIn
A Little Bit is Good. 7x a Week Pundits? Stay Away.
Stay Away.

10. #8. Hiring a VP of Sales That Really Wants to
Be COO, CRO, etc. And Not Really Be a VP of
Sales.
A VP of Sales Has to Love Closing. Period. CRO is
Not a Place to Escape Sales.

11. #9. Hiring a VP of Sales That Hasn’t Been a VP
of Sales in a While But Wants to “Get Back to
Sales”
A brief break can be great / OK. But a looong one
outside of sales? Tough to get back for realz.

12. #10. Hiring a VP of Sales That You Wouldn’t
Hire If They Hadn’t Worked At ________.
There are so many great SaaS veterans now. It’s
blinding folks even more.

13. VPs: Go Deeper
CEOs: Be 100% Sure

14. Thank You!