Sales Team Role Definitions

This SVP hired a senior sales director from a big brand. After 3 months, the client was asking questions. One year later, he became their top performer. The SVP I spoke to was frustrated with the slow start… They’d hired this senior sales director from a big-name brand. With impressive projects listed on his portfolio. Their choice looked promising… But after 12 weeks, the pipeline wasn't where they expected it to be. "Louise, we thought he'd be making an impact by now," This is where I slowed the conversation down. When you bring in a senior salesperson, you’re not buying momentum… You’re asking someone to rebuild it. They’re learning new solutions. Understanding a different go-to-market motion. Building credibility with prospects who’ve never heard of them. Figuring out internal politics, processes, and decision paths. All while selling into a market where deals take 12–24 months to close. At their previous company, success was fuelled by conditions that no longer exist. Brand recognition. Established relationships. Solutions that opened doors before the first meeting. Now this person has to start from zero. And yet many organisations expect ROI in 3  months. The reality is closer to 9-12 before you see real impact. 9 months later, that hire was exceeding quota. After a full year, he is now their top performer. Too many brilliant salespeople get written off as "disappointing" Simply because leadership had unrealistic expectations about the timeline for ramp-up. But senior sales success isn't just about individual capability. You have to give talented people the time and support they need to rebuild what they had at their previous company. If you're not prepared to invest in the proper timeline, You're setting everyone up for failure. No amount of talent can outrun impatience.

The best managers are terrific detectives Imagine this scenario: Two employees, Sam and Sarah, both failed to meet several goals last year. Seems like they're in the same boat, right? Well, not necessarily. Behind the scenes, their reasons for underperformance could be worlds apart. Now, picture yourself as their manager. You want to be fair, but you also need to hold your team members accountable for their performance. So, where do you start? It's important to begin with few questions: ·     Is the employee new to the organization? Or Function? Or Role? ·     How was his / her performance in the past? ·     What has changed in the ecosystem – both internal and external? ·     What’s happening in his / her life outside work? ·     How has his / her relationship been – with me and others in the team?   Underperformance can happen due to several reasons: 1.    Lack Fitment to the role. I remember my first job in key account management, I disliked it and didn’t do too well. The reason was not my lack of knowledge or hard skills, but the personality mismatch. A person may also not fit the culture of the organization or function or the team (every team has a subculture with nuances).   2.    Ambiguity Overload that naturally comes with many roles today, or simply unclear on the expectations and deliverables.   3.    Lack of Capability to deliver the role, be it knowledge, critical cognitive or behavioral skills. While with right mindset and resources, anyone can develop the capability, it is important to identify the mismatch and address it.   4.    External Environment can significantly influence performance of an individual, be it dwindling customer pool, entry of new competition, regulatory pressures, difficult terrain… the list can be endless. Within the same organization, people are likely to face varying external pressure.   5.    Interpersonal Issues either with the manager or rest of the team or peers. Does the person feel valued? Recognized for his / her contributions? Or empowered to deliver results? It’s important to reflect on this as it needs effort from all parties to rectify interpersonal issues.   6.    Personal Battles can be varied: ranging from workplace stress and burnout, boredom with the job, to personal issues at home, poor health, or crisis at home. Sometimes life throws a curve ball and all we can do is keep our head above water.   So, here's the bottom line: The root cause of underperformance isn't always obvious. That's why it's crucial for managers to play detective and get to the heart of the matter. Only then can we strike the delicate balance between accountability and fairness. #performanceappraisal #managers #performance #performanceimprovement

When my client took over as Sales Director at a cybersecurity company two months ago, he walked into a situation many leaders would recognize. An organization built entirely on raw talent with zero process. No phone blocks. No time management. No pipeline visibility. No forecasting capabilities. No documentation. No Salesforce discipline (reps going entire quarters without logging activities). The company had been stagnant for three years. They were consistently missing their targets ($45M annual), tracking toward just $39M this year. Despite having genuinely talented salespeople, they couldn't grow. Why? Because talent without structure has a ceiling. Here's the three step process he implemented to create immediate structure. 1️⃣ Daily Architecture Method I mapped every rep's day hour by hour, creating specific blocks for prospecting, follow ups, and admin work. The goal wasn't micromanagement but rather intentionality. Ensuring high value activities receive adequate time. 2️⃣ Mandatory Pipeline Visibility I established the core principle: if it's not in Salesforce, it doesn't exist. Two reps hadn't entered data for an entire quarter. They were the first to go. Harsh? Perhaps. But you can't improve what you can't measure and if you’re not coachable? You can’t be on the team. 3️⃣ Standardized Sales Process I helped build a repeatable selling system that worked with their unique 3-4 week sales cycle. This included consistent discovery frameworks, value articulation methods, and urgency creation techniques. The results after just 60 days? $7.3 million in new pipeline and, for the first time, the ability to forecast our business with confidence. Most importantly, we've shifted from a "referral and relationship" business model (which is inherently limited) to a proactive, scalable approach. Here’s some truth for you… If your sales organization runs on tribal knowledge and raw talent alone, you're leaving millions on the table. Structure isn't boring. It's the foundation that makes predictable scale possible. — Hey Sales Leaders. Want to build a top 1% sales team? Let’s talk: https://lnkd.in/gfn_qi9E

I thought the step from Sales Manager to Sales Director just meant more responsibility. It doesn’t. It means a different job. The first thing I noticed was that I had more time. At first, that felt strange, so I filled it. I picked up operational tasks. Helped my managers. Jumped into problems. Kept myself busy. I thought I was adding value. Over time, though, I became overwhelmed. Not because the work was difficult. Because I was using the mental space I needed for something else. I hadn’t realised that the empty space in my calendar wasn’t a mistake. It was there so I could think. As a manager, much of your job is executing the strategy. As a Sales Director, you’re responsible for creating it. That requires time to analyse, anticipate, prioritise and make decisions that shape the business months from now. If you spend all of your time doing yesterday’s job, you never have the capacity to do today’s. One of the hardest parts of becoming a Sales Director isn’t learning to do more. It’s learning to stop doing what made you successful as a manager.

You hired a lion. Built them a cage. Then wondered why they stopped hunting. I see this every single week. A company spends 3 months recruiting an elite AE. Sells them on: A national territory. Greenfield accounts. Full hunting autonomy. Uncapped upside. The rep hands in their notice at a company they were thriving in. Bets their career on what they were promised. Shows up day one ready to hunt. And finds out the reality. Their "national territory" is two states. Their "greenfield accounts" are someone else's leftovers. Their "autonomy" comes with a 47-step CRM process. Their "uncapped upside" has a quota that 80% of the team has never hit. By month 3 they know. By month 6 they're talking to me. By month 10 they're gone. And here's the part that should make every sales leader stop scrolling. That rep didn't leave because they couldn't perform. They left because they were promised a hunting ground and handed a zoo. I've recruited sales talent for 12 years. The #1 reason top AEs call me within 12 months of starting a new role isn't the quota. It isn't the comp. It's three words. "I was misled." Not lied to. Misled. Because most companies aren't lying deliberately. They're selling the dream they believe in. But top AEs don't grade you on intention. They grade you on delivery. The gap between what companies promise and deliver is driving top sales talent to leave roles they should still be winning in. Sales leaders: Before you call a recruiter to replace your last hire... Ask yourself one question. Did the role they showed up to match the role you sold them in the interview? Because if the answer is no… You don't have a talent problem. You have a trust problem. And trust is a lot harder to recruit your way out of.

This sales rep was let go for "insufficient pipeline." The company's sales cycle was 6 months long. He only had 90 days to prove himself. Someone reached out to me yesterday asking for help finding a new role. He's a great rep with a strong track record. But he got let go because of "Insufficient pipeline generation in the first 90 days." Despite their average sales cycle being 6 months. I couldn't believe what I was hearing at first. He got fired for not building enough pipeline in 90 days, when nothing they touched in those 90 days could possibly close yet. This is happening FAR TOO OFTEN right now. Companies set pipeline generation expectations that don't align with their own sales cycle. It might be due to nervous leadership or future revenue worries, but it seems like companies aren't waiting to see if pipeline converts. They just fire the rep and start over with someone new. This isn't performance management. It's panic management. And every time a company takes this path, they're resetting the clock on revenue, because the new rep has to start from zero. If you're in sales leadership, give your reps enough time for their efforts to convert. At the very least in line with your average sales cycle. And stop measuring pipeline generation in isolation, or making decisions before you can see the results. There's a difference between holding people accountable and making decisions too quick. Make sure you know which one you're doing

The Head of Sales role is often seen as just the “top of the sales ladder,” but in reality, it’s much more than that. It’s about shaping vision, driving strategy, aligning execution, and driving sustainable growth across the business. Unlike field roles that are market-facing day-to-day, the Head of Sales sits at the heart of strategy, culture, and performance. Here’s what makes the Head of Sales role so pivotal: ✅ Sales Strategy & Vision – The Head of Sales defines the roadmap. They shape go-to-market strategies, pricing models, and long-term sales plans that align with the company’s overall goals. They ensure every region, channel, and partner is working towards one unified vision. ✅ P&L & Revenue Ownership – Beyond targets, the Head of Sales is accountable for the commercial health of the business. Balancing growth, profitability, and cost efficiency while scaling revenue. Full accountability for top-line growth, margins, and customer satisfaction across the board. ✅ Leadership & Culture Building – A Head of Sales doesn’t just manage managers; they create a culture of performance, accountability, and collaboration. Inspiring Regional/Area Sales Managers and empowering teams to deliver at their best. They are not just leaders of numbers, but leaders of leaders. ✅ Market Growth & Expansion – Identifying new markets, building distribution frameworks, and strengthening partnerships that unlock new revenue streams and solidify market leadership. Ensures discipline in execution, robust performance tracking, and continuous improvement across all touchpoints. ✅ Key Customer & Partner Management – At the top level, the Head of Sales leads strategic relationships with key accounts, distributors, and stakeholders – opening doors and cementing trust that supports long-term growth. Act as bridge between customers, distributors, and the executive team, bringing back insights that inform innovation, pricing, and overall business direction. ✅ Data-Driven Decisions – They use insights, market trends, and performance analytics to make smarter decisions, adjust strategies, and stay ahead of competition. ✅ Cross-Functional Collaboration – The Head of Sales sits at the leadership table, working closely with Marketing, Finance, and Operations to ensure sales strategy is integrated into the wider business agenda. 👉 In essence: The Head of Sales is not just a sales leader – they are a business leader, market strategist, and culture builder who ensures the company’s growth engine runs at full throttle. 💬 For you – what’s the single biggest challenge you think a Head of Sales faces today: building teams, balancing revenue vs. profitability, or breaking into new markets?

Skill in the Wrong Place: Recognizing and Addressing Mismatch Recognizing Skill Mismatch When an individual's skills and abilities don't align with the demands of their current role, it's often referred to as a "skill mismatch." This can lead to decreased job satisfaction, lower productivity, and even burnout. Here are some common indicators of a skill mismatch: * Consistent Underperformance: The individual consistently fails to meet expectations or deadlines. * Boredom or Disengagement: The individual seems uninterested or unmotivated in their work. * High Stress Levels: The individual experiences frequent stress or anxiety related to their job. * Frequent Errors: The individual makes numerous mistakes or oversights. * Lack of Career Growth: The individual feels stagnant in their role and has limited opportunities for advancement. Addressing Skill Mismatch If you suspect a skill mismatch, it's important to take proactive steps to address the issue. Here are some potential strategies: * Open Communication: Have an honest and open conversation with the individual about their role and expectations. Discuss their strengths, weaknesses, and career aspirations. * Skill Assessment: Conduct a skill assessment to identify the individual's specific skills and competencies. * Job Reassignment: If appropriate, consider reassigning the individual to a role that better aligns with their skills and interests. * Training and Development: Provide opportunities for training and development to help the individual acquire new skills or improve existing ones. * Mentorship or Coaching: Assign a mentor or coach to provide guidance and support. * Career Counseling: Offer career counseling services to help the individual explore alternative career paths. Preventing Skill Mismatch To prevent skill mismatches in the future, organizations can: * Job Analysis: Conduct thorough job analyses to clearly define the skills and competencies required for each role. * Effective Hiring Practices: Use targeted recruitment strategies and rigorous selection processes to ensure that candidates have the necessary skills and qualifications. * Ongoing Performance Reviews: Conduct regular performance reviews to assess employee performance and identify areas for improvement. * Career Development Planning: Encourage employees to develop career plans and provide opportunities for growth and advancement. By proactively addressing skill mismatches, organizations can improve employee satisfaction, productivity, and overall performance.

Just had coffee with a sales rep who hit 170% last quarter. Same guy struggled to hit 80% at his previous company for 1 year! Nothing changed about his skills. Everything changed about the fit. When you're in the wrong sales role: • Every demo feels like you're reading someone else's script • Customer objections hit different when you don't believe your own answers • You hiting 100% quota feels impossible When you're in the right role: • You talk about the product at dinner parties (and people actually listen) 😍 • Customer problems become puzzles you want to solve • Your manager becomes your biggest advocate • You hit 150% without checking the dashboard every day Here's what I've learned placing sales professionals: The best performers aren't always the best salespeople. They're the best matches. I've seen average reps become top performers just by switching industries. I've seen superstars become mediocre because they joined for the wrong reasons. You can't fake caring about what you sell. Your customers know. Your numbers know. Still grinding through demos for a product you do not understand? Maybe it's not you that needs to change. Maybe it's the logo on your email signature. Ever switched roles and suddenly everything clicked? 🎯

Candid Thoughts on Talent-Role Fit (From Someone Who's Gotten It Very Wrong) What people don't see on Linkedin is I have both failed epically at certain jobs and I have failed quietly at some others. In both those cases, I have walked into the role with a ton of adrenaline only to realize in the first case 1) I was wildly under-leveled for the job, the scope was 5x what I was ready to take on 2) I was wildly over-leveled for the job, the scope was 0.2x what I had done before. Both jobs had great missions. Both companies were amazing on paper. They had enough resources to run small countries. And I genuinely liked the people. But none of that could fix the core issue: My talent-role fit was off. Talent-Role Fit = Product-Market Fit for Careers You know the feeling when product-market fit hits? The user wants what you’re building. You’re flying. You’re tweaking, optimizing, having fun. Growth feels inevitable. Now imagine that… but for your job. That’s talent-role fit. When your skills, pace, judgment, and ambition perfectly match the scope, complexity, and evolution of your role, you don’t just perform, you thrive and you start compounding. And when they don’t, well you know the answer.. The 4 Stages of Talent-Role Fit Here’s how it usually plays out: 1. Perfect Match (The Honeymoon) You are being stretched, but it’s energizing. You are flying. And you are being noticed. 2. Growth Outpaces Role (The Plateau) You have learned the game, you are outpacing new challenges. Boredom sets in. You might even start making messes for no reason. 3. Role Outpaces Talent (The Panic) The company grows faster than you. The scope explodes. You feel behind. Leadership starts adding “support.” You are no longer the obvious answer. 4. Talent-Role Mismatch (The Slow Death) Nobody’s saying it, but everyone knows: it’s not working. You are frustrated. They are frustrated. No one knows who should make the first move. In High-Growth Companies, Fit Is a Moving Target Most people think fit is static. It’s not. At high-growth companies, your role changes every 3–6 months. And if you don’t evolve just as fast, you fall behind. This is why Startup exec roles are brutal: You’re not just hired for today’s job. You’re auditioning for the job it’s becoming. How to Diagnose Talent-Role Drift (And What to Do About It) Ask yourself: Am I still learning and contributing at the right level? Do I feel the right kind of pressure? Do I feel like getting out of bed every day? Are people still coming to me with the hard problems? Or are they quietly involving other people? Am I still in the right conversations and is the management team still haering my opinions? If the answer is a no to all the above, talent-role drift is happening. And its time to do something about it (topic for next week!) TL;DR Your job should feel like a tailored dress (or suit), not a borrowed hoodie. So build your career like a product - ship, iterate and always chase fit.