Venatrix’s Post

VP of Sales @ SaaS company: "Nah, I'm not involved in that!' Recruiter: Ok. But you are the regional head of sales right? VP of Sales: Yup! Recruiter: Ok cool - who do you report to? VP of Sales: CEO / Board. Recruiter: OK cool. Do you mind me asking why they employed you in the first place? VP of Sales: It's obvious isn't it. I'm here to implement sales strategy, and build a world class sales team. It's what I do! Recruiter: Ok cool. So in theory - you are the most knowledgable person when it comes to sales right? At least in the eyes of the Board, right? VP of Sales: Yup - six figures, a million shares and a lot of benefits says so! Recruiter: How good would you say your eye for spotting sales talent is? VP of Sales: Razor sharp! Recruiter: Razor sharp hey!? What makes you say that? VP of Sales: Because I know a good sales person when I see one! 25 years in the game - son! Recruiter: Ok.... - so why are you not involved in the hiring process then? VP of Sales: Hmm.. I have this conversation every single day! What's wrong with it? #WorkSmartNotHard

I’ve really enjoyed hiring a VP of Sales recently for a high growth, Martech SaaS business – as part of the search we had c.400 applicants and sounded out c.150 other potentials & I ended up meeting about 20 candidates between 220 – 400k packages. I ended up shortlisting 6 people & here’s the main reasons I didn’t progress: - Most could quote their numbers but when pushed on HOW they / their teams got to those numbers, they struggled to articulate the process; - Strong examples around what world class sales enablement / demand gen looks like – as a SaaS sales leader in the current climate, this is imperative; Managing underperformance – many examples of simply letting nature take its course here. That’s simply not good enough at this level; - Hiring – how did they plan to hire their teams, did thy set out a framework for what they wanted & consider why they wanted that experience and importantly did they stick to it? In many cases they didn't planned or veered off course too easily; A few people were just incredibly full of themselves and waffled a lot or didn’t listen, others were just too senior for what the client needs but as a process its been one of the most enjoyable and eye-opening I’ve managed for a while. Have you hired in this space recently? I’d love to hear if others in my network have had the same experiences. #Sales #SaaS #Martech #Talent

Industry Experience vs Sales Experience - what's more important? I would pick sales experience over industry experience. Every single time. But companies disagree with me - they prefer to do the opposite. With the current emphasis on profitability, full-cycle responsibilities for Account Executives (AEs), and a rethinking of the Sales Development Representative (SDR) role, industry-specific tenure is increasingly preferred. It's seen as a "safer" investment, promising quicker learning and faster results - even if it comes at the cost of quality sales experience. I find this INCREDIBLY short-sighted. Whether it’s selling bowling pins or managing travel expenses, the ramp-up time companies are obsessing over is just a few months. This fixation around saving ramp-up time drives the madness around hiring practices, especially noticeable in deals over $25,000 Annual Contract Value (ACV), where deep industry insight is deemed crucial. Fix onboarding instead. Hire only the best sales people. See your conversion rates hit new highs. Do not agree with me? Convince me otherwise 👇 #sales #b2b #b2bsales #saas

Are you a ghost?   This is a common mistake I see from GTM pros on the market.   These days SaaS firms love giving inflated job names.   Great when you're not looking for a job (who doesn't love a fancy title?)   But it will go against you when you are.   Make sure your title reflects the role you actually do.   Here's what I mean:   'CRO' but manage 1 rep?  Sales Manager 'Sales Director' but an IC? Account Executive 'Client Development Specialist' but sales dev? SDR 'Solution Sales Specialist' but Presales? Sales Engineer 'Head of Financial Services' but sales? Account Director- FSI   If you want to keep your current title do this: "Solutions Sales Specialist (Presales)"   Stick to the industry standard wording.   Don't risk slipping through the cracks with internal jargon.   It might seem petty.   But it's a little change that makes a big difference.   Give it a try.   PS. Is it acceptable to call yourself CEO of a 1 man band? Asking for a mate... #techsales #gotomarket #saasrecruitment

"Hire for the stage you're in, not the stage you're dreaming about!" 👇 Every founder I've worked with has heard me say this at some point. The founders feel the pressure to bring in a heavy hitter to lead their sales. They think they need a VP of Sales to set strategy, so they hire one, expecting magic But what they really need is someone to roll up their sleeves, find early customers, and drive revenue—a Founding Account Executive (AE). It’s a common mistake: thinking you need a senior leader when you actually need an executor. This distinction can make or break your early growth. Here’s the breakdown: 👍🏻 What your AE should do 👍🏻 ✅ Self-Source Leads – Find prospects and build relationships from scratch ✅ Drive Early Sales – Pitch, demo, and close deals with early customers ✅ Adapt to Ambiguity – Pivot as ICP and GTM strategies evolve ✅ Maintain Feedback Loop – Share insights to adjust product for PMF 👎🏻 What they don’t need to do 👎🏻 🚫 Develop Long-Term Strategy – That’s a VP of Sales role, focused on scaling and setting long-term goals. 🚫 Build and Manage a Sales Team – Founding AEs execute sales, not recruit or manage others. 🎜 Join our upcoming webinar, where Hilton and I will help you hire your first AE and discuss preparation, the hiring process, onboarding, and compensation. 🗓 Save your spot! link in the first comment #StartupSales #FoundingAE #HiringEssentials #B2BFounders #EarlyStageGrowth #Webinar

You’re thinking short-term ❌ Seriously, for being a demographic that is inherently focused on “solving big problems” I see so many founders that don’t think through the long run when it comes talent. One example I see in (almost) every company: Hiring sales leaders + reps without understanding what made them successful in their previous experiences Does this story sound familiar? 🤔 Company raises a Series A/B round (or bootstraps to a few mil ARR) and excitedly brings on the ‘hotshot sales leader’. You know the one, the guy that “led the growth” at the Enterprise from $100M to $1B+ and has the boardroom stories to prove it. Do you see the problem though? That guy didn’t take a company from $1M to $5M..or from $5M to $20M.. or even $20M to $50M. The motions and tactics that made someone an all-star at a previous company might not make them an all-star at your company. What you need to do is drill down into their roles and responsibilities (and into the tactical level) to better understand? i.e., If you hire a guy that consistently closed 7-figure deals for Microsoft, but he hasn’t sourced a cold lead in a decade (or more), that’s a ~very~ different skillset than the guy that has been knocking down $100k deals for 5+ years, but he’s ran the end-to-end sales cycle for 3 companies growing from $1 > $10M acting as BDR, AE, Acct. Manager, CSM, etc. This is just one example, but one that so many founders and CEOs run into. Building a company isn’t easy, but being overly thoughtful with who you hire ought to always be a top priority 💯 Who else has run into this? 👀 #talent #sales #growth 

Whether you’re an SDR looking to step up, an AE targeting enterprise deals, or a leader chasing that VP title, 2025 is your year to make it happen. We help ambitious sales professionals like you land career-defining moves with high-growth SaaS companies across Germany and beyond. That’s why we’ve put together the ultimate guide to standing out in 2025. What you’ll learn: 👉 The key metrics hiring managers want to see. 👉 How to showcase your consultative selling skills. 👉 The latest trends in SaaS sales hiring—AI, remote-first, and more. Don’t leave your next career move to chance. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/erFGfjCE 🐺💜 #sales #hiring #careers #startups #recruitment 

🚀 You’ve built an incredible technology that could change the world, and now you’re taking the next big step: hiring a sales team to get it out there! But as you know, hiring for sales is a whole different ball game. Salespeople aren’t like tech talent—they have unique needs, they speak a different language, and their impact is directly linked to performance outcomes. 🧩 Here’s something to keep in mind: Sales hiring isn’t just about filling a role. Someone, somewhere signed off a business case linking this hiring decision to critical outcomes—a bigger pipeline, key clients, specific revenue goals. Achieving that means putting a sales-hiring-to-performance framework in place from the start. To help our clients make their sales hiring more predictive and successful, we guide them through 11 key areas: 1️⃣ Sales Hiring Readiness: Is your organization fully prepared to bring on sales talent? 2️⃣ Sales Compensation: Does your plan align with what top sales talent wants? 3️⃣ Sales Candidate Assessments: A quick, powerful tool that’s too often overlooked. 4️⃣ Sales Playbook Creation: Get critical knowledge into the hands of new hires fast. 5️⃣ Sales Hiring Process Clarity: Candidate experience and efficient processes are essential. 6️⃣ Sales Interview Excellence: Ensure everyone in the hiring process knows their role. 7️⃣ Offer Management & Negotiation: Make sure the best candidates feel valued. 8️⃣ Onboarding: Set up new hires for success from day one. 9️⃣ Sales Management & Coaching: Accountability and growth must be cultural pillars. 🔟 Early Sales Results: Review activities and provide support as they get started. 1️⃣1️⃣ Top Quartile Sales Performance: Equip your sales hires to continually improve. Each of these steps helps drive the performance and outcomes linked to your sales hires, ensuring that your technology gets the traction it deserves. 👉 Curious to learn more about building a high-performing sales team through your sales hiring? Let’s chat! https://lnkd.in/dti-sVuj https://lnkd.in/dHU52nYc #saleshiring #predictivesalehiring #salesleadership #B2Bsales #scalingup #hiring #growth