How to find a head of sales for your company
What a head of sales should do
This is not just “the best salesperson, promoted”. The head builds the process: sets the target, assigns clients, trains and motivates the team and keeps pipeline reports. A strong salesperson without management experience often struggles in this role, so say in the request whether the candidate must already have led people.
Also decide whether they will sell themselves. In small companies the head also closes key clients; in big ones they only manage the team and the result.
How search works on BlaBlaPrice
Instead of posting on dozens of sites, you write one request describing the job. Candidates answer in chat: about their experience, the numbers they achieved, when they can join and what pay suits them. Before it is shown, the request is checked, ads and contact details are removed from the text, and you get hints on what is missing.
Your number is hidden and you give contacts only to the chosen candidate. The post is active for 7 days and can be extended or changed. The service is free for the employer, and the details are on the “How it works” page.
What to put in the job post
- Industry — B2B equipment sales, distribution, services, FMCG;
- Team size — how many managers will report to the head;
- Sales target — what the head will be measured on, and in what units;
- Pay — fixed pay and bonus: from personal sales or from the department meeting its target;
- Hours and place — a six-day week, office or hybrid, city;
- Terms — on the payroll, probation period;
- Experience — how many years in a leadership role, which CRM they have used.
Example: “Head of sales needed for a building materials supply company in Wellington, office-based. Team of 8 managers, active B2B sales, target $210,000 a month. Six-day week, 9 to 6, on the payroll, fixed pay plus a percentage for meeting the target. 2+ years as a team leader.”
How to compare candidates
Don't stop at the CV. Ask for numbers: what the target was, how much was achieved, how many people joined and left the team in a year. A good sign is when the candidate can tell how they built a process from scratch, not just “followed instructions”.
Offer a test task: a review of your pipeline or a plan for the first 90 days. It shows the way of thinking, not just the skill of presenting oneself. Also see how the candidate feels about motivation: is the variable part of the income not a worry?
If you are looking for work
If you lead sales and are looking for a new place, register on BlaBlaPrice as a service provider, choose this category and area, and reply to job posts. There are less senior roles nearby: a sales manager.
