What Does a VP of Sales Do?
Sales Vice Presidents lead an organization’s sales team and develop and execute strategies to increase revenue, profit, market share, and customer satisfaction. In most organizations, the VP of Sales will report to a president or CEO and work closely with their peers in marketing, finance, customer service, legal, and operations departments or divisions.
Sales VPs are experienced leaders who are also responsible for hiring sales management and staff, creating compensation plans, overseeing training programs, and managing budgets. They are also responsible for their team’s performance of sales quotas or KPIs (key performance indicators) to ensure company goals are achieved on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
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National Average Salary
VP of sales salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. Click below to explore salaries by local market.
The average national salary for a Position is:
$123,456
VP of Sales Job Descriptions
The first step when hiring a great sales vice president is a well-crafted job description. Below are real-world examples to help give you the best chance of success on your recruiting journey.
Example 1
[Your Company Name] needs a professional and experienced VP of sales to join our international team. As the VP of sales, it will be your duty to oversee the sales department and ensure that goals are met in accordance with our timelines. You must also ensure that the company performs well in sales, either matching or exceeding the desired amount. As the VP of sales, it will be your responsibility to work with the marketing department to increase ROI (return on investment) and design the proper marketing materials. You will also be responsible for running split tests and identifying where improvements and modifications can be made in sales plans in order to increase the profitability and reach of these plans. As the VP of sales, you must have a level head and good communication skills, as well as excellent problem-solving skills. If this sounds like you, please consider applying!
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Develop strategies relating to the company’s market, products, services, and sales goals
- Work with executives to determine and execute sales plans to meet organizational needs
- Perform day-to-day oversight and management of the sales team
- Set and manage sales department budgets
- Track, analyze, and present sales metrics to senior leadership
- Facilitate current client relationships and grow new ones
- Analyze market trends and plan sales strategies accordingly
Education and experience
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field required
- Extensive experience in sales, preferably in the employer’s industry and in a leadership position
Required skills and qualifications
- Robust leadership abilities and an innovative, entrepreneurial attitude
- Experience in sales, customer service, or related field, preferably in a leadership role
- Familiarity with CRM platforms
- Strong analytical skills
- Knowledge of and insight into market trends, with an ability to think strategically
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
- Self-motivated and driven to succeed
Preferred qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in sales and management
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Excellent written and verbal skills
Example 2
Digital Audio sales lead, focusing specifically on the conversation of digital audio dollars out of political agencies.
Responsibilities
- Accountable for achieving and exceeding targeted advertising sales revenues for the market and for controlling sales expenses
- May direct other functions such as marketing, advertising, production, traffic and sales operations
- Directs sales processes to generate revenues
- Sets sales goals for direct reports and guides their subsequent goal-setting processes
- Prepares budgets and revenue forecasts
- May review and adjust sales territories, product mix targets, and assigned call lists
- Obtains, allocates and adjusts operations resources to achieve sales and service goals
- May go on sales calls and meet with key accounts
- Oversees the management of available advertising inventory to drive most profitable sales
- Recruits, ensures ongoing organization development and training and development of direct reports
Qualifications and experience
- 3-5 years of media sales experience
- 4 years college degree
- Effective under pressure with the ability to handle high volume transactions
- Proven track record of bringing in new business
- Brings wealth of contacts and knowledge to effectively navigate the political media landscape
Example 3
The VP of Sales position is responsible for working to grow volume with new retailer and supplier relationships in designated retail channels. This position will report to the Chief Revenue Officer for all job functions.
Responsibilities
- Prospect and develop new retailer and supplier opportunities in designated channels
- Create and maintain a robust sales pipeline
- Plan and lead sales meetings with prospective retailers and suppliers
- Coordinate with other departments to acquire resources needed to close deals
- Document and communicate sales efforts, opportunities and progress updates using Salesforce and other internal tools
- Work closely across all departments to ensure program details are conveyed and executed correctly
- Work with C-Suite Team on sales strategy and provide new ideas and solutions for review
- Additional Duties as required
Requirements
- A minimum of 5-10 years in a Senior Executive role
- Retail Management or CPG sales background required
- Knowledge of Scan Based Trading (SBT) preferred
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Salesforce
- Flexibility and multitasking skills a must
- Excellent communication and presentation skills at executive level
- Commitment to excellence and strong sense of accountability
- Have a hands-on work style, be a team player, and always willing to roll up your sleeves to get the job done
Example 4
As part of our standard onboarding procedure, our Sales Development Team is responsible for calling and engaging with these prospective investors with the goal of scheduling them for an interview with our registered Investment Advisors. As our VP of Inside Sales , you will be responsible for overseeing a team of 4 managers and around 50 sales development representatives. This role will report directly to our CEO.
Responsibilities
- People management (hiring, coaching, firing) of a team of 50 reps. Most reps are full-time interns graduating from good schools who are passionate about building a career here and often move into other roles within the first six months
- High volume hiring and training of reps, assuming average reps stays in the role for six months, and then moves on to another role within the company
- Writing, testing, and optimizing call scripts in order to improve call scheduling effectiveness
- Building dashboards, creating KPIs, and tracking team progress
Requirements or skill sets
- 5+ years of sales management experience, in an outbound capacity with SDRs or other reps
- Highly analytical, with the ability to work in spreadsheets, build reports, and manage team to clear KPIs
- Familiarity with Salesforce, Hubspot, or other CRMs
- Strong interest in alternative assets, financial markets, and macroeconomics
- Proven ability to strive in a fast paced, multitask environment
- Series 66 license from FINRA preferred
Additional requirements
- Must be in the (City) area – not a remote position
- Must be eligible to work in the US – no exceptions
Candidate Certifications to Look For
- Certified Sales Professional (CSP) – The CSP certification, one of the most popular certifications for a VP of sales, provides the necessary experience and qualifications that are required for this role. This certificate requires more than 2 years of experience in order to apply. Because of this, it is often recognized as a chief and primary certification for sales professionals and managers.
- Program Management Professional (PgMP) – As a Certified Program Management Professional, candidates will be able to showcase their ability to lead multiple teams and programs towards success in their goals. This certification is immensely important in order to demonstrate their ability to manage programs, including interpersonal and management skills. The PgMP is an internationally recognized certification and is recommended for VPs of sales who have 2 or more years of experience in the field.
Sample Interview Questions
- Can you tell me about strategies you have implemented to increase sales in your past roles?
- What strategies have you used to motivate sales teams in the past?
- Describe your leadership style.
- Describe your strengths as a leader. What are your best traits?
- What strategies have you previously used to motivate your team?
- How do you deal with underperformers?
- How do you evaluate sales talent?
- Have you ever missed quota? How did you handle it?
- Describe a time when you’ve lost a valuable client. How did you respond to them?
- Describe a time when you’ve won a deal when you were at a disadvantage going in.