Don't sign up for a VP Sales job that doesn't come with full autonomy.

Don't agree to a job where you need CFO and CEO approval for things you'll be fired for but they won't.

At least not if you've done the job before.

• Ask for a revenue target
• Ask for an operating budget
• Ask for autonomy
  

Yes it's a great idea to team up with finance to design comp and goals.

No it's not a good idea if finance or CEO needs to approve (or even understand) every detail of your comp and strategic plans.

Why?

Because they hired you as the expert.

Because if the plan fails you get fired and they don't.

You'll be amazed how difficult this concept is for new founders and CFO's to grasp.

Ask them if they want it done in 90 days or 6 months?

That's the difference between autonomy and micro-management.

Twice as long and never as good.

It shouldn't require a fresh interview process for everything an executive leader does.

Once you hire a VP Sales or CRO.

Enable them with whatever they need.

Then get out of the way.

Otherwise it may end up being your own paranoia and ego that causes them to fail.

You hired an expert because they know things you don't.

You hired them because they've been down this road before.

Their job is not to train you and seek buy-in every step of the way.

Their job is to do the darn thing.

If you don't trust them, how can the team?

Focus on enabling them and learning by watching them.

Don't try to teach them their own job.

Don't expect them to teach it to you.

If you find yourself doing that, you never truly wanted a senior sales leader.

Nothing cripples an executive faster than a lack of autonomy.

They'll curl up into their shell and everything that goes wrong will no longer be their fault.

The only way they can own the results is if they own the decisions.

Create an environment conducive to success.

It all starts with executive enablement and autonomy.

Happy Selling,