This week’s question came from a founder preparing to interview their first-ever sales director:
“Nicola, what advice do you have for hiring a Sales Director in a growing business?”
It’s a big moment and one that can make or break your next phase of growth. So let’s unpack it.
The Three Layers of Sales Leadership
Before you hire, understand the layers:
1️⃣ Self-Leading Salespeople
They’re at the coalface doing the do. They manage their own output and performance.
2️⃣ Sales Managers (aka Drill Sergeants)
They manage the team, coach performance, track KPIs, and keep the engine running. But beware: your best salesperson may be a terrible manager. Don’t promote based on performance alone.
3️⃣ Sales Directors
They write and execute the strategy. They understand how to build a sales engine, not just run inside one.
Why Most Sales Director Hires Fail
Too often, businesses hire someone from a big brand with a mighty marketing machine behind them. But they’ve never built a system from scratch. They’re used to running inside a mature engine, not constructing one.
If you don’t have a sales engine yet, you need a builder, not a runner.
How to Test Strategic Capability
Ask candidates to present a 100-day plan. Don’t give them much context, just ask what they’d do and how they’d approach it.
Then watch:
What questions do they ask?
Do they understand your customer mix, margins, and routes to market?
Can they articulate the three levers of growth?
The Three Levers of Sales Strategy
Every sales plan pulls one or more of these:
Increase Average Order Value
Increase Order Frequency
Acquire New Customers
If they can’t build a plan around these, they’re not ready to lead your sales function.
Bonus Tip: Hire a Sales & Marketing Director
Sales and marketing are no longer separate silos. You need someone who understands the full customer journey, from awareness to advocacy.
If your candidate is stronger in one area, backfill the other. Pair a strategic sales leader with a strong head of marketing, or vice versa.
Want the Full Breakdown?
I unpack all of this in my latest video:“How Do I Hire a Sales Director?”
Let’s find the leader who can build the engine, not just drive it.