Dear SaaStr: I’m Joining as VP of Sales at $3m ARR. What Should My Priorities Be?
Here’s how I’d prioritize week 1 as a new VP of Sales at a $3M ARR SaaS startup. At this stage, you’re small enough to move fast but big enough that the stakes are real.
The goal is to quickly assess the current state, align with the team, and set the foundation for scaling to $10M ARR.
1. Deep Dive into the Numbers. All Of Them.
Most VPs of Sales and CROs only sort of know the numbers when they join. Go super deep, ASAP, on everything.
- Understand the Revenue Metrics: Get a clear picture of NRR (130% now, with a goal of 140%), GRR, churn rates, CAC payback, and pipeline health. These will tell you where the biggest opportunities and risks are.
- Review the Sales Funnel: Where are deals getting stuck? What’s the win rate? Are there any glaring inefficiencies in the sales process?
- Analyze Customer Segments: Which segments are driving the most revenue and expansion? Are there any underperforming cohorts?
2. Meet the Team. Everyone — In Person.
I see way too many new VPs of Sales and CROs not meet their entire teams in person anymore. If you’re hybrid or distributed, well so be it. But meet everyone on your team by the second week on the job. Everyone.
- 1:1s with Key Players: Spend time with the sales, customer success, and marketing leads to understand their perspectives, challenges, and priorities. Ask questions like, “What’s working? What’s broken? What’s missing?”
- Assess Talent: Identify your A-players, potential underperformers, and any glaring gaps in the team. At $3M ARR, you likely need scrappy, high-output team members who can wear multiple hats.
- Gauge Morale: Is the team energized or burned out? Are they aligned with the company’s goals?
3. Align with the CEO and Leadership Team
Hopefully, you made a 90 day plan before you started and you and the CEO both agreed to it. Still, so many things will turn out to be different once you’re actually in the seat.
- Clarify Expectations: What does the CEO expect from you in the first 90 days? What’s the vision for the company at $10M ARR and beyond?
- Set 100% Clear Revenue Targets: Confirm the assumptions behind the $10M ARR goal. Is the pipeline strong enough? Are the quotas realistic?
- Align on Priorities: Agree on the top 2-3 focus areas for the next quarter. For example, is the priority driving expansion revenue, fixing churn, or building pipeline?
4. Assess the Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy
The GTM process is probably murkier, more broken, and less documented than you thought 🙂
- Review ICP and Positioning: Is the ideal customer profile (ICP) well-defined? Are you targeting the right segments for growth?
- Evaluate Pricing and Packaging: Are there opportunities to simplify or optimize pricing to drive expansion or reduce friction in the sales process?
- Audit the Sales Process: Is there a clear, repeatable playbook? Are reps following it? If not, why?
5. Identify Quick Wins
You need some quick wins to put points on the board. To tilt the curve when you start.
- Expansion Opportunities: Look for low-hanging fruit in the existing customer base. Are there accounts that could expand with minimal effort?
- Pipeline Acceleration: Are there deals in the pipeline that can be closed faster with your involvement? Usually there are.
- Customer Advocacy: Identify happy customers who can be turned into case studies, references, or upsell opportunities.
6. ReBuild Your 90-Day Plan. Hopefully, You Had One Before You Started.
The facts are always a bit different on the ground. Get your head around what’s real by the end of week one and work on improving things that matter:
- Set Immediate Goals: What can you realistically achieve in the first 30, 60, and 90 days? For example:
– Improve pipeline velocity by X%.
– Increase NRR from 130% to 135%.
– Close X expansion deals. - Communicate the Plan: Share your vision with the team to build alignment and momentum.
7. Go Visit and Talk to Customers NOW.
Way too many new VPs of Sales and CROs are too slow to meet new customers. They want to work too much on process when they start, not getting into deals ASAP and meeting with customers right now.
- Talk to at least 5 top customers your first week. Yourself.
- Join 10+ Customer Calls**: Sit in on sales and success calls to understand customer pain points and how they perceive your product.
- Talk to 5+ Key Existing Accounts: Meet with your top customers to learn what’s working, what’s not, and where they see value.
- Go visit 2-3 customers in person your first 2 weeks. Set up those meetings now.
If you don’t, you will likely fail. I see this again and again.
8. Evaluate Tools and Processes
Get ahead of how … bad … the tech stack and processes likely are 😉 Only fix what needs to be fixed now, but likely they are several things that need to be:
- Audit the Tech Stack: Are the tools (CRM, CS platform, etc.) helping or hindering the team? Are they being used effectively
- Review Reporting: Is there a clear, accurate dashboard for tracking key metrics? If not, prioritize building one.
Final Thoughts
Week 1 is all about listening, learning, and aligning. And meeting customers for real. N
Don’t try to fix everything immediately—focus on understanding the landscape and identifying the biggest levers for growth. But do make sure you have a strong idea of some key areas to level up ASAP.
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