Dear SaaStr: I’m Starting as a New VP of Sales. How Can I Add Value Quickly?

Dear SaaStr: I’m Starting as a New VP of Sales. How Can I Add Value Quickly?

A new VP of Sales can add value immediately by focusing on a few critical areas that drive results and demonstrate leadership from day one:

1. Assess and Support Top Performers: A great VP of Sales will immediately identify the top-performing reps and double down on them. They’ll make sure these reps have the resources, leads, and support they need to succeed. At the same time, they’ll start addressing underperformers—either coaching them up or moving them out. If they’re not making these moves early, it’s a red flag ‌2‌‌4‌.

2. Close Deals Themselves: In the early days, a VP of Sales should be closing deals. They need to learn the product, the sales process, and the customer firsthand. This builds credibility with the team and accelerates results. If they can’t sell the product better than anyone else on the team, they’re not the right hire ‌1‌‌15‌.

3. Optimize the Existing Pipeline: Even with the same leads and processes, a great VP of Sales can find ways to improve. This could mean running better demos, asking for higher deal sizes, or simply being more aggressive in closing. You should see a lift in pipeline metrics and closed deals within one sales cycle if they’re doing their job well ‌1‌‌3‌.

4. Recruit Top Talent — Even Before You Start: The best VPs of Sales don’t just manage—they recruit. They’ll bring in 2-3 top reps they’ve worked with before, people they know can deliver results. If they don’t bring anyone with them or haven’t hired stellar reps within the first 30 days, that’s a serious warning sign ‌2‌‌8‌.

5. Master the Product — Again, Ideally Before You Start: A VP of Sales at an early-stage SaaS company must become a product expert quickly. They need to understand the top 10-20 customer use cases and objections and be able to sell the product themselves. If they’re not at least a bit of a product guru within 30-45 days, they won’t succeed ‌15‌.

6. Set Realistic, Achievable Goals — And Agree on Them Before You Start: A new VP of Sales should assess the sales plan and ensure it’s realistic. If the targets are completely unachievable, they need to push back and reset expectations. Signing up for an impossible plan is a recipe for failure, and a strong VP will know how to manage this conversation with the CEO .

7. Deliver Improvements Quickly: You should see meaningful progress within the first 30-90 days. This includes more demos, more contracts being drafted, and a noticeable increase in closed deals. If there’s no improvement after one full sales cycle, it’s a sign they’re not the right fit.

A great VP of Sales will make their impact felt almost immediately.

They’ll bring energy, focus, and results, and you’ll know within a few months if you’ve made the right hire. If you’re not seeing these signs, don’t wait too long to make a change. Time is your most valuable asset in SaaS.

One way or another, a strong VP of Sales / CRO quickly tilts the curve.

And a related deep dive with Owner’s CRO here: