Hiring the right sales leader is something that every CEO has challenges with, so this episode of the Sales Talk for CEOs podcast is a great opportunity to improve your strategy and avoid some common mistakes. By hiring the right sales leader for your company, you’ll be able to build the kind of sales organization that really supports your business, and that allows you, as CEO, to take on the role of strategist, evangelist, and thought leader.

The perfect guest for this topic is Elay Cohen, CEO and co-founder of SalesHood, a sales enablement platform. The role Elay has taken in sales is the role I hope all CEOs can get to. But there were some bumps along the road to getting there, which is why Elay is openly sharing some of the lessons he learned while trying to find the right sales leader, so you can avoid the same mistakes.

During this interview, Elay takes us on his own journey to find the perfect sales leadership for SalesHood. He recounts the missteps along the way, including his first hire, who looked great on paper but wasn’t a good fit for the company, and his second hire that failed because of a misunderstanding related to job title and role. You’ll also learn how Elay landed his current co-leaders in sales who are exceeding sales goals and gearing the company up for amazing growth in 2022.

By finding the right sales leaders for his company, Elay is able to take the role of chief strategist, visionary, and evangelist of his business.  Of course, getting to this place in your career is only possible when you find the right people to lead your sales team. The information in this podcast is sure to ease the process!

Highlights

8:18 The importance of your first customers

13:00 When to hire a sales leader

20:51 The journey to find the right sales leader

24:14 A lesson on title inflation

27:45 When to consider your top sales rep as head of sales

30:36 The CEO’s role in sales after finding a sales leader

36:00 A red flag when interviewing sales leaders

39:48 Final takeaway on hiring your first sales manager

Quote

“Recruitment and finding the right people has been the hardest thing. I never would have thought. I would have thought building the company, getting customers, innovating… No. The hardest thing in the last eight years has been finding the right people for the company.”

Connect with Elay Cohen in the links below:

Website: https://saleshood.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaycohen

You can learn more about and connect with Alice Heiman in the links below:

Website: https://AliceHeiman.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/