Sales Management/Director Designate opportunity
Discussion
As a particularly small concern based in the west, and since 1998 bulding a presence in a large, specialised and lucrative market (worldwide) we have long-term plans to take on a few high calibre people with management/ Directorship potential to better establish a consolidated management framework, improve our business reach and maximise our opportunities.
To start we need a first class Sales Manager/Director Designate.
This person will either be someone with a solid history of exemplary sales success and management expertise already, and looking to 'invest' in a small concern (with small pocket at the moment) that can grow, with their fortunes growing with it, or someone that is up-and-coming and believes that they can demonstrate a successful sales history, and more important, have the raw skills to become a pivotal part of the management team and beyond.
The calibre is the crital component, ie since we work with fairly large enterprise concerns anywhere in the world, and the market (IT software) we are in demands the ability to effectively communicate with senior enterprise management that may be seeking solutions to corporate operational challenges, then this is not just any salespersons cup-of-tea.
In the absence of those big pockets, what we are planning to offer is an 'opportunity' for the 'right person' who has a desire to play a pivotal part in our growth, in the knowledge that they are not just earning a living and taking a wage home.
The successful candidate will enjoy gradually increasing personal returns, together with a opportunity (given the commitment) to be considered for directorship and a stake in the business based on their proven success in achieving agreed goals. This is a long-term proposition that for some has obvious life-changing possibilities.
And - NO, sorry... we won't entertain recruitment companies!
If you believe you have what it takes, PM me.
To start we need a first class Sales Manager/Director Designate.
This person will either be someone with a solid history of exemplary sales success and management expertise already, and looking to 'invest' in a small concern (with small pocket at the moment) that can grow, with their fortunes growing with it, or someone that is up-and-coming and believes that they can demonstrate a successful sales history, and more important, have the raw skills to become a pivotal part of the management team and beyond.
The calibre is the crital component, ie since we work with fairly large enterprise concerns anywhere in the world, and the market (IT software) we are in demands the ability to effectively communicate with senior enterprise management that may be seeking solutions to corporate operational challenges, then this is not just any salespersons cup-of-tea.
In the absence of those big pockets, what we are planning to offer is an 'opportunity' for the 'right person' who has a desire to play a pivotal part in our growth, in the knowledge that they are not just earning a living and taking a wage home.
The successful candidate will enjoy gradually increasing personal returns, together with a opportunity (given the commitment) to be considered for directorship and a stake in the business based on their proven success in achieving agreed goals. This is a long-term proposition that for some has obvious life-changing possibilities.
And - NO, sorry... we won't entertain recruitment companies!
If you believe you have what it takes, PM me.
if you want a critique..
You are asking for someone very specific, which naturally narrows the market. You then want someone who is willing to invest in your product. The best salesmen can sell, and sell anything so they can get a good paid job with a multinational with opportunities for overseas travel and a 118d (ahem!)with no financial risk to themselves or their house.
Reemmber that you, as a small business owner are willing to put everything on the line for your business. Its your passion- its YOUR business afterall. But most people dont want the added stress, time consumption etc of owing and running a business.
And give them a Directorship. Are you sure?? And again, thats a lot of extra hasssle with the possability of prison if they misjudge things.
I think you'd have more succes if you kept the renumeration simple. Let them expand the role if they wish, but make sure they know what is expected of them, what they can acheive if they do well, what is means if they fail. But its very hard as a business owner to find an employee as enthusiastic about your business as you. Most see a job as just that: a job
You are asking for someone very specific, which naturally narrows the market. You then want someone who is willing to invest in your product. The best salesmen can sell, and sell anything so they can get a good paid job with a multinational with opportunities for overseas travel and a 118d (ahem!)with no financial risk to themselves or their house.
Reemmber that you, as a small business owner are willing to put everything on the line for your business. Its your passion- its YOUR business afterall. But most people dont want the added stress, time consumption etc of owing and running a business.
And give them a Directorship. Are you sure?? And again, thats a lot of extra hasssle with the possability of prison if they misjudge things.
I think you'd have more succes if you kept the renumeration simple. Let them expand the role if they wish, but make sure they know what is expected of them, what they can acheive if they do well, what is means if they fail. But its very hard as a business owner to find an employee as enthusiastic about your business as you. Most see a job as just that: a job
Do you want a heavy hitter, low risk, with a track record of delivering growth - who help you grow quickly?
In which case you need to be offering equity or an above average comp scheme. You might find someone who is willing to step out from a mid-tier company to craft something of their own.
Or do you want a partner in the business who can drive business development?
Or do you want a "bright young thing" without the full experience who wants to be a director and willing to take the risk on you.. and you on them?
Not sure from the way you have written it.
In which case you need to be offering equity or an above average comp scheme. You might find someone who is willing to step out from a mid-tier company to craft something of their own.
Or do you want a partner in the business who can drive business development?
Or do you want a "bright young thing" without the full experience who wants to be a director and willing to take the risk on you.. and you on them?
Not sure from the way you have written it.
McHaggis said:
Do you want a heavy hitter, low risk, with a track record of delivering growth - who help you grow quickly?
In which case you need to be offering equity or an above average comp scheme. You might find someone who is willing to step out from a mid-tier company to craft something of their own.
Or do you want a partner in the business who can drive business development?
Or do you want a "bright young thing" without the full experience who wants to be a director and willing to take the risk on you.. and you on them?
Not sure from the way you have written it.
Exactly!In which case you need to be offering equity or an above average comp scheme. You might find someone who is willing to step out from a mid-tier company to craft something of their own.
Or do you want a partner in the business who can drive business development?
Or do you want a "bright young thing" without the full experience who wants to be a director and willing to take the risk on you.. and you on them?
Not sure from the way you have written it.
I am open to all possibilities!
3Dee said:
Exactly!
I am open to all possibilities!
I think you need to be clearer.I am open to all possibilities!
To attract a big hitter, they wont take the risk without equity up front, or at least a clearly engineered model to give them equity. You need them more than they need you...
I know you don't want a headhunter from this forum, but I can recommend Sat Mann at http://isourceit.co.uk/
A no BS headhunter. They'll tell you want they can and can't deliver and aren't crazily priced. They've never let me down...
I honestly think you are going to struggle hugely to attract anyone with that for a number of reasons.
You're in IT software. You claim all sorts of opportunities for growth, yet after nearly 15 years in the business, you position yourself as "a particularly small concern". Google started in 1998, and there are plenty of other less stellar companies who've still got from zero to many, many millions in turnover in that time.
You are asking people to take a huge risk, and also implying they'll have to take a pay cut at the same time. I know people who might consider taking on that level of risk for decent money and a clear demonstration of a business plan to deliver big, rapid rewards, but I certainly don't know anyone who would take it on for "gradually increasing personal gains". In general, you'll get away with lower pay for increased job security, but not for the promise of jam tomorrow when your business appears to have been delivering no jam for the last 15 years.
It also doesn't help that you give no hint as to what your products do, and what verticals they are targeted at. The sort of person you're after will only take the risk of joining you if they can mitigate that risk, and the best way for them to do that is to know they've got their own bag full of relevant contacts and expertise, and people can't know that from the information you've given.
Lastly, why so vague over location as "in the West"? Is that Cornwall, Swindon, Wrexham??? Are you expecting your candidate to commute, relocate, work from home? It's a fact of the software industry that biggest group of target employees for your job spec are going to be living in the South East. Your location and your expectations on how often you see your new employee are going to significantly influence the size of your candidate pool.
You're in IT software. You claim all sorts of opportunities for growth, yet after nearly 15 years in the business, you position yourself as "a particularly small concern". Google started in 1998, and there are plenty of other less stellar companies who've still got from zero to many, many millions in turnover in that time.
You are asking people to take a huge risk, and also implying they'll have to take a pay cut at the same time. I know people who might consider taking on that level of risk for decent money and a clear demonstration of a business plan to deliver big, rapid rewards, but I certainly don't know anyone who would take it on for "gradually increasing personal gains". In general, you'll get away with lower pay for increased job security, but not for the promise of jam tomorrow when your business appears to have been delivering no jam for the last 15 years.
It also doesn't help that you give no hint as to what your products do, and what verticals they are targeted at. The sort of person you're after will only take the risk of joining you if they can mitigate that risk, and the best way for them to do that is to know they've got their own bag full of relevant contacts and expertise, and people can't know that from the information you've given.
Lastly, why so vague over location as "in the West"? Is that Cornwall, Swindon, Wrexham??? Are you expecting your candidate to commute, relocate, work from home? It's a fact of the software industry that biggest group of target employees for your job spec are going to be living in the South East. Your location and your expectations on how often you see your new employee are going to significantly influence the size of your candidate pool.
swerni said:
I take it you're oooooooout then Chris 
Non-working wife and three small kids? I'll stick with my nice, safe, arguably slightly underpaid blue chip IT company thanks! 
I think this is the dilemma the OP faces. Most people willing to take the risk of this sort of opportunity will either be fairly young and inexperienced (so have less to lose in the first place), or will have secured their living standards from a decent career. Whilst the latter may come in and put everything into the role in pursuit of riches, they could equally come in with an intention of just milking the OP for a while without having to worry about the implications of getting sacked.
If I've correctly understood the sort of candidate the OP is looking for, then neither of the above will fit the bill. Unfortunately for the OP, a software company which is still very small after nearly 15 years is going to come a long way behind dynamic start-ups with strong VC investment and compelling structured pre-IPO option plans in attracting that sort of candidate.
Sounds like a lifestyle business to me at the moment. I've had a few conversations with people trying to hook me out of my role into helping them with business tranformation and building pretty rapid growth but it always comes down to what equity they can offer, what their projections are and how realistic they are being about their business.
Unfortunately most compaies feel they are ready to do something but have not clearly thought out how they want to do it and what they actually want from the person they are trying to get in. Seems like the same thing here.
I'd suggest the OP either has a good session internally to map out who they want, why they want them and what they can offer or they get in an external consultant to help them map it all out properly. After all what you are talking about here is a fairly fundamental change in the way you work (from what I can gather) but you are lacking the kind of clarity that someone good would need to make the decision to join you. Oh and asking for soemone to invest at the level you are offering is going to be a huge struggle.
Unfortunately most compaies feel they are ready to do something but have not clearly thought out how they want to do it and what they actually want from the person they are trying to get in. Seems like the same thing here.
I'd suggest the OP either has a good session internally to map out who they want, why they want them and what they can offer or they get in an external consultant to help them map it all out properly. After all what you are talking about here is a fairly fundamental change in the way you work (from what I can gather) but you are lacking the kind of clarity that someone good would need to make the decision to join you. Oh and asking for soemone to invest at the level you are offering is going to be a huge struggle.
M@1975 said:
I'd suggest the OP either has a good session internally to map out who they want, why they want them and what they can offer or they get in an external consultant to help them map it all out properly. After all what you are talking about here is a fairly fundamental change in the way you work (from what I can gather) but you are lacking the kind of clarity that someone good would need to make the decision to join you. Oh and asking for soemone to invest at the level you are offering is going to be a huge struggle.
Thoroughly agree with that.I'd also recommend the OP reconsider his "no recruitment agencies" policy.
Whilst there are plenty of crap recruitment consultants out there, there are also consultants who could well be exactly what he needs to help him decide...
1. What job they want a candidate to do.
2. What sort of candidate they want for that job.
3. What package they're going to have to offer to get that package.
I'm not a recruitment consultant, nor have I ever used one as an employer, but I'd be asking for recommendations on here if I were in the OP's position.
Kermit power said:
Thoroughly agree with that.
I'd also recommend the OP reconsider his "no recruitment agencies" policy.
Whilst there are plenty of crap recruitment consultants out there, there are also consultants who could well be exactly what he needs to help him decide...
1. What job they want a candidate to do.
2. What sort of candidate they want for that job.
3. What package they're going to have to offer to get that package.
I'm not a recruitment consultant, nor have I ever used one as an employer, but I'd be asking for recommendations on here if I were in the OP's position.
Exactly, or at least taking the benefit of 2-3 conversations with good head hunters to help focus the conversation, at the moment it's too wooly.I'd also recommend the OP reconsider his "no recruitment agencies" policy.
Whilst there are plenty of crap recruitment consultants out there, there are also consultants who could well be exactly what he needs to help him decide...
1. What job they want a candidate to do.
2. What sort of candidate they want for that job.
3. What package they're going to have to offer to get that package.
I'm not a recruitment consultant, nor have I ever used one as an employer, but I'd be asking for recommendations on here if I were in the OP's position.
I'm a pretty accomplished sales manager with a lot of experience growing both my own and my team's revenue through EMEA & APAC (albeit on the hardware & services rather than the software side of the industry). As I'm thinking about changing my role right now, I read the OP's post with interest, but to be honest was put off responding due to the "jam tomorrow" nature of the content.
When I look to join a small, growing company, I am quite happy to drop my basic salary a fair way to reduce the risk on the prospective employer, as long as in return, I receive either:
a) Equity on day 1 and maintenance of my current OTE
or
b) A more healthy OTE than current
OP. Good sales people are out there, but they need to be attracted by something (generally short(ish) term financial) to make them want to move to a company that may not have the brand recognition / support infrastructure / market presence / R&D investment that their current employer has - all things which help to give the sales person a competitive advantage.
When I look to join a small, growing company, I am quite happy to drop my basic salary a fair way to reduce the risk on the prospective employer, as long as in return, I receive either:
a) Equity on day 1 and maintenance of my current OTE
or
b) A more healthy OTE than current
OP. Good sales people are out there, but they need to be attracted by something (generally short(ish) term financial) to make them want to move to a company that may not have the brand recognition / support infrastructure / market presence / R&D investment that their current employer has - all things which help to give the sales person a competitive advantage.
Edited by schmalex on Friday 18th May 15:01
schmalex said:
OP. Good sales people are out there, but they need to be attracted by something (generally short(ish) term financial) to make them want to move to a company that may not have the brand recognition / support infrastructure / market presence / R&D investment that their current employer has - all things which help to give the sales person a competitive advantage.
]
Surely a good salesman would seek out an opportunity of interest, get themselves offered the job and then succesfully talk thier potential employer around to thier way of thinking (financially)?]
BOth parties are taking a risk for higher reward. Noone in thier right mind would give "equity from day one" on a completely unknown quantity.
It's always the catch-22 in these kind of situations. A salesperson cannot expect to walk in cold to a new job and increase his earnings until he has achieved the sales to warrant it and conversely a company cannot expect to be able to emply a 'big hitter' without spending an impossible amount on someone who may prove completely ineffectual. These kind of things never work in my experience, for exactly this reason
Edited by blindswelledrat on Tuesday 22 May 16:47
blindswelledrat said:
Surely a good salesman would seek out an opportunity of interest, get themselves offered the job and then succesfully talk thier potential employer around to thier way of thinking (financially)?
BOth parties are taking a risk for higher reward. Noone in thier right mind would give "equity from day one" on a completely unknown quantity.
It's always the catch-22 in these kind of situations. A salesperson cannot expect to walk in cold to a new job and increase his earnings until he has achieved the sales to warrant it and conversely a company cannot expect to be able to emply a 'big hitter' without spending an impossible amount on someone who may prove completely ineffectual. These kind of things never work in my experience, for exactly this reason
You're right in that nobody is going to offer direct equity on day one, but plenty of companies can and do offer significant options on day one, which only vest if you're still with the company at a later date as determined in the contract. BOth parties are taking a risk for higher reward. Noone in thier right mind would give "equity from day one" on a completely unknown quantity.
It's always the catch-22 in these kind of situations. A salesperson cannot expect to walk in cold to a new job and increase his earnings until he has achieved the sales to warrant it and conversely a company cannot expect to be able to emply a 'big hitter' without spending an impossible amount on someone who may prove completely ineffectual. These kind of things never work in my experience, for exactly this reason
Edited by blindswelledrat on Tuesday 22 May 16:47
The company has no real risk, as the guy will be long gone before the options vest if he's crap, but the seller knows he's got x percent of the company to look forward to if he is successful. Win win.
Edited by Kermit power on Tuesday 22 May 19:35
Kermit power said:
You're right in that nobody is going to offer direct equity on day one, but plenty of companies can and do offer significant options on day one, which only vest if you're still with the company at a later date as determined in the contract.
The company has no real risk, as the guy will be long gone before the options vest if he's crap, but the seller knows he's got x percent of the company to look forward to if he is successful. Win win.
Exactly. They would be conditional options based on performance targets being hit.The company has no real risk, as the guy will be long gone before the options vest if he's crap, but the seller knows he's got x percent of the company to look forward to if he is successful. Win win.
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