Title: Vice President, Sales

Reporting To: CEO

Talespin is building the platform to transform talent development and skill alignment for the future of work. Our spatial computing products deliver a new standard for learning and workforce data, empowering organizations and individuals to make better talent and career decisions. 

Talespin is in search of a motivated VP of Sales to establish, develop and maintain the sales function, ensuring growth, revenue and profit targets across our direct sales and indirect channels.  The VP of Sales is responsible for the performance, strategy, and alignment of revenue growth and development in the company. This position is responsible for overseeing the growth, operations, and overall health of the Sales (direct and channel teams). 

Role and Responsibilities:

• Lead sales, marketing and business development to align all new customer go-to-market efforts. Create standardized outreach for current and future clients and coordinate its implementation across sales channels, client management, and marketing and communication.

• Hire, develop, train, and scale a sales organization including inside sales, account managers, and sales representatives.

• Develop sales development programs— including content, tools and training— to create a coaching culture and to reinforce selling skills, selling motions, and sales process best practices to increase the velocity of the selling cycle.

• Increase sales velocity through improved targeting, activity, or win rates to exponentially increase the number of new accounts won annually.  Requires strong management, organizational, team building, coaching and mentoring skills.

• Support new contract negotiations and standard sales procedures to improve value to Talespin.

• Partner with the CEO, CFO and Director of Marketing to support decisions around pricing, contract length, minimum guarantees, and level of customization to offer.

• Evaluate existing sales strategy and build a plan to refine processes for scale.

• Work closely with the executive team and board of directors to develop growth strategies for pioneering new markets and opportunities.

• Craft and execute a business strategy that will allow for future channel expansion.

• Coach and develop sales leadership to build a culture of continuous learning and ensure everyone is constantly using best practices.

• Train the Sales team and channel partners in the products, features, and value propositions.

• Assess performance of the Sales team and promptly identify and address below-target performance.

• Work closely with Marketing to ensure generation of sales leads through market research and analysis. Provide feedback on Sales requirements for Marketing Communications and refinement of Marketing Qualified Leads.

• Monitor staff performance, works with employees to implement goals and document progress, approves incentive compensation calculations and works with Human Resources on employee related issues.

• Develops sales plans, goals, strategies and objectives to achieve team goals and revenue objectives.

• Identifies critical market segments through market research and competitor analyses and recommends sales strategies for improvement.

• Ensures development and maintenance of long-term relationships with client base.

As a VP of Sales, you will need:

• College degree required and MBA (or equivalent advanced degree) preferred.

• 10+ years of hands-on sales management experience in a high-growth. B2B.software/SaaS environment and/or experience selling integrated HW/SW solutions.

• Proven experience in developing senior-level executive relationships with channel partners and end-user customers.

• Credible senior executive presence, presents with authority and confidence at all levels in the business.

• Engaging personal style with the ability  to motivate and lead management peers and team members.

• Experience with sales strategy planning and execution, sales operations, marketing, channel and partner management, business planning, and sales support management in a global setting.

• Well-versed in consultative direct and channel sales processes.

• Highly motivated with an ability to create and work collaboratively with a sales team multiple skills leveled sales team.

• Strategically view the marketplace, analyze opportunities and successfully manage the growth of a profitable enterprise software/content business.

• Demonstrated financial acumen and a history of decision making based upon business metrics.Define, track, and report on key metrics that indicate sales effectiveness.

• Ability to craft and execute a business strategy that will allow for future channel expansion.

• Outstanding customer and partner facing communication skills.

• Substantial experience in technology and software.

• Ability to mobilize stakeholders outside of his/her individual span of control.

• An outstanding listener and communicator. Someone who facilitates an open exchange of ideas and fosters an atmosphere of open communication.

• Demonstrate strong people skills, including being perceived as genuinely caring, warm, empathetic, fair, motivating and positive.