iShark

Account Executive

New VP of Sales hired and treats current sales team like shit. Any suggestions how to deal with this?

Background:

I’ve been at this startup now for over 1 year and a half. I’ve had 4 managers who have been fired. Many internal changes with our GTM and sales motion, from territory changes to SDRs changes, and more. (You can only imagine my frustration, however I’ve endured these changes given that the product actually its valuable and disruptive in the market). Despite all this internal conflict I’ve been able to hit about 70% of my quota.

Recently we raised our Series C, and a new VP of Sales was hired.

The new VP came in hot, took very little time to understand our current process and made rapid changes with very little time invested into learning what has worked within the current sales team so far. Basically completely shitted on us without spending anytime to see how we performed individually as a sales team. He’s expressed very little interest in working with the current sales team and has singled us out and every opportunity he has had. He’s made it clear to me that he’s not invested in my growth based of some of the comments he’s made. He has an unmotivated tone during our 1 on 1’s, shits on me every opportunity he gets. Is rude, shows no respect. Basically feels like he wants to outs us and replace us with new reps. Since the new reps he hired seems to have a completely different tone of voice. I asked him about his territory plan for 2024 and he was not able to share it with me. Is that a sign he plans to replace me (maybe)

It makes no sense to me why he has approached me and our current sales team with such a shit tone from the get go. It’s quite frustrating and evermore draining to work with this new VP of sales, the whole idea of having a new VP would be to provide the support and guidance that we lacked has a sales team. Complete opposite from my experience (doubt the new hires are experiencing this) (spoke to my other reps who were here before he got hired and feel the same)

This really sucks because we have a great product market fit and is by far the easiest technology I’ve sold from a technical win.

Has anyone experienced this before? If so any suggestions how to maneuver this shit situation?

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28 comments

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Pachacuti

Politicker

13

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

If you want to stay there you need to do a few things:

1- realize he’s not your friend, buddy, or mentor. He doesn’t care about your feelings. So get over all your “personal growth” millennial BS.

2- if you want to succeed you need to keep your head down, don’t complain, and just do your job. He’s going to manage you by numbers.

3- if your numbers aren’t good, you’re gone. It’s that simple.

Not everyone is going to hold your hand and coax you along. Especially not this guy.

So you either realize there’s a new sheriff in town and fall into line or go find a new place to sell.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

3

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

That's some tough love observation right there. But thoroughly accurate.

oldcloser

Arsonist

2

💀

I was going to make an attempt to add value to this thread. I cannot see a path. I’m out.

AnotherAE244

Politicker

0

Account Executive

As a millennial, I needed to see this today. Thank you.

lajefa

Good Citizen

0

Enterprise Account Executive

+1. To add...even if your numbers ARE good you are still probably gone. High performance isn't a guarantee of anything these days. Read the room. People are who they say they are

SPT

Valued Contributor

0

Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances

100,000% spot-on. I was just about to say the same thing. If you are making 70%, you're an ant on the ground to him. You have to remember-- he made some BIG promises to the C-Suite and the Board to get this job in the first place. You are not his friend and he is not yours. Unless you can hit quota you have a target on your back.

saaskicker

Celebrated Contributor

8

Enterprise AE

Start looking for a new job.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

3

🦊

I meaaaaannnn.......

Beans

Big Shot

3

Enterprise Account Executive

He's gonna raze the current process and your morale to the ground.

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

2

Enterprise Account Executive

I wish I could give better advice but the best thing you can do is continue to show your worth to all that have visibility. The VP may be empowered to make adjustments how he/she sees fit but people catch on quickly to the scorched earth types.

Filth

Politicker

2

Live Filthy or Die Clean

Like @saaskicker and @TheColdestColdCall say, it's time to look for a new job while just continuing to do what you know has worked for you in the company.

My value add is that I would also see if you could schedule some time with a CEO or executive above the VP that has been there for sometime or you have some, at least surface level, relationship with. The goal of this talk is not to tattle on the VP but to see what the executive level thinking is and possibly voice concerns that you've shown in your telling of the tale above.

Obviously you understand there may need to be changes made to increase growth but based on your positive thoughts on the product you believe in it and your ability to be successful selling it. This conversation should happen after you have some solid landing spots in order in case the CEO thinks the POS VP shit don't stink.

Tough situation, leverage any organization relationships you have outside the VP and outside the org to find a better environment and opportunity.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

4

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Agree with this - but I'll add to only meet with an exec with whom you already have a relationship, if this isn't clear.

Filth

Politicker

3

Live Filthy or Die Clean

100% on @Sunbunny31 's emphasis YOU MUST have a relationship with someone at the VP level or above their head for my comments above to be relevant.

jefe

Arsonist

3

🍁

Glad you guys emphasized the previous relationship bit here - won't work otherwise. Hell, may not work either way, but it has a chance.

SPT

Valued Contributor

2

Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances

The C-Suite is betting the farm on this new VP of Sales. They won't give a shit about a singular rep - not unless he/she is hitting it out of the ballpark.

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

1

🐺

if you like the company, work harder and become the top producer fast, undeniably the best in the company, and he prob won't give you shit anymore. if he does now on your resume you can say you were the top producer in your company

goose

Politicker

1

Sales Executive

Hit your quota. Series C, new VP, not a ton of patience for 70% if your product is as good as you say it is.

Phillip_J_Fry

Opinionated

0

Director of Revenue

Any thoughts on why he acts like this towards the current reps, but not the new ones?

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

3

Enterprise Account Executive

I think if you're closed-minded and are hired to turn a ship around, you assume everyone and all the processes in the GTM motion are flawed or broken. It's likely that bias that's driving the VP to dislike the old guard and wants to supplant with his chosen guard.

oldcloser

Arsonist

0

💀

100% co-signed. Seen it. It’s nasty.

SPT

Valued Contributor

0

Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances

Remember...this guy made A LOT of promises to land the job...

GDO

Politicker

0

BDM

Yeah start looking for a new gig. They won’t change

Chep

WR Officer

0

Bitcoin Adoption Specialist

Results will fix this. Treat the VP like a coworker not a friend, keep your head down and deliver and he won't be able to say much

lajefa

Good Citizen

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Mmm no. There are MANY high performers who have been let go. Results are no guarantee of anything at all.

lajefa

Good Citizen

0

Enterprise Account Executive

As Jim Rohn would have said: Don't Take That Class
When people show you who they are from the beginning...believe them. Don't ask questions or wonder why. Just start looking for a new gig.
It's very simple.

LMHandle7

Personal Narrative

0

Sales Director

Start looking...this guy is an asshole

MontyMoose

Good Citizen

0

Chief Commercial Officer

The previously fired 4 managers suggest something fundamental is broken. Whether it’s people, process, other leadership.. something. Perhaps that has set the tone of his entry. Maybe his mandate is as the rapid change candidate. Maybe he’s been told everything the company thinks he needs to know about the incumbents?

When you talk about the reps he has hired.. can you be more specific on how they are different?

How would you rate yourself vs the other incumbent reps? Were they part of a problem or a solution with respect to the previously fired managers?

If you like the company then rather than take flight based on emotion I’d really sit down and try to be as objective as you can.

Have the reps he hired seen the FY24 plan? Why’s that important right now?

farmtocity

Opinionated

0

SDR Manager

quiet quit

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