EVP of Sales

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

As an EVP of Sales at this level, you'll be directly responsible for a regional sales team, making sure they hit their collective revenue targets. This role sits right at the heart of our go-to-market engine, bridging the gap between our broader sales strategy and the day-to-day grind of closing deals on the ground. When you do this well, your region will consistently overachieve, bringing in significant revenue and building a strong, motivated team. Get it wrong, and we'll miss our numbers, lose good people, and struggle to grow. The challenge here is balancing individual deal support with strategic team leadership, all while keeping a close eye on the numbers. The reward? Seeing your team succeed, celebrating their wins, and knowing you built that success.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: VP of Sales, EMEA
• Direct reports: Roughly 5-8 Account Executives
• Matrix relationships: Regional Sales Leader, Head of Regional Sales, Sales Manager, UK & Ireland, Lead Sales Executive,

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• Sales Operations (for forecasting and data)
• Marketing Leadership (for lead quality and campaigns)
• Product Management (for feature requests and roadmap alignment)
• Finance (for deal approvals and budget management)
• Customer Success (for smooth handovers and renewals)

External:

• Key Regional Clients (for executive sponsorship and escalations)
• Strategic Partners (for joint sales initiatives)
• Industry Associations (for networking and market insights)

Organisational Impact

Scope: This role directly drives regional revenue growth and market share. You'll build and develop the sales talent that will become our future leaders, and your team's performance directly contributes to our overall company valuation and strategic direction. Frankly, without strong regional sales leaders, the whole house of cards falls down. You're accountable for a significant chunk of our annual operating plan.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: Team Quota Attainment
2. Desc: The percentage of your regional team's combined revenue target that they actually hit.
3. Target: 100%+ of quarterly and annual team quota
4. Freq: Monthly, Quarterly, Annually
5. Example: If your team's quarterly target is £2M and they close £2.1M, that's 105% attainment. We want to see that consistently.
6. Metric: Team Forecast Accuracy
7. Desc: How close your team's committed forecast is to the actual revenue closed each quarter.
8. Target: Within ±10% variance on committed deals
9. Freq: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly
10. Example: Your team commits £1.5M for the quarter, and they close £1.6M. That's a 6.6% variance, which is good. If they close £1.3M, that's a problem.
11. Metric: Average Deal Size & Sales Cycle
12. Desc: The typical value of deals your team closes and how long it takes them to close those deals.
13. Target: Average deal size > £100K; Sales cycle < 90 days
14. Freq: Quarterly review of closed-won deals
15. Example: If your team's average deal is £75K and takes 120 days, we'll need to coach them on targeting larger accounts and accelerating cycles.
16. Metric: Pipeline Coverage
17. Desc: The ratio of qualified pipeline (deals likely to close) to your team's remaining quota.
18. Target: Minimum 3x pipeline coverage at the start of each quarter
19. Freq: Weekly pipeline reviews
20. Example: If your team has £1M left to close this quarter, you'd want at least £3M in qualified pipeline to feel comfortable. Less than that means trouble.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Team Development & Retention
2. Desc: How effectively you're coaching, mentoring, and retaining your Account Executives.
3. Evidence: Low team attrition (<15% annually); 80%+ of reps at or above quota; positive feedback in skip-level meetings; clear progression plans for each team member; consistent 1:1 coaching sessions logged.
4. Metric: Go-to-Market Strategy Execution
5. Desc: Your ability to translate the company's GTM strategy into effective regional sales plans and ensure your team follows them.
6. Evidence: Successful launch of new regional initiatives; clear documentation of regional sales plays; consistent adoption of sales methodology by the team; positive feedback from Marketing and Product on alignment and execution.
7. Metric: Cross-functional Collaboration
8. Desc: How well you work with other departments (Marketing, Product, Finance) to remove obstacles and drive deals.
9. Evidence: Proactive engagement with other departments on deal strategy; successful resolution of inter-departmental conflicts; positive feedback from peers on your constructive approach; joint initiatives with Marketing leading to pipeline generation.
10. Metric: Deal Quality & Integrity
11. Desc: Ensuring your team is bringing in good, profitable business that aligns with our long-term goals, not just any deal.
12. Evidence: Low churn rate on deals closed by your team; minimal discounting outside of approved ranges; clean deal structures with clear revenue recognition; no 'happy ears' deals making it to the forecast that then fall apart.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Decisive
• Manifestation: You're the one who makes the final call on a tricky discount to get a strategic deal over the line. You'll have to make the tough decision to let go of an underperforming rep, even if they're a good person. When the board asks for a forecast number, you'll commit to it without hedging, even under pressure. Honestly, you can't sit on the fence in this job.
• Benefit: In sales, hesitation kills deals. Your team needs a leader who can quickly break deadlocks, give clear direction on deal strategy, and stop 'analysis paralysis' from setting in, especially when it's quarter-end and every minute counts. People look to you for clarity.
• Trait: Influential
• Manifestation: You're the person who can persuade the Product team to bump up a feature that's crucial for closing a multi-million pound deal. You'll convince the CFO that a non-standard payment term is worth the risk for a big logo. When the team's morale is low after a tough quarter, you're the one who can rally them, restore their belief, and get them focused again.
• Benefit: Your formal authority only goes so far. Your real success here depends on your ability to influence your peers (like the Head of Marketing or Product), your boss (the VP of Sales), and crucially, your own team, to all get on the same page and pull in the same direction towards those revenue goals.
• Trait: Accountable
• Manifestation: When your team misses 'the number', you're the one who stands up in front of the company and says, 'I own this, here's what happened, and here's my plan to fix it.' You won't blame Marketing, the product, or the economy. For the wins, you'll give all the credit to your team, but for the losses, the buck stops with you. That's just how it works.
• Benefit: This builds incredible trust, both with the executive team and, more importantly, with your sales organisation. It creates a culture where everyone takes ownership instead of pointing fingers, which is absolutely essential for long-term success in a high-pressure environment like sales.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Resilience
• Desc: You'll need to bounce back instantly from a lost deal, a missed quarterly target, or a tough conversation with a rep. Sales is full of 'no's, and you can't let them get to you or your team.
• Trait: Commercial Acumen
• Desc: You think like a business owner, not just a sales leader. You understand the P&L, gross margin, and how every deal impacts the bottom line, not just the top line. It's about profitable growth.
• Trait: Political Savvy
• Desc: You can navigate the complex internal dynamics of a growing company to get the resources, attention, and support your team needs to win. You know who to talk to, and how to talk to them.
• Trait: Relentless Competitiveness
• Desc: You have an intense, unyielding drive to win. You hate losing more than you love winning, and that energy is infectious for your team. You're always looking for an edge.

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Building a Winning Team
2. Daily: You get a real kick out of seeing your reps develop, close big deals, and hit their targets. Coaching a struggling rep to success or watching a junior AE become a top performer genuinely energises you.
3. Motivator: Achieving Ambitious Revenue Goals
4. Daily: You're driven by the challenge of hitting and exceeding 'the number' for your region. The quarterly countdown, the push to get deals over the line, the thrill of seeing the final figures—that's what keeps you going.
5. Motivator: Strategic Impact & Business Growth
6. Daily: You want to be part of shaping the company's trajectory, not just executing. You enjoy contributing to the broader go-to-market strategy and seeing your regional efforts directly contribute to significant business growth.

Potential Demotivators

Honestly, this role isn't for everyone. If you need things to be perfectly structured all the time, or if you struggle with ambiguity, you'll probably find it tough. You'll inherit a CRM that's a bit of a mess, and you'll spend time cleaning it up. The 'urgent' request from the CEO on Monday might be forgotten by Wednesday. You'll spend a fair bit of time mediating between your team and other departments, which can feel like herding cats. If you expect every single strategic initiative to land perfectly and yield immediate results, you'll be disappointed.

Common Frustrations

1. The constant battle between Marketing and Sales over lead quality, where your team feels like they're chasing ghosts.
2. Having to justify every single expense, headcount, or SPIFF to a Finance team that sometimes feels like they're actively trying to prevent sales.
3. A key product feature your team has been selling hard suddenly gets de-prioritised, torpedoing late-stage deals and making your reps look silly.
4. Taking over a team and finding the Salesforce instance is a graveyard of duplicate records and inaccurate data, making forecasting feel like fiction.
5. Managing that one 'hero' rep who hits 200% of their number but is an absolute nightmare to work with, hoarding information and poisoning team culture.
6. Having to defend your forecast in board meetings against non-sales people who have simplistic, outdated ideas about why a deal slipped.
7. The end-of-quarter pressure to 'pull in' deals from next quarter just to make the current number, knowing it's mortgaging the future.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. A predictable, 9-to-5 schedule with no surprises.
2. The luxury of focusing solely on your own individual sales performance.
3. A perfectly clean, data-rich CRM from day one.
4. Complete autonomy without needing to influence or negotiate with other departments.
5. A role where you're always the 'good guy'—sometimes you'll have to make unpopular decisions.

ADHD Positives

1. The fast-paced, dynamic nature of managing a sales team, with constant new challenges and urgent deal situations, can be highly engaging and stimulating.
2. The need to quickly pivot between coaching, strategising, and problem-solving can suit a mind that thrives on variety and rapid context switching.
3. The direct, measurable impact of sales results can provide clear feedback loops and a strong sense of accomplishment, which is often motivating.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. Maintaining focus during lengthy forecast calls or detailed administrative tasks (e.g., CRM hygiene) might be a challenge. We can use tools for automated summaries and provide structured templates for reporting.
2. Organisation for multiple direct reports and their individual pipelines can be complex. We can support with dedicated Sales Operations assistance for data management and provide access to project management tools for team oversight.
3. Impulsivity in high-pressure deal situations could lead to suboptimal decisions. We'll ensure a clear framework for deal escalations and provide a sounding board for critical decisions.

Dyslexia Positives

1. Strong verbal communication and storytelling skills, often found in dyslexic individuals, are invaluable for motivating a sales team and presenting to clients.
2. A 'big picture' strategic thinking approach, common with dyslexia, is excellent for developing regional sales plans and identifying market opportunities.
3. The ability to think creatively and find alternative solutions to complex sales problems can be a significant asset in this role.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. Reading and writing extensive reports, emails, or detailed compensation plans might be time-consuming. We can use dictation software, AI writing tools, and provide templates for common documents.
2. Ensuring accuracy in numerical data within forecasts or deal structures could require extra checks. We'll use robust CRM validation rules and pair you with Sales Operations for critical data review.
3. Processing large amounts of written feedback or policy documents might be overwhelming. We'll prioritise verbal briefings and provide summaries of key information.

Autism Positives

1. A deep, analytical approach to sales data, pipeline science, and market trends can lead to highly effective, data-driven strategies.
2. The ability to identify patterns and inconsistencies in sales processes or team performance can drive significant operational improvements.
3. A direct and honest communication style, when appropriately channelled, can build trust and clarity within the team and with external partners.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. Navigating complex social dynamics, internal politics, and unspoken cues in a sales leadership role might be draining. We can provide a mentor to help interpret organisational culture and offer clear, direct feedback.
2. The constant need for impromptu social interactions and networking can be challenging. We'll support structured meeting agendas and allow for pre-planned social engagements where possible.
3. Unexpected changes in priorities or deal structures, which are common in sales, might cause stress. We'll aim for clear communication of changes and provide time for processing and adaptation where feasible.

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: Lead EVP of Sales (Regional Sales Manager)
2. Responsibilities: Lead and coach a team of 5-8 Account Executives, making sure they're developing their skills, hitting their individual targets, and growing their careers. This means weekly 1:1s, deal coaching, and joint client visits.
3. Own the regional revenue target and forecast accuracy. You'll be accountable for your team's collective number, which involves digging into their pipelines, challenging their assumptions, and rolling up an accurate forecast to the VP.
4. Define and execute the regional go-to-market strategy. You'll take the overall company strategy and figure out how to apply it locally, identifying target accounts, developing sales plays, and working with Marketing on campaigns.
5. Recruit, interview, and hire top sales talent for your team. You'll be building out your bench, identifying future stars, and making sure we've got the right people in the right seats to hit our growth goals.
6. Drive the adoption and consistent use of our sales methodology (e.g., MEDDICC) and CRM (Salesforce) across your team. This isn't optional; it's how we ensure predictable results and good data.
7. Manage key client escalations and participate in strategic deal negotiations. When a big deal gets tricky, you'll be the executive sponsor who steps in to help get it over the line, or smooth things over if there's a problem.
8. Collaborate closely with Sales Operations to analyse team performance, identify areas for improvement, and optimise sales processes. This means looking at the data, spotting trends, and making data-driven decisions to help your team.
9. Supervision: You'll have monthly strategic alignment meetings with the VP of Sales, but for the most part, you're autonomous on execution within your region. You're expected to manage your team and hit your numbers without constant oversight.
10. Decision: You've got full authority for operational decisions within your regional domain. This includes approving discounts up to 15% (with Finance consultation for higher amounts), managing your team's T&E budget (typically £50K-£100K annually), and making all hiring decisions for your direct reports. You'll consult the VP on any major strategic shifts or resource allocation changes that impact other regions.
11. Success: Your success is measured by your team consistently hitting or exceeding their collective revenue targets, your forecast accuracy being within ±10%, and your ability to retain and develop top sales talent. Ultimately, it's about building a high-performing, sustainable sales engine in your region.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Deal Discounting
• Entry: No authority; requests discounts from AE/Manager.
• Mid: Can offer standard discounts up to 5% within pre-approved guidelines; escalates higher discounts to manager.
• Senior: Can approve discounts up to 10% for strategic deals; consults Director/VP for anything above that.
• Type: Hiring & Firing
• Entry: No authority; participates in interview panels.
• Mid: Provides feedback on candidates; no final hiring decision.
• Senior: Recommends candidates; may conduct final interviews; no final hiring decision.
• Type: Budget Allocation (Team T&E)
• Entry: Submits expense reports for approval.
• Mid: Manages own T&E within policy.
• Senior: Manages own T&E; may have small project budget (e.g., £5K) with approval.
• Type: Sales Methodology & Process Changes
• Entry: Follows established methodology and processes.
• Mid: Identifies inefficiencies; proposes minor process improvements to manager.
• Senior: Leads small-scale process improvement initiatives within their own sales patch; consults on broader changes.

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

Beyond just knowing how to sell, you need the fundamental human skills to lead a team, solve complex problems, and adapt to a constantly changing market. These are the bedrock for any successful sales leader.

• Category: Communication & Influence
• Skills: Executive Presence: Holding your own in a room with C-suite clients or board members, speaking with authority and confidence.
• Coaching & Feedback: Giving direct, constructive feedback to your reps in a way that helps them grow, not shuts them down. This is critical for performance management.
• Cross-functional Storytelling: Translating sales needs and client feedback into language that resonates with Product, Marketing, or Finance, getting them on board with your priorities.
• Negotiation: Leading complex internal and external negotiations, knowing when to push and when to concede to get the best outcome for the business.
• Category: Problem-Solving & Strategic Thinking
• Skills: Root Cause Analysis: When a rep is struggling or a deal is stuck, you can quickly get to the heart of the problem, not just treat the symptoms.
• Strategic Planning: Taking a high-level company goal and breaking it down into a clear, actionable regional sales plan with measurable objectives.
• Risk Management: Identifying potential roadblocks in deals or team performance and proactively putting plans in place to mitigate them.
• Decision Making Under Pressure: Making quick, informed decisions in high-stakes situations, like a quarter-end deal that could make or break the numbers.
• Category: Leadership & Adaptability
• Skills: Team Motivation: Inspiring and motivating your team, especially after setbacks, keeping morale high and focus sharp.
• Change Management: Guiding your team through new processes, product changes, or market shifts without losing momentum.
• Conflict Resolution: Mediating disputes within your team or between your team and other departments, finding fair and effective solutions.
• Delegation: Effectively assigning tasks and empowering your team members, rather than trying to do everything yourself.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

This is where your deep sales expertise comes in. You'll need to know the methodologies, understand the data, and be able to apply them strategically to manage your regional team and hit your numbers.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy
• Desc: You need to understand how to design and execute a comprehensive plan for how we acquire and retain customers in your region. This covers everything from direct sales motions to working with channel partners.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Sales Methodology (e.g., MEDDICC, Challenger Sale)
• Desc: You'll need to have a deep, institutional understanding of a rigorous qualification framework. This means coaching your reps on it, making sure it's consistently applied, and using it to improve forecast accuracy and win rates across your team.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Pipeline Science & Forecasting
• Desc: Moving beyond just tracking deals, you'll use statistically-driven forecasting models (like 4x pipeline coverage and stage-based probability analysis) to predict regional revenue with high accuracy. This is about data, not just gut feel.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Compensation Plan Design (Basic)
• Desc: While you won't own the global comp plan, you'll need a solid understanding of how variable compensation plans work, including accelerators and SPIFFs, to explain them to your team and provide input to leadership on their effectiveness.
• Level: Intermediate
• Skill: Territory & Quota Architecture
• Desc: You'll use data-driven analysis (like Total Addressable Market and Ideal Customer Profile penetration) to help design equitable territories for your reps and set challenging but attainable quotas. This is about fairness and maximising market coverage.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Channel & Alliance Strategy (Regional)
• Desc: You'll be involved in building and scaling indirect revenue streams within your region, developing programmes and incentives for local resellers, VARs, and strategic partners. This means understanding how to sell *through* others.
• Level: Intermediate

Digital Tools

• Tool: Salesforce Sales Cloud
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Building complex team dashboards, coaching reps on data hygiene, understanding object relationships, and ensuring accurate forecasting data. You'll live in this.
• Tool: Outreach / SalesLoft
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Building and managing team sequences, analysing engagement metrics to coach reps on effective outreach, and ensuring brand consistency in communications.
• Tool: Gong / Chorus.ai
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Managing team call libraries, using analytics to spot coaching trends, identifying winning behaviours, and reviewing calls for deal strategy and rep development.
• Tool: Tableau / Power BI
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Connecting various data sources, building team-level dashboards to track forecast accuracy, pipeline health, and individual rep performance. You'll use this to make data-driven decisions.
• Tool: Anaplan / Pigment
• Level: Basic
• Usage: Providing input for territory and quota modelling during annual planning cycles. You won't own the model, but you'll contribute to it.
• Tool: LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Managing team licenses, training reps on effective social selling techniques, and tracking team Social Selling Index (SSI) scores to improve prospecting.
• Tool: Salesforce CPQ
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Structuring complex, multi-year deals, training reps on deal desk engagement protocols, and ensuring accurate quoting for your team's opportunities.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: SaaS Sales Models
• Desc: A deep understanding of recurring revenue models, customer lifetime value (LTV), customer acquisition cost (CAC), and net revenue retention (NRR) is crucial. You'll need to know how these metrics drive our business.
• Area: Competitive Landscape
• Desc: You need to know our main competitors inside out – their strengths, weaknesses, pricing, and common tactics. This helps your team position our solution effectively and win more deals.
• Area: Regional Market Dynamics
• Desc: Specific knowledge of the economic, regulatory, and cultural nuances of your assigned region (e.g., UK&I, DACH) to tailor sales strategies and messaging appropriately.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
• Usage: Ensuring your team's prospecting activities, data handling in the CRM, and client communications are fully compliant with GDPR. You'll need to coach them on this.
• Reg: Sales & Marketing Ethics
• Usage: Upholding the highest ethical standards in all sales practices, ensuring your team avoids misrepresentation, anti-competitive behaviour, or any actions that could damage our reputation. You're the role model here.

Essential Prerequisites

• Proven track record as a Senior / Enterprise Account Executive (L3) for at least 3-5 years, consistently exceeding individual quota.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor junior sales professionals, perhaps as an informal team lead or top performer who guides others.
• Experience managing complex sales cycles for high-value enterprise clients, navigating multiple stakeholders and lengthy sales processes.
• A solid understanding of sales forecasting, pipeline management, and CRM best practices (especially Salesforce).
• Experience presenting to and negotiating with C-level executives, both internally and externally.

Career Pathway Context

Typically, people step into this Regional Sales Manager role after proving themselves as a top-performing Senior Account Executive. You've shown you can not only hit your own number but also help others succeed. It's the natural next step for someone who wants to move into leadership without leaving the front lines of sales entirely.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: AI-Powered Coaching & Performance Management
• Why: Critical within 12 months—AI is already transforming how we analyse rep performance and identify coaching opportunities. Leaders who can't use these tools will be left behind.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Conversation Intelligence Analytics', 'description': 'Using tools like Gong to automatically analyse call recordings, identify talk-to-listen ratios, objection handling effectiveness, and adherence to sales scripts.'}, {'concept_name': 'Predictive Performance Indicators', 'description': 'AI models that predict which reps are at risk of missing quota based on activity, pipeline health, and historical data, allowing for proactive intervention.'}, {'concept_name': 'Personalised Learning Paths', 'description': 'AI-driven recommendations for sales training and content based on individual rep performance gaps and learning styles.'}, {'concept_name': 'Automated Feedback Generation', 'description': 'AI drafting initial summaries of call performance and suggesting coaching points, freeing up your time for deeper, qualitative feedback.'}]
• Prepare: This month: Get expert-level with Gong/Chorus.ai. Understand every dashboard and report.
• Next quarter: Run a pilot program using AI-generated coaching insights for 2-3 reps, track the impact.
• Month 4-6: Work with Sales Ops to integrate AI insights into your weekly 1:1s and quarterly business reviews.
• Month 7-9: Start identifying patterns in AI-flagged deals and develop new sales plays based on these insights.
• QuickWin: Start using Gong's AI summaries for every rep's call. It's an instant time-saver and gives you a quick overview of what's happening.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Advanced Data Storytelling with AI
• Why: Important within 18 months. Simply presenting data isn't enough; you need to weave compelling narratives that influence decisions. AI will help you craft these stories faster and more effectively.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Narrative Generation from Data', 'description': 'Using LLMs to draft initial summaries and explanations of complex sales data, highlighting key trends and anomalies.'}, {'concept_name': 'Visualisation Best Practices (AI-assisted)', 'description': 'Using AI tools to suggest optimal chart types and dashboard layouts that clearly communicate insights and support your story.'}, {'concept_name': 'Audience-Specific Messaging', 'description': 'Tailoring your data narrative for different stakeholders (e.g., Finance vs. Product) using AI to refine language and focus.'}, {'concept_name': 'Scenario Planning & Impact Analysis', 'description': 'Using AI to quickly model the potential impact of different sales strategies or market changes on your regional numbers.'}]
• Prepare: This month: Experiment with ChatGPT/Claude to summarise your weekly sales reports and identify key takeaways.
• Next quarter: Use AI tools to draft the initial outline and key talking points for your monthly forecast review with the VP.
• Month 4-6: Take a course on data visualisation, focusing on how to make complex data accessible and impactful.
• Month 7-9: Work with Marketing to get feedback on the clarity and persuasiveness of your data-driven presentations.
• QuickWin: Use AI to help you draft the executive summary for your next team performance review. It'll force you to be concise and impactful.

Education Requirements

Experience Requirements

Level: Minimum | Req: Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field | Alts: We're pragmatic here. If you've got 10+ years of exceptional sales experience, including 3+ years in a senior individual contributor role with demonstrable leadership qualities, we'd absolutely consider that equivalent. | Level: Preferred | Req: Master's degree (e.g., MBA) | Alts: Not strictly necessary, but an MBA can sometimes accelerate your understanding of broader business strategy and financial acumen, which is helpful in this role.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: Salesforce Administrator Certification
• Prod: Salesforce
• Usage: Shows you understand the backbone of our sales operations and can troubleshoot basic issues or build custom reports, which is really helpful for a sales leader.
• Cert: Leadership & Management Qualification (e.g., ILM, CMI)
• Prod: Various
• Usage: Demonstrates a formal understanding of leadership principles and team management, which can accelerate your impact in this role.

Recommended Activities

• Actively participate in sales leadership forums or industry events to network and learn best practices.
• Seek out mentorship from more senior sales leaders, both internally and externally.
• Take courses on advanced sales analytics, strategic planning, or financial modelling for sales leaders.
• Read widely on sales psychology, team motivation, and leadership theory.
• Shadow other regional sales managers or even the VP of Sales to understand different leadership styles and challenges.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: Senior / Enterprise Account Executive (L3)
• Time: 3-5 years as a top performer
• Path: Sales Operations Manager (with sales background)
• Time: 4-6 years in Sales Ops, plus prior sales experience

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: Director of Sales (L5)
• Time: 3-5 years in this Regional Sales Manager role

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: VP of Sales (L6)
• Time: 5-8 years from this role
• Title: Chief Revenue Officer (CRO / L7)
• Time: 8-12+ years from this role
• Title: General Manager / Country Manager
• Time: 6-10 years from this role

How Zavmo Delivers This Role's Development

DISCOVER Phase: Skills Gap Analysis

Zavmo maps your current competencies against all requirements in this job description through conversational assessment. We evaluate your foundation skills (communication, strategic thinking), functional skills (CRM expertise, negotiation), and readiness for career progression.

Output: Personalised skills gap heat map showing strengths and priorities, estimated time to competency, neurodiversity accommodations.

DISCUSS Phase: Personalised Learning Pathway

Based on your DISCOVER results, Zavmo creates a personalised learning plan prioritised by impact: foundation skills first, then functional skills. We adapt to your learning style, pace, and neurodiversity needs (ADHD, dyslexia, autism).

Output: Week-by-week schedule, each module linked to specific job responsibilities, checkpoints and milestones.

DELIVER Phase: Conversational Learning

Learn through conversation, not boring modules. Zavmo uses 10 conversation types (Socratic dialogue, role-play, coaching, case studies) to build competence. Practice difficult QBR presentations, negotiate tough renewals, and handle churn conversations in a safe AI environment before facing real clients.

Example: "For 'Stakeholder Mapping', Zavmo will guide you through analysing a complex enterprise account, identifying key decision-makers, and building an engagement strategy."

DEMONSTRATE Phase: Competency Assessment

Zavmo automatically builds your evidence portfolio as you learn. Every conversation, practice scenario, and application example is captured and mapped to NOS performance criteria. When ready, your portfolio supports OFQUAL qualification claims and demonstrates competence to employers.

Output: Competency matrix, evidence portfolio (downloadable), qualification readiness, career progression score.