In the world of startups, sales leadership is critical to success. The right sales leader can help grow revenue and take the company to new heights, while the wrong one can lead to disaster. But what makes a great sales leader? If I'm looking for a rockstar sales leader, there are six key characteristics to look for when hiring a rockstar sales leader. Let's dive into each one.

1. Metrics Driven A great sales leader should be metrics-driven. They should be able to analyze sales data and use it to make informed decisions. When interviewing candidates, ask them to describe times when they used metrics to change their sales team's strategy. Look for stories where they scrutinized reports, found a trend, developed a hypothesis, and made a change to their team with a great result.

2. Process Driven A great sales leader should also be process-driven. They should be able to identify problems within their team's processes and implement changes to improve results. When interviewing candidates, ask them to describe the last two processes they implemented with their sales team. Look for stories where they observed a problem, understood why the problem existed, and developed a written process to eliminate that problem with a great result.

3. Driven & Tenacious Sales is a tough game, and a great sales leader needs to be driven and tenacious. They should be willing to make sacrifices to achieve success. When interviewing candidates, ask them about the sacrifices they've made in their personal life to be successful. Look for stories of substantial past sacrifices in favor of success at work.

4. Recruiting & Hiring Skills A great sales leader should be skilled at recruiting and hiring. They should have an intentional and documented process for identifying and hiring A players. When interviewing candidates, ask them to describe their hiring process and the steps to their interview process. Look for candidates who don't rely on gut feel when hiring.

5. Training and Coaching Skills A great sales leader should also have strong training and coaching skills. They should be able to develop a training plan that can help new salespeople get up to speed quickly. When interviewing candidates, ask them to describe their initial training and onboarding programs. Look for candidates who have a process for training and coaching their team.

6. Leadership Skills (Inspiring / Motivator) Finally, a great sales leader should have strong leadership skills. They should be able to inspire and motivate their team through difficult times. When interviewing candidates, ask them to describe the last time they took their sales team through a major change and how they communicated to their team throughout those changes. Look for candidates who communicate frequently and effectively.

These six characteristics are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what makes a great sales leader. However, they are a good starting point when hiring for this critical role. In addition to these characteristics, it's important to find a sales leader who fits your company culture and has experience working with startups.

In conclusion, finding the right sales leader can make all the difference in the success of a startup. By looking for candidates who are metrics-driven, process-driven, driven and tenacious, skilled at recruiting and hiring, strong at training and coaching, and inspiring leaders, you can increase your chances of finding a rockstar sales leader who can take your company to new heights.