Sometimes the problem isn’t execution — it’s that there’s no real sales leader in the seat at all. When you are committed to hiring from the outside it becomes a big investment. Expensive before they’ve proven anything, and starts at zero with your team: no institutional trust, no track record, and months maybe years of ramp time before you know if it worked.
The answer may already be inside your organization: a top performer the team already respects, who just needs to be developed into the role. Second Chair Edge turns the person your team already trusts into the leader they need.
“You’re behind the wheel. I’m calling the corners.”
I’ve run this course before — I just don’t drive it for you.
Two ways we keep the function running while that person is identified and brought up to speed:
Your sales or growth leader just left, and there’s no replacement lined up yet, you’ve never had a sales leader, or you need to expand your share of wallet in key accounts and can’t justify that headcount yet. Temporary, team-level support working the pipeline, keeping cadence and discipline alive, while the internal leader is groomed for success.
Executive-level sales leadership with full ownership of the sales motion, start to finish, including accountability for the company’s bookings and sales numbers, while developing whoever’s the next leader to join your executive team.
Some companies will still choose to hire from outside. That’s a legitimate call, not one this practice needs to talk anyone out of. When that’s the decision, the same accountability applies: an outside hire ramps faster and earns the team’s trust sooner with someone in the seat next to them from day one, rather than figuring out the organization alone.
