Situation

A $50M SaaS company has struggled with growth over the last few years, despite spending time recruiting and hiring leaders who they thought would take them to the next level. The 20-person Sales team is frustrated and feels unsupported, and is not looking forward to having another new exec come in to shake up processes & approaches again. Before they kick off the search for a new Head of Sales, the CEO wants to try to understand the needs of the organization better to help inform the search. They brought in Elevate to help support the Sales team’s day to day needs, while also helping the CEO understand what qualities they need in a leader to ensure the next hire is the right one.

Interim GTM Executive’s Role:

Elevate GTM Execs worked with the client to understand both immediate and longer term needs, and select the right interim Exec to step in and provide immediate leadership, conduct an assessment of the GTM system, and ensure the CEO has the information they need to make the right hire. The engagement will be divided into four phases: Ramping up, Assessing the System, Executing on Priorities, and finally, Onboarding the new leader.

Phase 1: Getting Embedded (Week 1)

In the first week, the interim GTM Executive will focus on getting embedded into the team, building relationships, and understanding the current state of operations. This is a critical step in identifying both strengths and gaps within the Sales team. The executive will also begin establishing communication lines with key stakeholders in Marketing, Customer Success, RevOps, and Finance.

Phase 2: Assessing the Sales Team & GTM System (Month 1)

Over the first month, the interim executive will complete a comprehensive assessment of the team’s processes & skills, identify talent retention risks, and understand the state of the larger GTM system of which the Sales org is just one part. Using Elevate’s structured assessment approach, the executive will deliver a report that includes:  

• The Sales team’s ability to handle current tasks, including hitting quarterly goals

• Flags regarding any risks to top Sales team talent or morale concerns that need to be addressed.  

• Identification of any GTM systems gaps that are blockers to the company’s revenue goals.

• A detailed plan for maintaining seamless operations, and short and long-term recommendations to improve the healthy of the overall GTM system.

Phase 3: Driving Results (Months 2–5)

The report produced allowed the interim GTM Executive to align with the CEO on focus areas for the coming months:

• Work Continuity: The executive will establish structured processes to ensure Sales teams continue to work against goals, doing some skills training & coaching on areas identified as “low hanging fruit”. The Interim Exec will also coach senior team members through key decision-making responsibilities during the leadership gap to prevent delays.

• Talent Retention: The interim executive will conduct regular one-on-one check-ins with team members, provide support as needed, and identify opportunities for professional growth to ensure that top performers stay motivated and engaged during the leadership transition.

• GTM System Communication: The interim executive identified that silos that exist between Marketing, Sales and Customer Success and lack of a mature RevOps function make it challenging for teams to have data-driven conversations, create feedback loops to uplevel overall revenue, and provide team members tools to guide prioritization. The interim exec will help upskill an existing employee into a RevOps function to help show the power of that role, with the goal of establishing a more mature RevOps team.

• Capture Characteristics of the Next Leader: The Interim executive has learned a lot about what kind of leader is needed to drive success here, and was therefore able to help the CEO locate a Head of Sales who has experience with companies who are shifting from a siloed approach to a systems based one, while also having the temperament to support a team that has been through a lot of change.

Phase 4: Onboarding the New VP (Month 5)

Once a new VP of Sales is hired, the interim GTM Executive will provide a comprehensive handover document, detailing current team dynamics, ongoing projects, key operational processes, and short and longer term recommendations from the interim executive based on their time with the company. This unbiased data allows the new VP will hit the ground running, fully equipped with the knowledge and insights needed to succeed.

Outcome 

By engaging an Elevate interim GTM Executive, the company is able to maintain operational stability during a critical period, retain key team members, and most importantly, make sure that the next leader has the right skills and is entering into a GTM system that is moving towards greater health, so they can succeed long-term. The new VP of Sales benefits from a clear view of the team and GTM system within the company, and a solid path forward. This use case illustrates how Elevate’s interim executive services can provide essential leadership during times of organizational transition, while using that time to set up more positive future growth.