Speakers: George Norton | Greg Alexander, SBI
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George Norton is the head of the chief sales officer practice at Heidrick & Struggles.  If you are not familiar with Heidrick & Struggles, they are the world’s top executive search firm.  As a Partner in the firm, George gets hired by CEOs to fill the role of head of sales.  George has been with the firm for 20 years.  He has helped more technology CEOs recruit sales leaders than anyone I know. 

 

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I recently interviewed George.  During the 30 minute conversation here, George explained:

 

  • The 3 scenarios that cause a CEO to look for a new sales leader.
  • The resume specifications a CEO requires when building a short list of candidates.
  • The thought process used by CEOs to decide who to make a job offer to.
  • How a job candidate can position him/herself best to win the job.
  • The pay range, and comp structure, for the modern head of sales.
  • How search firms, and CEOs, perform “back door” reference checks.

     

If these bullet points are interesting to you, download the podcast here.  Next time you are on the exercise machine, on your morning commute, or standing in line, listen to it.

 

If you are a CEO, and are wondering if you need a new sales leader, listen to this.  It might help you think through this.

 

If you are a head of sales, and are looking for the next adventure, listen to this.  It might help you increase your marketability.

 

SBI’s podcast channel can be subscribe to here.  We bring to you leading experts in the area of B2B sales and marketing each week. 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Greg Alexander

Leads the firm's focus on the CEO’s role in accelerating revenue growth by getting the product team, the marketing department, and the sales organization into strategic alignment.
BIO
ALL PEOPLE

Greg is the host of The SBI Podcast, the most listened to sales and marketing podcast on the internet.

 

He is the host of SBI TV, a monthly television program broadcast on the internet featuring top B2B sales and marketing leader sharing their strategies to grow revenues.

 

Greg is the Editor-in-Chief of The SBI Magazine, the leading B2B publication focused on sales and marketing effectiveness.

 

He is the author of two critically acclaimed books Topgrading for Sales and Making the Number.

 

Greg has authored over 100 articles on SBI’s award winning blog, The SBI Blog.

 

He graduated from The University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BA in English and received his MBA from Georgia Tech.

 

Video:

 

Transforming the Sales Organization inside Fortune 500 Companies

Greg Alexander and John Gleason, Chief Sales Officer of Ryder, talk about the unique challenges of transforming a sales team inside of very large enterprises.

 

A Better Way to Structure Your Sales Force

Greg Alexander and Tony Capucille, Chief Sales Officer at Heartland Payment Systems, discuss the pros and cons of the 7 B2B sales organizational models.

 

Build a team of A Players Inside the Sales Organization

Greg Alexander and Todd Cione, Chief Revenue Officer at Rackspace, talk about hiring, onboarding, and developing exceptional sales talent.

 

Articles

 

Fill Every Role on Your Team with an A Player

In this article, Greg Alexander makes the case for applying the TopGrading methodology to the sales team, and outlines how to do so.

 

What CEOs Need to Know About Their Marketing Strategies

In this article, Greg Alexander and Rashid Skaf, CEO of AMX, discuss the role the CEO plays in crafting a company’s marketing strategy.

 

What CEOs are Looking for in a Sales Leader

In this article, Greg Alexander and George Norton, leader of Heidrick & Struggles Chief Sales Officer practice, discuss what CEOs need in the chief sales officer role.

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