The Importance of Having a Mentor for First-Time VPs of Sales

Name: The Importance of Having a Mentor for First-Time VPs of Sales
Uploaded: 2024-06-29T13:05:14+00:00
Duration: 42 s
Channel: Jason M. Lemkin
Description: In this brief monologue, Jason M. Lemkin points out that many first‑time VPs of sales go without a mentor, which he sees as a critical oversight. He…

29 Jun 2024 · 1 min

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In this brief monologue, Jason M. Lemkin points out that many first‑time VPs of sales go without a mentor, which he sees as a critical oversight. He urges new sales leaders to actively seek a mentor—ideally someone who has already held a senior sales role or a CEO who has navigated the next growth stage. Lemkin recommends allocating a modest budget or offering a small equity stake (a few thousand shares) to compensate the mentor, arguing that paid mentorship is more reliable than purely unpaid help. He also highlights SaaStr’s role as a platform that can connect executives with potential mentors, emphasizing that a dedicated mentor can provide insights and coaching that the VP might otherwise miss.

Chapters

I see so many first-time VPs of sales make is they don't get a mentor. We all need mentors. I, I still need better mentors myself. A lot of the whole point of SaaStr is to help give you a mentor, but go find one. Ask, can I have a budget? Can I have a few thousand shares for one mentor? Not 10, not 20. Maybe it could be your old boss. That's often a great one. If you're a first-time VP of sales, you often worked at least for one great VP of sales in your career. It could be a great CEO, you know, who has been through the next stage of the journey. But get a mentor. And unpaid mentors are nice, but they're not the same. Someone with a few shares and maybe a few nickels if they want cash. They— one person to go the extra yard to really coach you to see things you don't see. It's a gift.