Built, not inherited
They grew a team from a handful of reps and can tell you who they hired, who they let go, and why.
Sales leaders who’ve built it, not just inherited it.
Running a 200-person sales org and building one from five reps are different jobs. We find people who’ve done the one you need.
When startups make this hire.
Usually once a few reps are closing and the founders can’t coach, forecast and hire on top of everything else. Rush it and you hire someone who inherited a machine somewhere big and has never built one.
What great looks like.
Forecasts that land
Their number at the start of the quarter looks a lot like their number at the end.
Still sells
At your stage they’ll be on calls. They should want to be.
Hires well
People they hired would work for them again. References tell you fast.
How we vet this role.
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Team results, confirmed
We confirm team quota attainment, revenue and pipeline with their former managers. Board slides and attainment reports come in if the candidate agrees to share them.
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A live case exercise
Your real situation: pipeline, team and target. They walk us through their first 90 days live, while our anti-cheat checks the interview.
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Their hires, discussed
In the same interview we go through people they’ve hired and let go. Patterns show up fast.
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The standard checks
ID and right to work, employment history, and references confirmed through work email. Done before you meet anyone.
What it costs in the UK.
OTE (base:variable) at venture-backed startups. Draft figures, pending Jono’s sign-off.
| Level | London | Rest of UK |
|---|---|---|
| Sales manager | £110k-£150k OTE · 60:40 | £90k-£125k OTE · 60:40 |
| Head of Sales | £140k-£200k OTE · 60:40 | £115k-£165k OTE · 60:40 |
| Sales director | £170k-£240k OTE · 60:40 | £140k-£195k OTE · 60:40 |
| VP Sales | £200k-£300k OTE · 50:50 | £165k-£245k OTE · 50:50 |
Questions, answered.
Head of sales, VP or CRO: which do we need?
Early on, usually a hands-on head of sales who still closes. Hire a CRO too soon and you pay for a strategy nobody has time to run.
Can you hire a US sales leader for a UK startup?
Yes. It’s a common move when UK startups expand, and an easy one to get wrong. We benchmark US packages with you and check they’ve led a team from a distance before.
How long does a sales leader search take?
Longer than an AE search, because the pool is smaller. We agree a shortlist date with you upfront, typically 3-4 weeks.
How much does it cost to hire a sales leader through Candit?
Our fee is fee and payment terms. With Pay as they stay you can spread it across your hire’s first months, so your runway stays yours.