Head of Sales

What is a Head of Sales?

A Head of Sales is the first dedicated sales leader at a startup, typically hired between Seed and Series A when founders are ready to professionalize the revenue function. They carry their own number, close deals personally, and begin building the infrastructure for a sales team — CRM discipline, pipeline process, compensation structures, and rep onboarding playbooks.

‍

Head of Sales vs. VP of Sales — what's the difference?

A Head of Sales is often an IC-to-manager transition: they sell personally while beginning to hire and manage a small team. A VP of Sales typically has experience managing managers and is hired when the company already has a sales team in place. Sequence matters: most companies hire a Head of Sales before they're ready for a VP.

‍

What stage company needs a Head of Sales?

Seed to Series A. When founder-led sales has proven initial traction (first $500K–$1M ARR) and it's time to professionalize the function without yet needing a full VP. The Head of Sales is the person who turns the founder's sales learnings into a repeatable system.

‍

What does RFS look for in a Head of Sales candidate?

• Experience closing deals in the same ACV range as your target customers
• Proven ability to hire and ramp at least a small team of reps
• CRM fluency and process discipline — can document what they do
• Low ego, high output: comfortable doing whatever it takes at a startup
• References from founders, not just from peers in large enterprise organizations

‍

How does RFS recruit Heads of Sales?

RFS sources player-coach sales leaders who have built, not just joined, early sales teams. We send 3–5 pre-vetted Head of Sales candidates per search. Average time from kickoff to first candidates: 48 hours. Contingency — no hire, no fee.

‍