A Systems Thinking Approach to Achieving Sales Excellence That Actually Sticks
If you are anything like most people reading this, you either know personally or have heard about a sales leader who has either been asked to leave or left voluntarily because of underperformance. The reality is that this is more common than most people would like to admit.
A study from The Bridge Group a few years back showed the average tenure for a B2B VP of Sales is just 19 months. This is the median, meaning many don’t make it to 19 months and even fewer last much longer. What is particularly striking is that this 19-month median allows for some lead time before the VP could really begin to impact results in a meaningful way.
While there has been no shortage of great articles written about this topic and most offer solid advice, I thought it might be worthwhile to approach this particular problem from a systems thinking perspective. That is, what if the problem is not with the sales leader, but rather with the system in which they are working?
The question I would like to explore here is: Why are VPs of Sales struggling and what can sales organizations do to build a system that increases the probability of success for every sales leader and their team?
The Three-Part Problem
When examining the data and the anecdotes, a few distinct patterns emerge that explain why sales leaders struggle. Each one compounding on the last, creating a difficult environment for any incoming VP.
1. Unclear Expectations
Most sales leadership roles come with a clear revenue number and very little else. The expectation is revenue – now. While that is, of course, the ultimate objective, it is a very limited framing of what the role actually requires. A VP of Sales is expected to build a team, develop a culture, establish a process, create a methodology, drive forecast accuracy, coach front-line managers, recruit top talent, and so on.
When the only measurement of success is revenue, and revenue takes time to build, the VP is in a difficult position from day one.
2. Underestimating the System Problem
Sales organizations are complex systems. They involve people, process, methodology, data, and structure – all interacting in ways that are not always visible to the naked eye. A new VP of Sales is often hired as if they alone can fix the system – as if the right person in the right role can overcome a broken system through sheer will and talent.
This rarely works. And yet, it is the dominant model.
3. Lack of Infrastructure
Most sales organizations do not have the infrastructure necessary to support a high-performing team. They lack a defined methodology, a coaching model, a measurement framework, and a structured development process. The VP is expected to build all of this from scratch while also driving revenue.
This is an extraordinarily difficult task, and the 19-month tenure reflects that difficulty.
A Systems Thinking Solution
If the problem is systemic, the solution must also be systemic. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Define the System First
Before hiring a VP of Sales – or immediately after – define the system they will be working within. This means documenting the methodology, the coaching model, the measurement framework, and the development process. Give the VP something to build on, not from.
Measure What Matters
Move beyond revenue as the only measurement. Include leading indicators: methodology adoption, coaching frequency, pipeline quality, and skill development. These are the levers that drive revenue, and they are measurable.
Build for the Long Game
Sales excellence is not built in 19 months. It is built over years, through consistent application of the right methodology, coaching, and measurement. Organizations that build for the long game – and hire and retain leaders who can execute within that system – are the ones that win consistently.
The 19-month median is not inevitable. It is a symptom of a system problem that can be solved.