A new VP walks into their first board meetingโฆ
Theyโre fired up. Confident. Ready to talk deals.
Then it happens.
The CFO asks about gross margin.ย
The CEO wants a breakdown of sales efficiency.ย
A board member chimes in about next quarterโs pipeline risk.
And just like that, the confidence drains from the room.
Because they realize: โI donโt know what I donโt know.โ
The Mistake Most New VPs Make
Most first-time VPs walk into the boardroom thinking it’s about sales stories and individual rep performance.
Itโs not.
Boards donโt care that one of your reps closed a six-figure deal last week. They care about repeatability, efficiency, and risk mitigation. They want to know how the sales engine runsโnot just that it occasionally fires on all cylinders.
So if youโve just stepped into a VP roleโor plan toโhere are 10 boardroom-level questionsย you need to be able to answer.
๐ Revenue Performance & Pipeline
- Whatโs your current pipeline coverageโand how does that compare to historical conversionย rates?
- What are the top 3 reasons deals are slipping or being lost right now?
- Where is your growth “actually” coming fromโnet new logos, expansion, or increased ACV?
โ๏ธ Sales Efficiency & Forecasting
- Whatโs your teamโs quota attainment distribution? Are you top-heavy or middle-loaded?
- Whatโs your current sales cycle lengthโand how does it vary by segment?
- Whatโs your win rate by stage? Are there drop-off points that signal a messaging or process problem?
๐ฐ Financial & Board-Level Metrics
- Whatโs your companyโs CAC payback period? Is it improving or worsening?
- How are your gross margins trendingโand how does that impact your sales compensation strategy?
- Whatโs your teamโs productivity benchmark (ARR per AE) vs. best-in-class SaaS metrics?
๐ฏ Next Quarterโs Strategy
- What specific levers are you pulling next quarter to improve pipeline, close rates, or deal size?
Bottom Line: Know the Business, Not Just the Deals
If you canโt answer these 10 questions with confidence, youโre not ready for the boardroom.
Because someone else in that room “will” have the answersโand theyโll be the one shaping decisions.
Youโre not just leading a sales team.ย
Youโre managing a revenue engine.ย
Start acting like it.
About Sales Assembly
We’re a resource for live, year-round skill development and certifications for the core roles within b2b revenue teams.ย Contact us to explore membership options for your organization!
