What does a Head of Sales do?

A Head of Sales leads the overall sales function within a business — setting sales strategy, managing sales teams, overseeing performance metrics, and ensuring revenue targets are consistently achieved. They typically report to the CEO or Managing Director and play a pivotal role in driving commercial growth.

What is the typical base salary for a Head of Sales in an SME?

In SMEs with turnovers between £20M and £250M, base salaries for Heads of Sales typically range from £90,000 to £140,000, depending on sector, complexity, and team size.

What kind of bonus is typical for a Head of Sales?

Bonuses are commonly 20% to 50% of base salary, structured around individual and company performance — such as hitting revenue goals, margin improvements, or new business wins.

Are there other incentives for Heads of Sales in SMEs?

Yes — many receive commission structures, equity options, or long-term incentive plans (LTIPs), especially in private equity-backed or founder-led businesses preparing for growth or exit.

When should an SME hire a Head of Sales?

SMEs often hire a Head of Sales when scaling rapidly, entering new markets, launching new product lines, or needing to unify multiple sales channels under a single strategy.

What makes a great Head of Sales in an SME?

Strong Heads of Sales in SMEs combine strategic vision with hands-on leadership. They’re skilled at managing performance, building high-performing teams, improving processes, and aligning sales with wider business objectives.

Executive Search I

Head of Sales Recruitment

Appoint a Head of Sales who builds structure, leads with purpose, and drives commercial growth.

We help SME owners and boards recruit senior sales leaders who can develop strategy, lead teams, and deliver results — combining big-picture thinking with day-to-day accountability.

Arrange a call back

Do you need to recruit a Head of Sales for your SME? Speak to our Managing Director, Oliver Adderley.

We recruit Heads of Sales for SMEs with turnovers between £20M and £250M — businesses that need senior commercial leadership to build structure, lead teams, and accelerate revenue growth.

Appoint a Head of Sales Who Builds Strategy, Structure, and Sales Momentum

Whether you're professionalising your sales function, building a national team, or entering new markets, we deliver Heads of Sales who bring commercial vision, hands-on team leadership, and a clear focus on results. Our approach is fast, cost-effective, and built for ambitious SMEs — not priced like a FTSE search firm.

In the past two years, we’ve filled 100% of our retained sales leadership roles — placing Heads of Sales who’ve built scalable sales structures, improved performance management, and delivered sustainable, margin-focused growth.

From B2B scale-ups to fast-growing regional firms, we deliver sales leaders who drive results today and build for tomorrow.

How It Works: Our Search Process

Recruit senior level talent in 12 weeks or less.

We begin every project with a formal strategy discussion to fully understand your business, structure, growth plans, and the leadership challenges you face. We confirm the scope of the role, commercial objectives, timescales, and fee terms before initiating any search activity.
Once terms are agreed, we prepare a detailed Assignment Brief outlining the role, responsibilities, business context, cultural environment, and ideal candidate profile. This document is approved by you and used to brief candidates consistently and professionally throughout the process.
We carry out a focused headhunting campaign across relevant sectors and leadership networks. This includes direct outreach, discreet advertising, referrals, and competitor mapping — tailored to attract commercially aligned directors with the capability to lead in fast-paced SME environments.
All shortlisted candidates are interviewed by our senior consultants and complete our in-depth Self-Awareness Questionnaire (SAQ). This provides deep insight into each candidate’s leadership style, career history, and operational decision-making — going well beyond a standard CV.
We present a carefully curated shortlist including candidate CVs, detailed consultant commentary, and SAQ insights. You’ll receive clear, structured feedback and comparative recommendations to support your selection process.
Once you’ve progressed to second-stage interviews, we conduct thorough, confidential verbal referencing. This includes targeted conversations with past colleagues to verify performance, leadership impact, and cultural fit — giving you complete confidence in your final decision.
We support you through salary discussions, offer negotiation, and onboarding. Because our fees are fixed and not linked to salary level, we maintain complete objectivity — focusing solely on securing the right long-term appointment for your business.

What sets us apart?

Specialist, Senior-Led Delivery

Every assignment is led by an experienced consultant - never passed to junior staff. We bring commercial acumen, market insight, and real leadership experience to every project, ensuring your search is handled with the focus and expertise it deserves.

Deeper Candidate Insight: The SAQ

Our proprietary Self-Awareness Questionnaire (SAQ) gives you unrivalled insight into each candidate’s leadership style, motivations, and behaviours. It goes far beyond a CV, helping you make better-informed decisions.

Unrivalled Candidate Reporting

Every candidate is presented with detailed consultant commentary, behavioural insight, and performance history, not just a CV. Our reports give you clarity, comparison, and the confidence to assess fit across strategic, cultural, and operational dimensions.

Fee Structures Built for SMEs

We offer transparent, fixed fees designed around the realities of SME budgets, without the inflated pricing models of traditional firms. You receive board-level quality with flexible terms and no hidden extras.

Access to Exceptional Talent

With over 30 years of experience, we have built deep networks across leadership functions. We find proven managers and rising leaders who are ready to create impact in fast-moving, scaling businesses.

Agile, Focused, Results-Driven

We’re an agile business, able to move quickly, adapt to your timelines, and stay aligned with your goals. We typically deliver fully assessed shortlists within 4–6 weeks, without compromising quality or process.

“SMEs don’t need FTSE-level search fees or to be delegated to a junior consultant. They need a bespoke service that understands their business, the stage of growth, their budget, and their urgency. That’s exactly what we offer.”

— Oliver Adderley, Managing Director

SME Head of Sales Recruitment Questions Answered

A Head of Sales leads the overall sales function within a business — setting sales strategy, managing sales teams, overseeing performance metrics, and ensuring revenue targets are consistently achieved. They typically report to the CEO or Managing Director and play a pivotal role in driving commercial growth.
In SMEs with turnovers between £20M and £250M, base salaries for Heads of Sales typically range from £90,000 to £140,000, depending on sector, complexity, and team size.
Bonuses are commonly 20% to 50% of base salary, structured around individual and company performance — such as hitting revenue goals, margin improvements, or new business wins.
Yes — many receive commission structures, equity options, or long-term incentive plans (LTIPs), especially in private equity-backed or founder-led businesses preparing for growth or exit.
SMEs often hire a Head of Sales when scaling rapidly, entering new markets, launching new product lines, or needing to unify multiple sales channels under a single strategy.
Strong Heads of Sales in SMEs combine strategic vision with hands-on leadership. They’re skilled at managing performance, building high-performing teams, improving processes, and aligning sales with wider business objectives.