Chief Sales Officer

Forrester Research, Inc.•Cambridge, MA

55d

About The Position

At Forrester, we're trusted to work on trailblazing, mission critical problems that business and technology leaders face today. That's why we're always looking to empower talented individuals to perform at their best every single day. We're proud of our community of smart people and vibrant voices who come together to do what's right by our clients and each other. Our success is driven by curiosity, courage and customer obsession. The confidence and drive to be bold at work. Join us and build an extraordinary future. About This Role: The Chief Sales Officer (CSO) will lead Forrester's sales team and be responsible for Forrester's go-to-market strategy. This role will drive growth in contract value while refining internal processes and metrics to ensure operational excellence. Reporting to the CEO, the CSO will manage, plan, and forecast the business, build and coach the sales team, and deepen relationships with Forrester's customers. The CSO should be a natural seller, able to lead by example, from the field.

Requirements

We are seeking candidates with a bachelor's degree, 20+ years of B2B sales experience, including 10+ years in sales leadership - in ARR and contract value business models such as those found in information services. Successful candidates will have a strong track record of leading through change, strategic planning, and driving revenue growth. They are natural sellers, who have a passion for sales and want to lead from the field - showing, not telling. This role requires a strategic thinker and results-oriented leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, consistently delivering exceptional results while fostering collaboration and driving cultural excellence.
Proven ability to identify new business opportunities, capitalize on them, and drive revenue growth as well as other key business metrics.
Demonstrated success in setting ambitious yet achievable goals for both self and team, aligned with organizational objectives.
Expertise in cross-selling and upselling within an existing customer base, while also acquiring new clients and consistently exceeding business development targets.
Deep experience in leveraging data to influence decision-making, and using data day-to-day to inform the operations of the sales organization.
An inspiring, approachable leader who leads by example, motivates teams, holds them accountable, and demonstrates a high level of emotional intelligence (EQ).
Strong executive presence with confidence (without arrogance), passion, and high energy to drive success.
Exceptional track record and ability to recruit, integrate, and retain top talent, fostering a high-performance culture and developing team members. Proven ability to develop a leadership bench.
Demonstrates values-driven leadership with impeccable integrity and commitment to moral and legal business standards and practices.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively with peers in the senior leadership team, fostering a shared decision-making process where needed and able to influence where needed.
Skilled in building relationships with key stakeholders and internal teams, leveraging these connections to achieve and exceed objectives.
Adept at identifying opportunities to strengthen internal partnerships to drive mutual success across the organization.

Responsibilities

Lead the business (achieve goals), lead people (engender followers), and provide thought leadership (be able to articulate Forrester's research to prospects and clients).
Lead the worldwide sales team, increasing the capability of the organization to successfully sell in an evolving market.
Ensure that sales inputs (including activities and pipelines) are sufficient to generate planned sales outputs.
Ensure that the right team, strategy, and tactical approach is in place to maximize the company's commercial footprint on a global basis.
Craft and execute a go-to-market strategy for Forrester that captures cross-sell and upsell objectives in a complex customer base, perpetuating the company's growth in customer contract value.
Continually refine and execute retention best practices within sales and across the ecosystem.
Contribute to success with major accounts by driving a culture of successful account management, including nurturing executive relationships.
Implement required sales processes and metrics to improve overall field efficiency and forecasting capabilities.
Provide overall operational sales direction to the company and leadership of the sales organization to achieve superior levels of performance measured by growth in contract value, lower customer acquisition costs, improved operating margins, and improved go-to-market and sales operational processes.
Attract, develop, and retain a world-class team, ensuring that they operate and assimilate into the Forrester culture.
Implement and understand key performance indicators, both operational and financial, holding team members accountable for results.
Align with peers on the leadership team to drive Forrester performance and excellence.
Build enduring and trust-based internal relationships and operate in a collegial, nimble way in a low-hierarchy culture. Lead by personal example, reflecting Forrester's company values and team-oriented consensus-building approach.