Sales Leadership Intelligence

The CRO Report Blog

Data-driven articles for VP Sales and CRO executives. Compensation, methodology, market trends, and career intel from real job postings.

Published Articles
41
and growing
Based On
1,349
real job postings
Content Categories
5
topic clusters

Compensation Data

Real salary data from job postings, not surveys

Compensation Data

Remote VP Sales Salary vs. On-Site: What the Data Shows

44.2% of VP Sales roles with disclosed salary are remote. Avg base $175K-$259K remote vs $169K-$250K on-site. The remote discount is a myth.

February 01, 2026 8 min read
Compensation Data

How to Negotiate a VP Sales Offer: What the Postings Don't Tell You

54.8% of VP Sales postings disclose salary ranges. Avg base $167K-$251K for VPs, $231K-$302K for C-level. Data-driven negotiation intel.

February 01, 2026 9 min read
Compensation Data

How Much Should You Pay a VP of Sales in 2026?

Real compensation data from 704 executive postings: $167K-$251K base for VPs, $231K-$302K for CROs. By stage, metro, and seniority.

February 01, 2026 12 min read
Compensation Data

VP Sales OTE: What Total Compensation Actually Looks Like in 2026

VP Sales base $167K-$251K across 636 roles. At standard 60/40 splits, modeled OTE is $279K-$419K. By stage, seniority, and metro.

February 01, 2026 11 min read
Compensation Data

VP Sales Salary: Startup vs. Enterprise in 2026

Compare VP Sales comp by company stage. Seed/Series A ($193K-$260K) vs Enterprise ($168K-$266K) with equity math.

January 31, 2026 8 min read
Compensation Data

VP of Sales Salary in 2026: What Companies Are Actually Paying

Real salary data from 636 VP Sales job postings. Base, OTE, and equity by stage, location, and seniority.

January 30, 2026 10 min read
Compensation Data

CRO Salary Breakdown: Base, Bonus, Equity & What Nobody Tells You

CRO salary data from 1,349 real job postings: $231K-$302K avg base, $600K ceiling. Breakdown by stage and location.

January 30, 2026 10 min read

MEDDPICC & Sales Methodology

Data-driven methodology analysis for hiring and implementation

Sales Leadership & Career Intel

Market intelligence, career frameworks, and trend analysis

Sales Leadership & Career Intel

The SDR Playbook Is Broken: What the Data Actually Shows

Quality conversations per SDR dropped 55% since 2014. 83% of teams miss quota. Average cost per meeting: $700. Industry data and 1,298 job postings tell the same story.

February 03, 2026 11 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

Questions to Ask in a CRO Interview (From Someone Who Analyzes CRO Roles Weekly)

Most CRO interview question lists are for hiring managers. This one is for the candidate. 26 C-level roles tracked, $231K-$302K avg base.

February 01, 2026 10 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

What a VP Sales Job Description Should Actually Say (Based on 1,298 Real Postings)

We analyzed 1,298 VP Sales job postings. What the best ones include, what the red flags are, and why 'fast-paced environment' appears in 248 of them.

February 01, 2026 10 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

The Fractional CRO: When It Works, When It Doesn't, and What to Pay

Fractional CROs typically run $15K-$30K/month. Full-time CROs average $231K-$302K base. When fractional makes sense and when it's a red flag.

February 01, 2026 9 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

Consultative Selling Is Crushing MEDDPICC in Job Postings. Should You Care?

Consultative selling appears in 172 of 1,298 postings. MEDDPICC in 117. That's a 47% gap. What the data means for methodology choice.

February 01, 2026 9 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

Will AI Replace SDRs? What 1,298 Job Postings Actually Show

AI/ML appears in 31.7% of executive sales postings. GenAI? Just 1.6%. AI SDR tools cost $900-$5,000/month. The hiring data tells a different story.

February 01, 2026 11 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

Sales Methodology Adoption Rates in 2026: Which Frameworks Companies Actually Use

Consultative Selling leads at 172 mentions. MEDDPICC is second at 117. Full adoption data for 8 methodologies from 1,298 executive sales postings.

February 01, 2026 11 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

From VP Sales to CRO: What the Career Path Actually Looks Like

VP base $167K-$251K across 636 roles. CRO base $231K-$302K across 26. The $64K jump, scope expansion, and what the data shows about making the move.

February 01, 2026 11 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

When Should a Startup Hire a CRO? The Data Says Later Than You Think

Over half of CRO postings are at Seed/Series A. Data on when the hire makes sense vs when it's premature.

January 31, 2026 9 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

AI in Sales Leadership: What the Job Postings Are Actually Asking For

AI/ML in 31.7% of postings, but GenAI at only 1.6%. What 'AI experience' really means for VP Sales.

January 31, 2026 9 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

Sales Executive Hiring Trends: What 1,298 Job Postings Reveal

Weekly volume trends, comp trajectory, AI adoption, and industry breakdown from executive sales postings.

January 31, 2026 10 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

Red Flags in Sales Leadership Job Postings: A Data-Driven Guide

'Fast-paced' in 248 postings, 'Competitive comp' in 198. Data-backed guide to spotting bad postings.

January 31, 2026 9 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

Due Diligence Before You Take the VP Sales Role: A Framework

Framework for evaluating sales leadership roles. Financial health, predecessor intel, board composition, red flags.

January 31, 2026 12 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

CRO vs VP of Sales: What the Titles Actually Mean in 2026

Data-driven comparison of CRO and VP Sales roles. Comp, scope, reporting structure from 1,298 tracked postings.

January 30, 2026 10 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

The VP Sales Job Market in 2026: Weekly Data from 1,298 Postings

Executive sales job market analysis. Weekly trends, volume data, and what's changed since 2022.

January 30, 2026 12 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

VP Sales First 90 Days: What the Hiring Companies Actually Expect

What companies state in job postings as first-90-day expectations. Pipeline build, process, team rebuild.

January 30, 2026 10 min read
Sales Leadership & Career Intel

What Companies Want from a VP Sales in 2026: Analysis of 1,298 Postings

AI/ML at 411 mentions, Consultative Selling at 172, MEDDPICC at 117. What employers actually demand.

January 30, 2026 11 min read

Sales Tools

Honest assessments of GTM tools from a buyer's perspective

Sales Tools

Gong Pricing in 2026: What You'll Actually Pay

Gong doesn't publish pricing. Based on sourced reports, expect $100-$150/user/month. Full breakdown by team size plus contract traps.

February 01, 2026 7 min read
Sales Tools

Clay Pricing Explained: Is the Waterfall Worth It?

Clay starts at $149/month but the real cost is in credits and enrichment. What you'll actually pay per enriched record and when Clay makes sense.

February 01, 2026 7 min read
Sales Tools

Revenue Operations Tools: The Stack a VP Sales Actually Needs

Salesforce appears in 180 of 1,298 postings. Outreach in 65. HubSpot in 48. The RevOps stack by category, cost, and what you can skip.

February 01, 2026 11 min read
Sales Tools

HubSpot vs Salesforce for Sales Teams: The VP's Decision Guide

Salesforce appears in 180 of 1,298 postings. HubSpot in 48. That's a 3.75x gap. When each makes sense and what the job market tells you.

February 01, 2026 10 min read
Sales Tools

The Most Popular Sales Tools in 2026: What Job Postings Actually Require

Salesforce: 180 mentions. Outreach: 65. HubSpot: 48. The full tool ranking from 1,298 VP Sales postings, plus what each costs.

February 01, 2026 11 min read
Sales Tools

Outreach Pricing in 2026: What You'll Actually Pay

Outreach doesn't publish pricing. Expect $100-150/user/month. Appears in 65 of 1,298 VP Sales postings. Full cost breakdown and alternatives.

February 01, 2026 10 min read
Sales Tools

ZoomInfo Pricing in 2026: Plans, Costs, and the Fine Print

ZoomInfo typically runs $15K-$50K+/year. Credit-based pricing, annual contracts, and aggressive renewal terms. Full breakdown plus cheaper alternatives.

February 01, 2026 10 min read
Sales Tools

Best AI SDR Tools in 2026: An Honest Assessment

Honest roundup of 11x, Artisan, AiSDR, and Regie.ai. Pricing, contracts, what works, what doesn't.

January 31, 2026 12 min read

Industry Intelligence

VP Sales market data by industry vertical

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