Market Intelligence

What Companies Want in 2026

Skills, tools, and experience requirements extracted from 1109 VP Sales and CRO job postings

Analysis updated January 14, 2026
27.0%
Mention AI/ML
15.1%
Want Salesforce
32
Require MEDDIC
181
Vague on Comp

This report analyzes 1109 VP Sales and CRO job postings to surface what companies actually prioritize—not what recruiters claim matters.

Skills & Tools in Demand

What technologies and platforms are companies looking for?

Tools & Platforms

Salesforce
167
Outreach
60
HubSpot
43
Tableau
9
ZoomInfo
5
Gong
4
LinkedIn Sales Nav
4
Clari
1

Sales Methodologies

Consultative Selling
157
Enterprise Sales
91
Channel/Partner
80
MEDDIC/MEDDPICC
32
PLG/Product-Led
16
Value Selling
14
Challenger
14
Account-Based (ABM)
11

Key Insight: Tools Are Table Stakes

Salesforce appears in 15.1% of job descriptions—but that's not a differentiator anymore. It's assumed. What's more telling is the rise of revenue intelligence tools like Gong and Clari. Companies want leaders who can operationalize data, not just manage pipelines.

MEDDIC/MEDDPICC now shows up in 32 postings explicitly. Two years ago, methodology requirements were rare in job postings. Now they're screening criteria for enterprise roles.

Trends & Buzzwords

What's hot in executive sales hiring right now?

2025 Buzzwords

Scale / Scalable
460
Go-to-Market / GTM
366
AI / Machine Learning
299
Data-Driven
235
SaaS
163
Customer Success
149
Cloud
143
Recurring Revenue/ARR
66

Industry Focus

Technology/Software
585
Healthcare
584
Education
571
Financial Services
524
Government
386
Manufacturing
166
Retail/E-commerce
156
Energy
132

Key Insight: AI Is Now Expected

27.0% of postings mention AI or machine learning—and these aren't just AI companies. Traditional enterprise sales roles now expect leaders who can leverage AI in their sales motion: forecasting, lead scoring, conversation intelligence, pipeline analysis.

If you can't articulate how you've used AI tools to improve sales outcomes, you're already behind.

Red Flags to Watch

Language patterns that often signal problems

Warning Signs in Job Postings

"Fast-paced environment"
224
"Competitive compensation" (vague)
181
"Self-starter" required
79
Travel 50%+
39
"Scrappy"
7
"Wear many hats"
4

What These Red Flags Actually Mean

"Competitive compensation" (181 postings): Without disclosed ranges, this typically means below-market or highly variable comp. Companies confident in their offers publish them.

"Fast-paced environment": Often signals understaffing or constant fire-drills. Ask about team size and recent turnover.

"Self-starter" / "Wear many hats": Common at Seed/Series A, but a red flag at Series B+. Usually means you'll lack RevOps support and spend time on admin work.

50%+ travel: At VP level, this suggests territory is geographically spread without regional structure, or the company hasn't invested in inside sales.

About This Data

Source: 1109 VP Sales, SVP Sales, and CRO job postings from our master database.

Method: We scan job descriptions for specific keywords and phrases, counting unique postings that mention each term—not total occurrences.

Updated: January 14, 2026. This analysis refreshes weekly as new postings hit our database.

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