A Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) can be translated in German as "Kaufmännischer Leiter". The position belongs to the C-level, the highest management level of a company. A CCO reports to the CEO and reports on sales processes in the company. This includes marketing strategies and sales figures, as well as customer relations.
The position of the CCO has grown enormously in importance in the era of digital transformation. Because the amount of analyses that must be managed has increased. A CCO must simultaneously compare data on product management and overlook the customer experience. He:she must be strategically savvy and able to develop a vision for the future of the company.
At CareerTeam, you can rely on the years of experience of our experts. We have experience in executive search and a huge digital network across Europe. This means we can also filter out the necessary soft skills. In addition, we use professional personality analyses to find executives. This enables us to discreetly identify the right candidate for your Chief Commercial Officer. We remain in permanent contact with you throughout the process. You can also outsource the entire recruitment process with us (RPO). That saves both valuable time and money.
Chief Commercial Officers present up-to-date figures from performance reports to the CEO. They lead the sales team, taking into account customer needs and relevant KPIs. Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are indicators used to measure performance. They measure in a KPI whether a particular area or product is achieving the goals that were set. A CCO sets KPIs that are relevant for the company.
A CCO knows current market trends, knows about new customer needs and thus develops new strategies for the relationship between product and customer. The technical equipment of the products or the company can be outsourced to the CTO (Chief Technology Officer). Product support via pricing and product lifecycle management (PLM) will be handled by a CPO (Chief Product Officer). The market launch of the company's product or service can again be the responsibility of a CCO. In this case, too, there is close cooperation with product development and the sales team.
The Go-to-Market Strategy (GMT) is accordingly drawn in agreement with the CPO and the CEO. This strategy analyses the market and its changes. This is followed by an analysis of the competition and what plans, products or services are similar to one's own. In addition, there is a sales analysis that looks at exactly which channels the product is sold on. The USP (Unique Selling Point) is highlighted. On the other hand, there is the behaviour of the customers.
A CCO must keep an eye on the interface from the product to the customer. With growing digitalization, this is constantly transforming. Whether it's a chatbot in the online shop or an app. The product or service is contacted on many channels (multichannel, omnichannel) in parallel or simultaneously. Customers also demand to be "picked up" at the right interface.
Sales and marketing are moving in a new direction with Sales 4.0 and digital marketing. A CCO is familiar with databases and CRM (Customer Relationship Management). In a CRM, there are various analysis methods that a CCO must be familiar with. In addition, a CCO supervises all of the above-mentioned analyses in order to optimize market performance.
A CCO sits on the board of directors. Even though a CEO is superior to him, a CCO has to communicate with the board. So he:she has great responsibility and must be able to present his:her results. The company's goals, which are set by the management, have to be realized in the time schedule set for them. At the same time, he/she must communicate the strategies to the subordinate teams. This requires resources to be properly utilised and team members to be motivated accordingly.
Finally, a CCO must help resolve conflicts. He:she must promote between marketing and product optimization, must know details and have the overall view. A CCO has to keep an eye on budget restrictions as well as marketing needs.
In return, a CCO can also have a say in personnel matters. Recognizing and promoting talents within the team are tasks of such a leader and should and must be present.
These versatile skills require years of experience in the field. Certainly, a degree and leadership experience are a prerequisite. So are the skills to be empathetic and courageous in improving the company. We search for the exact skills that candidates need to demonstrate.
Through our digital multichannel search, we find suitable candidates as quickly as possible. We conduct the first interviews before we present you with a first selection. You can be sure that your company will benefit from this. We endeavor to understand your company's strategy and philosophy right from the initial briefing. The right Chief Commercial Officer will then take your products or services to a new level. You are welcome to contact us, we look forward to your call.