Direct Hire Options
Match Your Role to the Right Structure
Not all direct hire searches need the same structure to succeed.
That is why we offer three clearly defined options: Core, Strategic, and Executive. The price stays the same across all three. What changes is how the search is run. Each option is designed around the realities of the role, including how mission-critical the hire is, how long it takes to properly evaluate success, and how closely we need to work together to get it right.
One of these search structures will be the right fit for your role. Choosing the correct one meaningfully improves the outcome without increasing cost.
The result is a search that fits the role, rather than a one-size-fits-all process.
Core Search
Core Search is designed for roles where activity, pipeline development, and execution provide early signals of success. Core Search works best for individual contributor roles with clear responsibilities and defined success metrics, where the market is active and hiring decisions can be made without extended evaluation cycles.
Price: 25% of guaranteed income
Down Payment: None required
Exclusivity: None required
Guarantee: 90 days with 100% account credit, with the option for a pro-rated cash refund
-
With Core Search, the fee is only earned when you hire a candidate we introduce. Roughly 85% of our searches are Core.
Common Roles Include:
Account Executives
Outside Sales Representatives
Sales Development Representatives
Business Development Representatives
Account Managers
Customer Success Managers
Marketing Coordinators
Marketing Specialists
Sales Support Specialists
Strategic Search
Strategic Search is built for roles where the candidate’s impact is significant and success cannot be fully evaluated in the first 90 days. These positions influence outcomes through judgment, execution quality, technical authority, and cross-functional leadership rather than pure activity or volume.
Price: 25% of guaranteed income
Down Payment: 30% of estimated fee
Exclusivity: Semi-exclusive. Your internal team and SalesFirst recruit for the role, with no other firms engaged.
Guarantee: 180 days with 100% account credit, with the option for a pro-rated cash refund
-
Strategic Search is best for high-impact roles where judgment, alignment, and influence are critical to success.
Each search includes a defined delivery commitment, with an agreed-upon number of qualified candidates presented within a set timeframe.
Your team can continue recruiting internally while SalesFirst serves as your exclusive outside recruiting partner. This gives you flexibility while creating the commitment needed to run a more focused search.
Strategic Search is the right fit when the hire carries meaningful business risk and requires a longer evaluation window than a Core Search can reasonably support.
Common Roles Include:
Sales Managers
Sales Directors
Regional Sales Leaders
Business Development Leaders
Customer Success Leaders
Account Management Leaders
Marketing Managers
Marketing Directors
Revenue Operations Leaders
Sales Operations Leaders
Solutions Engineers
Sales Engineers
Other Revenue-Owning Specialists
Executive Search
Executive Search is reserved for company-shaping leadership roles where long-term impact, strategy, and cultural alignment are critical. These hires influence the direction of the business, not just near-term results, and success cannot be meaningfully evaluated in a short window.
Price: 25% of guaranteed income
Down Payment: 30% of estimated fee
Exclusivity: Fully exclusive. All candidates, including internal candidates, are evaluated by SalesFirst.
Guarantee: 365 days with 100% account credit, with the option for a pro-rated cash refund
-
Executive Search is best Senior Leaders where alignment, judgment, and long-term effectiveness are paramount.
This model includes a defined delivery commitment, with a custom number of candidates presented within a specific timeline.
Executive Search is designed for deliberate, thorough vetting when the cost of getting the hire wrong is high and long-term success matters most. This search structure elevates SalesFirst from a recruiting vendor to a true hiring partner, with shared ownership of the outcome. Executive Search shifts the relationship from resume provider to decision partner. We are paid on any hire into the role, regardless of source, because our responsibility is not simply to introduce candidates but to ensure the right hire is made. Whether the strongest solution is external, internal, or uncovered through recalibration of expectations, we are accountable for the outcome. Payment is tied to the decision itself, creating full alignment, transparency, and shared ownership throughout the search.
And that’s why the guarantee is a full year.
Common Roles Include:
Chief Executive Officer
President
Chief Revenue Officer
Chief Sales Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Customer Officer
VP of Sales
VP of Revenue
VP of Marketing
VP of Customer Success
General Manager
Division President