SaaStr’s Post

Finding great salespeople versus good ✅ Identify quality people for a startup ✅ Do a great job so they refer you to their clients ✅ This is what KinFitz & Co. does on repeat! #sales #saleshiring #salesrecruitment

I constantly see about 63% of deals die after the first sales call. 🧐 Why is that? Because sales reps miss the first call opportunity, they improvise, and don’t drive the right outcome. 🎯How to improve? Putting a call structure in place can solve this in three ways. 1️⃣ You’re organized - Builds respect and improves opportunity to work together 2️⃣ Have an agenda - Allows you to guide conversation and anticipate questions. 3️⃣ Deal momentum - Factoring in next steps builds momentum and avoids deal chasing. ---------------- 🚀If you are looking to scale, improve, or turn around your sales team and need help. Check us out we’ve helped +50 startups through this.  www.cuota.io

Startups that already have some #sales reps still need support in sales at times. Let’s say those reps are great, but they struggle to call prospects, or there isn’t someone technical enough for setting up sales ops solutions for those sales reps. There are a number of scenarios, unique to each sales team, where #founders need an extra hand rounding out the sales process, even with a great group of AEs. If that is hitting a cord for you, we should chat on the phone. I love helping #startups assess and overcome sales org development, and if it makes sense, my service firm can jump in to help.

Successfully building a common and aligned culture across the business will always lie in the consistency of your hiring processes. We have worked with dozens of tech start-ups and understand and enabled them to replicate a consistent culture across diverse departments and locations in the UK and the US. Here’s our insight for those founders starting to grow their teams. https://lnkd.in/eSRTa75a #techcommunity #techcareers #techsales #startup

In case you hire salespeople from startups Don't judge them by their quota attainment Startup sales are extremely hard: 👉🏻 No brand 👉🏻 Broad ICP 👉🏻 No inbound leads 👉🏻 Not many references that can be used 👉🏻 Little to no market readiness for the product 👉🏻 A product that can only solve 10% of the challenge In the last 10 years, I have seen 5-10% achieve their targets And there were a lot of great talents Most of the time it was not about them The conditions were simply too hard Or the product was not sellable at all

🌟 Founder-led sales are crucial for securing your startup's success in its critical early stages. While it may require stepping out of your comfort zone 🚶♂️💼, remember that no one can deliver a sales pitch with as much passion and conviction as you can. Before rushing to hire a sales rep, try closing some deals yourself. 🤝 Your firsthand efforts not only demonstrate commitment but also provide invaluable insights into your customer's needs and how best to meet them. Take the lead in sales—it's a powerful way to drive your startup forward! 🚀 Read more from our blog https://lnkd.in/dUzuVxEz #b2b #sales #startup #salesenablement

Hiring the first dedicated sales professional is often one of most difficult actions a startup will take. At Minnebar 18 on April 20, MESA mentors John J. Moroney and Tim Bates will explore When and How to Hire Your First Sales Professional – discussing the why, when, how and who to hire as the first salesperson for your business. Register below https://lnkd.in/dX-w9hD7 #startups #sales #MESAmentors

Startup sales are hard. Most startups are looking for the “unicorn” who can handle their strategy, systems/processes, and prospect and close. Because of the big expectations put on a founding sales member, they usually fail. That's why I was excited to learn about Unicrn 🦄 from my buddies Chris Ray and Zach Walker 🦄. Unicrn (us) is the Sales as a Service agency that lives at the intersection of strategy and execution. I like that they help you build that GTM plan and then actually execute on it. If you're a startup looking for sales help, they are the place to go. You can learn more at Salesunicrn.com P.S. I am not a selfie guy so I forced my little man to take the picture with me in our new Unicrn swag!

What advice might my Linkedin connections have for making that first sales hire in a startup? Background: I've invested in a stealth data protection startup that does all the things that I wanted as a CISO but couldn't find in existing service providers. The company seems to have "legs" as it already has paying clients and employees without a sales team or even a production website which speaks to the passion and mission that the team brings to the table. If you've seen my @infosecthinker reels on instagram, you'll have a sense of the approach that this unique startup is taking.. The service formally launches in two weeks (website too!) and I'm looking at bringing on the first sales hire this quarter or early next quarter to bring us to that next revenue level. I'd prefer not to relearn the lessons and mistakes that others have already made and know there has to be a wealth of experience within this very smart group of friends and professional connections. Assume that I know nothing. What advice or thoughts do you have?

Enterprise sales for a startup is tough. You have no brand and not much of a track record. But inspite of that - how do you win your first 5 enterprise deals? It’s getting people to invest in your version of the ideal state they want to be in. I know that sounds confusing - but I believe that in an enterprise, you are selling a dream of what something could look like to the person facing that challenge everyday. However, sales is all about selling dreams - so, what makes selling to an enterprise, as a startup, almost impossible? The answer lies in assuring them that you can actually make that dream come true for them *at their scale*. If you can sell the dream AND convince them that you can do it at their scale and all the complications that come with it - as a non-brand, then you are on to something. #enterprisesales #sales #scale