For many startups, hiring a skilled sales team is the fastest way to take your company to the next level. It’s also one of the most daunting tasks especially for technical founders who prefer to put their effort into building the product. It’s why we see these same founders seeking co-founders with a sales-oriented background or looking to sell pieces of their business to growth firms who can act as a partner to build out the teams for them.
It’s true, if you haven’t put together a sales team before, the process may feel a bit intimidating. However, having a guide to give you the right framework can take your mentality from the bleak end of the spectrum of looking to sell your startup to the positive end of hitting revenue targets on the way to massive growth. Because your sales reps can make or break your success, it’s important to take your time building the right foundation and having a structured hiring process. Ultimately, you’ll need to listen to your intuition to find the right employees for your company. And developing a hiring strategy ahead of time makes it easier to narrow down the right people for the job.
As someone who’s built and led multiple sales orgs, here are four of the most important things I believe you need to get right when building your first sales team.
A sales playbook is a document that outlines how your company will approach each sale. Your playbook should have a detailed outline of your sales process from beginning to end. It should also include key company policies to ensure that your sales reps best represent your company. Having a sales enablement playbook in place ensures that your whole team is on the same page before talking to any potential customers.
Many people make the mistake of hiring a sales team first and then putting their playbook together after the fact. However, you’ll set yourself up for success by assembling your playbook first and using that as a guide when you hire your sales team.
There are a few different ways that your playbook can make the hiring process easier. First, it outlines what your sales team will be doing every day and what skills they need to have. You can use this information to narrow down candidates and make sure that each hire is capable of growth and success in your company’s environment.
Your sales playbook also gives candidates an easy way to assess your company and determine if they are the right fit. In order for your team to be successful, your reps will need to feel comfortable with the work they’re doing and the products they are selling. You don’t need to share your entire playbook with your sales candidates, but giving them an overview of your sales expectations can help them figure out whether your company is the right fit.
If you aren’t a sales expert, you may not know where to start when it comes to writing your playbook. If this is the case for you, consider hiring a sales coach on a contract basis to help you through the process.
Your sales enablement playbook should be comprehensive, and there are many different concepts to include. However, you can adjust your playbook to fit your company and the products you are selling. Some things to consider including in your sales playbook are:
Your sales team is the backbone of your company’s success. However, narrowing down your list of candidates can be very tricky, as there are so many talented salespeople on the job market right now. The hiring process should go beyond finding the most talented or experienced candidates in general and instead focus on finding the right fit for your company.
While experience is important, an impressive resume doesn’t necessarily mean that a candidate will be a great addition to your team. It’s just as important to identify the unique characteristics that would help someone sell your products effectively, as well as specific skills that your salespeople need.
For example, relationship-building is essential for any effective sale. To build strong connections with potential customers, your salespeople will need to be able to communicate articulately and listen empathetically. Other skills that your team members might need include the ability to build product knowledge, the ability to sell in teams, and the ability to improvise.
The exact skills and qualities that your team members need will be specific to your company. Sit down with your executives to determine what’s most important, and focus on those things during the interview. Don’t be afraid to take a bit of extra time during the interview process to find the right candidate.
Too often, marketing and sales teams find themselves at odds rather than working together. This typically stems from a lack of communication and understanding. When these two key departments aren’t working in harmony, it can hold your company back from growth. Setting your expectations with both departments at the beginning can reduce tension and increase your company’s chances of success.
There are many different things you can do to ensure that your marketing and sales teams work well together from the outset. The entire team should be aligned on goals, objectives, and processes from the beginning. This communication shouldn’t be static either - as goals and processes change on both ends, communication should remain open to prevent confusion or conflict. Scheduling regular check-ins can help with this. It’s also important that both teams have access to the same forms of digital communication (ie. shared Slack channels).
Additionally, sales and marketing will need to work together to develop a smooth handoff of clients between the two departments. The marketing team is typically responsible for generating the leads, while the sales team develops the relationship and closes those leads. However, a lack of communication can make it difficult for both parties to work to the best of their ability.
Instead of working with these leads in a siloed environment, both teams should be in active communication throughout the entire process to maximize the chances of making a sale. Both teams should use the same processes to qualify leads, rather than relying on different internal criteria. When both teams use the same lead qualification steps, sales can work more efficiently. Developing this handoff process before you hire your sales team and setting clear expectations with marketing ensures that everyone starts off on the right foot.
The sales team also needs to check in with the marketing team after sales are completed to provide helpful feedback and improve future sales. Marketing won’t be able to improve the quality of their leads without understanding exactly what the sales team needs for success. Important pieces of information to share include updated customer personas and needs as well as sales materials that are most effective.
The more you can streamline your company’s work processes, the more productive your sales team will be able to be. It’s important to have a detailed and defined sales process, but making things too complex can slow everybody down. It can take some trial and error to find this balance and optimize your sales operations.
Luckily, modern technology has made it easier than ever to simplify your sales processes. Software programs can automate many aspects of the sales process for you, which means that your sales team can spend more time focusing on the customer and what they need. You can also use technology to track key pieces of customer data. This valuable information can help you forecast growth effectively and make sure you’re continuing to keep your customers happy.
Over time, you’ll discover new ways to streamline your processes. Here are some concrete actions you can take to fully optimize your sales.
Building a new sales team from scratch is a tricky but deeply fulfilling process. Planning ahead and putting important frameworks in place before you start the hiring process can make a huge difference when it comes to your future success. Not only does this set you up well for steady growth, but it also creates an environment that salespeople will want to work in.
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Andrew Gazdecki is a 4x founder with 3x exits, former CRO, and founder of MicroAcquire. Gazdecki has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur Magazine, as well as prominent industry blogs such as Axios, TechCrunch and VentureBeat.
