TennisandSales

Head Of Sales

Acclaimed Answer

Can you cut out to be the first sales hire? another series A post!

Ok so there are always ppl posting here about getting a chance to be the FIRST sales hire at a company or joining a start up that is just starting to do sales and the questions is normally.

"should I take this?/ Will I be good at it?"

Jason Lemkin has a SOLID post i linked above. This video is meant for CEOs that are trying to hire their FIRST sales hire. This is before a VP of sales is hired and these are 6 flags when hiring.

But since WE would be those first sales hires (or those of you crazy enough to join a Series A)

Here are some questions to ask your self to determine if you would be a good fit:

(again i didnt come up with this Jason Lemkin did im just reframing it for us sales ppl)

Have you only sold with a strong brand behind you? -no
Have the products you sold in the past been "easier" to sell the the one at this new company?
Hint: you dont want the answer to be yes.
Have you Sold at the price point before and done it for 18- 24 months?
Have you sold without a ton of support before? (rev ops, sales ops, solutions consultants ect)
Have sold in an industry that is just as complicated as the one your interviewing for? (a highly regulated industry vs not regulated ect.)
Would the CEO buy form you? (If you wouldn't buy form them, you dont trust them, and wont trust them with key leads ect. )

Depending on your answers, you can start to see if you would be a good fit an an early stage company.

PS: if your in saas and want to learn more about the industry as a whole, Jason is a must follow. and his podcast is solid too.

PSS: i like how jason admits that you do not have to have sold to the exact buyer/industry before. always a pet peeve of mine.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jasonmlemkin_how-to-make-sure-your-first-sales-reps-actually-activity-7021189407944712193-AY1y?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop Jason M. Lemkin on LinkedIn: How to Make Sure Your First Sales Reps Actually Work Out -- a 6 Point Test How to Make Sure Your First Sales Reps Actually Work Out -- a 6 Point Test

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Gyro25

Notorious Answer

3

Account Executive

As the first US sales rep for my current company, which was a series A at first, I'd say first and foremost it's the constant iteration of processes.

You need to be able to constantly A/B test things on your own with little to no guidance to find true pmf since the company is in its infancy regarding funding or resources.

It's definitely high-risk/high reward, but I think it takes a certain amount of being able to roll with the punches, which is the hardest part IMO. Would I do it again? Mm probably, but only after a more thorough vetting of the product and future of the company.

SaaSsy

Politicker

2

AE

Haven’t heard of him before, thanks for sharing! He makes some great points and I love your #2 question for reps to self reflect on (follow up, are most leads fed to you or do you fight from beginning to end with every sale?)

CuriousFox

WR Officer

1

🦊

I hadn't heard of this cat either.

Space_Ghost20

Valued Contributor

2

Account Executive

I've been the second AE hired at a company before, never the first one. I've only ever worked at startups that have minimal presence in North America, so I'm not sure I could even work in a more established company (or why such a company would hire me in the first place).

This is a good checklist though.

GingerBarbarian

Opinionated

2

Lead Sales

I have been the first sales hire and have built processes for companies. There are two major pieces of advice.

1) Read everything you can about sales processes. SPIN, GAP, Challenger, Sandler, etc. Don't walk in and assume just because you have been great at selling you will know how to sell this product. Likewise, as you start hiring new salespeople, you will want to be able to understand the kinds of training they have had in the past.

2) Make sure you have leadership on your side. One role I was at had a leader who was absentee. He did the bare minimum. This was difficult because the entire brand was built around him and something as simple as a social media post or podcast appearance from him could have helped considerably.

TennisandSales

Politicker

1

Head Of Sales

SOLID insight here!

GingerBarbarian

Opinionated

1

Lead Sales

Thanks so much! If anyone wants to reach out to me and ask questions feel free to. Since I have an android you cannot DM me here, but you can find me on LinkedIn (Red Stafstrom)

Pachacuti

Politicker

1

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

High risk, high reward (usually)

GDO

Politicker

1

BDM

selling for a series A does not seem attractive to me

GTMLeader

Good Citizen

1

GTM Leader

Two pre-Series A's over the past 10 years, One ended not so well, the other ended extraordinarily well.

As others have identified, High Risk, High Reward. Things change daily so pliability in your process is a must.

Would I do it again? Given the right market and company, yes, in a heartbeat.

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