You are a technologist and have started a company. The company meets initial success; thanks, to your technology idea. You soon reach a point that where the company growth is stagnant or at a slow pace.
“I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard.” – Estee Lauder
Often times, then not, technologist-entrepreneurs overlook the most important aspect any business – SALES. Sales is both the art and science that drives commerce.
I have long been an advocate of having embedded ‘sales’ into the core founding team, at least in advisory positions during the initial days. I have a firm belief that building sales culture into a firm begins in earnest.
- So, the first step to make outside sales talent work for your startup is to accept this fact.
- The second most important aspect – and applies to any type of talent you hire – is to assess cultural fitment. While you can seek help, I believe that only you as the entrepreneur can take the final call on this.
Three other factors to make outside sales talent work for your startup include:
1. Be specific
Different situations require different solutions. Analyze your firm’ needs and accordingly engage. A great sales person might not be a great sales manager or a sales leader and so on. Have clarity on your need and accordingly seek and engage with the relevant talent.
Sales is much more than selling. Sales leaders are not about having great selling skills or strong networks.
Engaging executives with sales experience at ExCom level with a singular goal of bringing in more sales will be highly detrimental. To achieve this goal, employ good sales professionals.
2. Be transparent on your current state-of-affairs
Common mistake entrepreneurs make is putting a gray curtain on the current state-of-affairs of their firm. The reasons for doing so are typically obvious. I cannot emphasize enough the harm they do in the long-term with this approach.
Transparency will only help outside talent to assess the situation, mine their experience and propose/deploy relevant solutions that will eventually help the firm. Transparency will also avoid disenchantment of the new recruit.
3. Be honest to your commitments
Only promise what you can and want to give. Do not second-guess the motivations.
Successful companies are built by great teams having diverse skills and capabilities. Sales has always been one key component of great teams. There is no exception to this, including for companies, who plan to introduce highly innovative and disruptive ideas into the marketplace.