This article is specifically for Startup Founders and Business Owners who want to avoid making a very costly mistake.

There is a recurring conversation I have with business owners and founders whose sales have stalled.

It goes something like this: 

The owner of a small tech advisory company comes to me looking for advice and guidance.

Why?

They’ve been running the business for a few years and grew it by selling to their personal contacts and business relations. However, now their personal connections are all used up, and growth has stalled. 

They’ve come to the conclusion that the business won’t grow any further without more resources.

So, now they want to know whether they should “hire a sales rep.” 

My First Response Is This:

I ask whether they have in place the following five strategies:

Often, in each case their answer is: “No.” 

Typically, the business owner then asks a question that triggers alarm bells for me:

“Won’t the rep bring all that with them?”

Alarm Bells!

When I hear these bells ringing, I explain to them that, in my experience, quota-carrying, commissioned salespeople, reps and BDMs alike want to make money.  Quickly.

make money.

The poor business owner then needs to start from scratch, having just lost several months of sales and having to go through the recruitment process all over again.

The consequence is that the business never becomes set up for long-term success. 

Back to the Beginning 

To complicate matters further, even IF a sales rep sticks it out and brings along their own sales process and lead gen methods, what happens when you hire your second and third rep?

What if these new hires also bring their own sales processes? 

You’ll end up with a rabbit warren of 
different sales engagement styles and methods 
that serve only to confuse you and – worse yet – your customers. 

Eventually, it will be up to you, the owner, to sort out the mess and finally create a singular, consistent, and useful system. You’ll be going through the steps outlined above, but now with one or more frustrated salespeople on your payroll. 

So, if you are looking to hire your first sales rep, don’t put the cart before the horse.

My advice is to do this instead: 

Get your house in order first.
Set up your business (and your reps) for sustainable success. 
Then hire your first rep.

Only then can you hire your first rep with confidence and start scaling up your business. Going about it in this way will save you the time, energy and heart ache of having to stop-start again just when your business should be taking off. 

How can you be sure you’ll get started right? 

What do you need to have in place to be ready?

How do you know when the time is right for you to hire your first sales rep?

Easy: You take stock of your current situation first.

Use this free Sales Funnel Assessment tool to discover just how ready you are right now to hire your first sales rep. And what you can do to be ready.

Or, if you prefer to talk first, then let’s have a conversation.

Go ahead. I’m looking forward to helping you make an informed decision.

Contact me directly to discuss your specific requirements and to explore how you can get there. After all, your first call with me is always free. 

Wishing you all the best for your business growth!

Peter Strohkorb

Contact

Phone AUS: +61 (0)411 865 301  |  pstrohkorb@peterstrohkorb.com

Phone US: +1 (628) 246-1242  |   peterstrohkorb.com