So, You Want to Hire Your First Sales Rep? Read This First To Avoid This Common Trap.
Business Owners: Don’t fall into this trap.
There is a recurring discussion I have with small business owners and start up founders.
The conversation is always the same. and it concerns me so much that I decided to put my thoughts down for you here.
It happened again this week. The owner of a small tech advisory business came to me seeking my advice. She had started the business a few years ago and grew it quickly by leveraging her personal contacts and business relationships. But now, a couple of years down the track, she had used up all of her connections, and suddenly the growth had stopped.
She came to me to ask my advice, as she was considering “Hiring a sales rep”.
I asked her whether she has in place any of the following:
A clearly defined target market (by industry sector, geography, business size, buyer personas, etc.)
A sales process for that target market (including top, middle and bottom of the sales funnel)
A clear and succinct value proposition (to answer "why choose us?")
A proven and scalable lead generation program (to fill the sales funnel)
A high-quality sales pipeline (showing upcoming revenue flows)
In each case the answer was "No".
Then she said the thing that disturbs me the most about small business owners and start up founders.
She asked me:
“Won’t the rep bring all that with them?”
a sales rep without money
I explained that, in my experience, commissioned salespeople like to make money.
They prefer to come into an organization where everything is set up for them and ready to go.
A place where their success is being actively supported from the get go, not where they first have to set everything up by themselves from scratch (often without being paid for it).
I then went on to explain that I have seen it many times that the pressure of high expectations by the business owner makes the new BDM go for” quick wins”.
They start taking shortcuts and get caught up in quick short-term activities and in reactively fighting fires that occur because there is no structure, system or methodology set up.
The consequence is that the business never becomes set up for long-term success.
Also, even IF the rep stays around and brings along their own sales process and lead gen method, what happens when you hire your second and your third rep? What if they then bring in their own processes as well?
You'll end up with a spaghetti warren of different sales engagement styles and methods that serve to confuse you and - even worse - your customers.
Eventually, you will have to sort out the mess and set everything up again from scratch to make it work, make it consistent and make it useful.
So, if you are looking to hire your first sales rep, my advice is not to put the cart before the horse.
My advice is to do this first:
Get your house in order with these 5 sales competencies, BEFORE you hire your first rep:
A clearly defined target market (by industry sector, geography, business size, buyer personas, etc.)
A sales process for that target market (including top, middle and bottom of the sales funnel)
A clear and succinct value proposition (to answer "why choose us?")
A proven and scalable lead generation program (to fill the sales funnel)
A high-quality sales pipeline (showing upcoming revenue flows)
Set your business up for sales success, first.
Only then can you hire your first rep with confidence, and scale your business up from there. This way, you won’t have to stop-start again, just when your business is taking off.
Take this free Sales Assessment to find out just how ready you really are to hire your first sales rep.
Or, contact me directly to discuss your specific requirements and how I can help you get there. Your first call with me is always free.
Wishing you all the best for your business growth.
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