Bee Downtown’s Post

I asked a fellow Value Creation team member from another VC, "Hey, what are you up to these days?" His short, flat answer made me ponder the entire day: "I'm busy enriching our portfolio companies." As simple as it sounds, that one line completely changed my perspective and how I approach things. I was so fixated on aspects like BD, Hiring, PR, and community events, all the while forgetting WHY I'm engaging in these activities. My role is intended to generate value or bring dollars to the portfolio companies we've invested in. We assist in hiring key leaders because we understand that poor hiring can cost time and money. We facilitate connections and unlock partnership deals because they contribute to generating revenue. We organize community events so that our portfolio companies can connect with new investors and other founders to synergize along the way. All that we do is aimed at helping our portfolio companies scale and succeed. Being reminded again of WHY I am here as a part of the Value Creation team makes me excited to expand my connections and learn more from all of you. PS: I'm still hiring for VP of Sales and B2B Sales Manager, ping me to learn about the opportunities!

Hiring a Strategic Partnership Manager: The Key to Long-Term Growth 🚀 Long-term growth requires more than just a solid product or service. It demands strategic partnerships that can open doors to new markets, resources, and opportunities. This is where a Strategic Partnership Manager comes in. A Strategic Partnership Manager is a visionary who can identify, develop, and nurture relationships with key partners that align with your company's goals and values. They possess a unique blend of business acumen, networking skills, and relationship-building prowess that can take your organization to new heights. #StrategicPartnerships #LongTermGrowth #BusinessSuccess #Hiring

Hiring a Strategic Partnership Manager: The Key to Long-Term Growth 🚀 Long-term growth requires more than just a solid product or service. It demands strategic partnerships that can open doors to new markets, resources, and opportunities. This is where a Strategic Partnership Manager comes in. A Strategic Partnership Manager is a visionary who can identify, develop, and nurture relationships with key partners that align with your company's goals and values. They possess a unique blend of business acumen, networking skills, and relationship-building prowess that can take your organization to new heights. #StrategicPartnerships #LongTermGrowth #BusinessSuccess #Hiring

🌶 Hot take coming at ya 🌶 I wouldn't take an #enablement job at a #startup . Even if they're in Series A/B. Nope, not gonna do it. "But Fiona... the equity! The building something from scratch! The chance to mold a team!" Here's why I'd still say no: if a founder or first sales leader thinks they need enablement that early and wants to hire for the role, they don't know their own sales motion yet. A founder who is willing to eat up runway with an enablement hire doesn't have a plan. They're hiring for enablement when they should be hiring for GTM strategy, and that's not the same thing. Until a full-cycle sales motion has been defined, tested, tweaked and refined, an enablement hire is like hiring a fighter pilot to train the Wright Brothers 🛩 And don't forget the obvious piece we all know is true, whether enablement can prove revenue or not: the first person booted out the door when the turbulence comes is the enablement hire. I'll stay on the ground until the planes can cross the ocean, thank you 💅

Experience the Power of a Diverse Community! At Sales HQ, diversity isn't just a buzzword – it's our driving force. Picture this: your desk neighbor could be a seasoned Chief Revenue Officer, while across the room sits a serial entrepreneur fresh off their latest startup success. Our community is a melting pot of talent, from enterprise account executives to scrappy startup founders, and everything in between. But it's not just about the impressive resumes. It's about the wealth of experiences and perspectives that come with them. Imagine the possibilities when a SaaS startup founder swaps insights with a SaaS CRO, or when a sales influencer shares tips with an unemployed account executive looking to make their next move. It's these spontaneous conversations and coffee catch-ups that spark innovation and drive success. Take, for instance, the story of one of our own who was laid off his first week as a member. Instead of feeling lost, he found comfort from our community. With the support of fellow members, including one of the area's top sales recruiters, he's now actively pursuing new opportunities with confidence. But the benefits extend beyond job hunts. Deal collaboration is thriving within our walls, with members sharing valuable insights and connections to unlock new opportunities and drive deal momentum. Whether it's navigating complex F500 accounts or uncovering hidden opportunities, the power of our diverse community is undeniable. These are just a few examples of the magic happening at Sales HQ every day. So, if you're ready to experience the power of community-driven success, join us at Sales HQ. Together, we're rewriting the playbook on what it means to thrive in sales. #PowerOfCommunity

Tech sales' elephant in the room. Businesses aren't families. 2023 has shown us that. They're more like sports teams. And having a great coach, makes all the difference.     ✅ Somebody who inspires reps to continue in a tough environment. ✅ Somebody who absorbs top-down pressure and provides stability. ✅ Somebody who can be tough, and tell reps when they should expect more of them. Whilst OTE is probably #1. Most people want to believe there's more to their role than just numbers. A great leader offers that. #salesrecruitment #saleshiring #salesrecruiter

🚀 Is it time for your startup to hire a VP of Sales? As your company grows, you'll reach a point where your time is best spent strategizing, not just closing deals. Around the 24-month mark, when you've achieved product-market fit and have a repeatable sales process in place, it might be time to consider bringing on a VP of Sales. A VP of Sales brings strategic vision, leadership, and experience to: ▫ Develop and execute sales strategies. ▫Build and manage a high-performing sales team. ▫Establish scalable processes. ▫Cultivate key relationships. ▫Drive revenue growth. By hiring a VP of Sales, you empower your startup to accelerate its sales trajectory while freeing yourself to focus on broader business initiatives. It's a strategic move that positions your company for long-term success. #Sales #VPofSales #talentacquisition

If you're a #Neuromodulation start-up preparing to enter the market, have you been wondering what the best Commercial organization structure is for your company? There are several options to consider, including CCO, Commercialization VP, National Sales Director, Marketing Director, and Market Access reporting to one of the above, Sales VP and Marketing VP reporting straight to the CEO, or remove the siloed approach and instead hire a Sales & Marketing VP or Director. Alternatively, you could hire an individual contributor VP/Director to execute a soft launch ahead of building out the commercial team medium-term. Or, you could opt for a purely strategic VP building their commercial squad ahead of launch for a faster/harder launch. Or many other options. Of course there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The objective and expectations set by the board and investors, market conditions for your particular indication/modality, and commercialization budget available all play a role in determining the optimal structure for your organization. What do you think? Is there a structure that tends to work better than others? #neurostimulation #commercialization #organizationaldesign

Ever wondered what skyrocketing success looks like? 🚀 This is the power of working with a Fractional CMO. Gone are the days of hiring an in-house team. Now you can partner with Marketing Empire Group, who learns the ins and outs of your business to help it reach new heights. Just look at these statistics and imagine what we can do for you. Let's build your empire together! Learn More Today https://lnkd.in/gVdfn6u

Having been asked around 25+ times over the past couple of months why I made a career pivot from SaaS sales #leadership into #recruiting, I thought I'd share some perspective and context. From years of doing it ourselves, we've identified the challenges and problems when scaling technology businesses: 1️⃣ Building a start-up/scale-up sales team is hard and requires a founding sales team with special set of skills that are not that easy to find 2️⃣ Many tech businesses struggle and make expensive hiring mistakes 3️⃣ Many are led by technical leaders that don't truly understand what to look for and how to sift through the noise - and even if there is a sales leader at the top - chances are they've got more pressing things to do than spend time searching for the right talent. Bluebird's USP is that everyone is an ex-SaaS professional and has been a top performer in a start-up/scale-up business, in the field that they're recruiting. There's a bit more detail in this short video... Bluebird Christopher Georgiades Machiel Kunst