💡DeJuan A. Brown’s Post

Nailing your sales talent in 1-5M journey is critical Doing this in blue tech🌊 is even harder The three most common pitfalls to avoid: ❌ Armchair generals 👩🏼✈They're key for 5M+ ventures to enhance rev ops, yet hiring overly senior staff stifles early growth ❌ Focus on rolodex only 🤝 Relationships are vital in blue tech🌊 but do not scale. It disqualifies young talent by undervaluing the startup, scrappy, grit mindset ❌ Superstars from another galaxy 🥷 SMB, mid-market, and enterprise sales are driven by different characters and incentives. A SMB sales rockstar can be a complete dud in Enterprise. What pitfalls do you avoid?

Let’s hear it for the SALES LEADERS! I had a chat with a CEO of a fast growth Software Developer-   CEO ’We grew 60% in the past 12 months’. Me ’What was the reason?’ CEO ’Lots of factors but the most significant was hiring a brilliant Sales Director who transformed our GTM strategy’. Me ‘WOW’   UNDER APPRECIATED LEGENDS.   Please post any shouts out to Sales Leaders in the comments below. They deserve a boost😊   Here at ESP, we have been recruiting GTM Leaders in SaaS sales for nearly 20 years. We know they make the difference…… If you are a 1st/2nd/3rd line Sales Manager feel free to reach out because I know what’s going on in the market #salesleaders #saassales #salesrecruitment

Beware, there are 3 distinct types of companies hiring for sales right now: 1. (10%)Pre-PMF: A new-ish company where only the founders have sold before. Looking for their first sales hire(s). Generally a very desirable opportunity, though does carry some risk of course. Freshly funded, high equity stake, paint on a blank canvas. 2. (10%) PMF: Hypergrowth companies that have nailed their product and GTM strategy, just need to scale as fast as humanly possible. This is the most desirable opportunity (think Rippling, OpenAI, etc) but your equity upside is limited as these companies already worth Billions. 3. (80%) Post-Failed-PMF: Companies that already know they DONT have PMF, multiple years of failed sales leaders + reps, desperately running out of cash, flat/no revenue growth, mediocre product, poor marketing, trying to sucker salespeople into saving their dying business. I refuse to recruit for anyone in Door 3. That's why our Talent marketplace / # of open roles grows much slower than many other job boards or recruiting firms. Why we have fewer open roles and a much lower match %. Because I will only place Members of our community at companies in Door 1 or Door 2. Play long term games, win long term prizes. 🫡 And be careful out there, lots of fools gold in the market.

Starting out as a leader of a high-growth organisation, I was really apprehensive about hiring. Here's some of the best advice I've pooled and can give from my own experience: 1. Be clear on your candidate personas 2. Look at your middle most performer and aim to hire above them 3. Keep your interview process consistent and test for the same traits 4. Follow your gut when it tells you something is off 5. Manage expectations clearly, even with dream candidates - it will end badly down the road otherwise 6. DEI is not tickbox exercise, it's the secret sauce to high performing teams 7. Ensure incoming reps don't jut fit in but they add to your culture 8. You aren't just hiring for your team, you're hiring for the Enterprise Sales Director of 5 years time - look and test for high ceiling candidates 9. Hire ahead of schedule and have an 'always on' candidate prospecting motion 10. Hiring poorly will cost you 6+ months pipeline, give it the time and respect it needs The difference between world-class SDR Leaders and mediocre leaders is they understand their role. 🔎 Talent Identification 📈 Talent Development 🚀 Talent Graduation & Acceleration Pipeline generation is the by-product... ------ Hey, I'm Andy - Founder of RevRocket. We support businesses, leaders and reps build sustainable pipeline generation systems.

First sales hires are critical for any startup. Depending on how well you hire, you’ll either get ahead by 6 months or fall behind by 6 months. I see two common mistakes founders make when making their first sales hire: (1) Hiring a VP-level executive too early. You need someone who can fly at 30,000 feet AND get their hands dirty. Hiring someone who is too senior will only get you the ladder, a great strategy with poor execution. (2) Hiring someone who is too junior when you need help with sales strategy. It’s tempting to hire an AE or BDR because of the cost. But if you don't have a background in revenue (and plan to write the strategy yourself), this will be a mistake because they'll only focus on execution. Hiring a Senior Manager or Director level leader or a founding AE (with early stage experience) should get you what you need. They’ll have enough strategy chops to get things moving, and they’ll be willing to roll up their sleeves.

🎯 🚀 At Vollardian, we’ve spotted a trend of fast-scaling startups often entertaining the idea of hiring an “ex-[insert big tech name]” sales leader, thinking this will solve all their sales challenges 🤔 But there's a smarter way! Discover how to build a strong, value-aligned sales team that grows with you sustainably and avoids the pitfalls of high-profile hires. ✨ Scale your sales operations the right way with us! 👉 Read more here: https://buff.ly/3x76ln3

🔍 The Secret to Sales Success? It’s All About the Right Fit! In the fast-paced world of sales, success isn’t just about numbers—it’s about finding the right person for the right role. But how do you know who’s truly a fit? According to a study by the Sales Management Association, companies that use a structured process for hiring salespeople outperform those that don't by 26% in terms of quota attainment. That’s why assessing your sales team’s profile is crucial. It’s not just about hiring; it’s about ensuring your team’s strengths align with your company’s needs. Stay tuned for more insights on how to build a high-performing sales team! 🚀 #SalesSuccess #Hiring #TalentManagement #SalesTeam #CentralTest

Founders, when you are ready to build your first sales team, your initial hires are crucial to the team’s success. It's a common thought that hiring a top-performing rep from a well-known established company is the best hire. I mean, that would make sense right? They would check all the boxes: ✔ Multiple years of experience ✔ Proven track record of exceeding quota, President’s Club preferred ✔ Demonstrated ability to close deals ✔ Outstanding customer support and account management skills ✔ Data-driven decision-maker ✔ Experience with CRM ✔ Knowledge of multiple sales methodologies Probably not. These reps would struggle in an ambiguous environment with limited tools, resources, and support. Instead, hire a sales rep with experience as a founding member of a sales team at a startup. These individuals possess the agility, resilience, and innovative mindset required to succeed without many tools, solid frameworks, or extensive support. Their hands-on experience navigating a startup environment makes them a pivotal hire for your founding sales team. Who has been a founding member of a sales team? I would love to hear -your insights or war stories! #Sales #Startups #Hiring #SalesTeam #Leadership #BusinessGrowth

I recently spoke to a room of executives as a part of my advisory role with The Scalable Company. I said something that every single CEO wrote down, so maybe you might find it helpful too. "Once a quarter, have your #sales leader present to you 2-3 candidates that are currently working, have completed your #hiring and screening process, and would love an opportunity to join your sales team." Why? two reasons... 1) Best-in-class sales teams are always hiring 2) Your top reps will leave--probably at a highly inconvenient time

Back in the day, scaling a sales team meant hiring 20+ SDRs in a quarter. More people meant more pipeline, more revenue. But today, that playbook doesn’t work like it used to. Now, teams are leaner. Smaller headcounts, tighter budgets (maybe more accountability). So, what changed? The market. With less VC funding, the focus must shift from growth at all costs to sustainable growth. Instead of blindly flooding the market with cold calls, smart teams now leverage data and research for targeted outreach. It's precision over volume. That’s where DataBees comes in. We provide niche insights to ensure you're targeting the right prospects.