In researching sales on the web, I came across an interesting article called “4 Things Founders Should Know About Startup Sales”. This article peaked my interest in the sales of a startup setting and is highly applicable to what we have been learning in class. We have looked a lot into the sales process, as in the dos and don’ts on our end, but what I found interesting in this article was that it spoke directly to what you should know as the head of a startup looking to hire salespeople.
The first lesson he spoke of was that any sales process should be documented immediately. Thus meaning that you should create a sales process that can be tracked so that you can figure out what is working and what isn’t. This can help you to perfect what you are doing. It allows you to see and track your progress.
The next lesson he spoke of is that sales involves both art and science (but mostly science). In saying this he speaks of treating every sale different, as individuals, but also following the same basic sales structure. This once again helps you to improve and track progress, while mastering the art of the sale.
The next lesson he spoke of what that what you want in a sales hire may not be what you actually need. In this he speaks of the importance of vetting your hires. This being that sometimes the people in your industry aren’t the best hires for you. He speaks of making sure that even though they may have connections, making sure they are personable and have a sales process to back what they do.
The last lesson Dunlap speaks of is that sales is about education, not brute force. This is a crucial part of hiring new salesmen. As the head of a startup, you need to make sure that your people will focus on understanding their clients and their world rather than just pushing a sale on them. Simply showing the customers what product you are selling is not enough to sell them. You must find people that will get to know them and figure out the best way to help them.
I found this article to be an interesting perspective on what to look for in hiring a sales force. It is so important to find people who are people focused, not just product focused. New hires can make or break a business so it is crucial to know what to look for in the hiring process.
To read more, check out the article here.
BoweryJE22
Dang Grace, I admire the length & breadth of this post.
Anyway, I’ve never before thought of formally documenting the sales process, aside from scripting a conversation for prospecting and recording its results. Maybe that’s the same thing?
Hopefully!