Article
Founder's Guide to Startup Sales: How to Build, Operate & Scale a ...
close.com
Quoted on this wiki
Every place a page here uses this source, in the order the words come in it.
How to Begin in Sales as a Startup Founder “Early-stage sales must always begin with the founders.” But, what if you’re part of a founding team?
First, sales by committee equals no accountability. When you have one founder responsible for sales and another for the product, it’s clear who’s pulling their weight and who’s not. And it encourages you to make sure results are delivered. “Second, when sales is the responsibility of one startup founder, that person becomes an absolute advocate for the customers.” Of course, being a sole salesperson and founder can only last so long. So, when should you hire your first salesperson?
Document Everything “As a founder leading sales, your goal is to pass the baton to someone else eventually.” To do this smoothly, you need to start documenting everything you do, starting today.
Onboard Your Sales Rep One Step at a Time “A lot of founders make the same mistake—as soon as they hire a sales rep, they figure it’s finally time for them to stop doing sales.” But remember: a founder selling their product will always have an advantage over a sales rep selling a competing product.
I’ve been there. As a former founder (Smart Host, 2014-2017) and longtime member of the Close team, I know firsthand what it takes to scale a business from zero and can attest that there are no shortcuts. “make sure you (or at least one co-founder) ruthlessly prioritizes sales.” Investing in sales as your number one priority will help you shut out the noise and open doors much faster. This guide will help you put together a sales process for running sales without a product and small amount of resources that will help you achieve the results you need to move the business forward.
At the beginning of your early startup sales process, 80 percent of your lead generation should be playing the short game. In most cases, this means using outbound sales, directly reaching out to new leads that fit your ideal customer profile. The other 20 percent of your lead generation should be investing in the long term, providing evergreen value to your audience. “As you grow, this will gradually change to 50 percent outbound, 50 percent inbound.” And eventually, you’ll flip the numbers—80 percent inbound, 20 percent outbound.
As you grow, this will gradually change to 50 percent outbound, 50 percent inbound. “And eventually, you’ll flip the numbers—80 percent inbound, 20 percent outbound.” The key here is to play to your strengths. This will allow you to focus your efforts on what can drive the best results.