For most owners, the first salesperson is you. You won the early clients. You know the product better than anyone.
Then you get busy. Sales becomes the thing you do once everything else is done.
At some point you need a team. Here's the order I'd build it in.
1. Write down how you sell now
Before you hire anyone, get it out of your head. Who buys from you? Why do they buy? Where do your best clients come from? What happens between the first call & the signed deal?
That becomes your sales process. Without it, a new hire has to guess.
2. Set the numbers
Hint: you really need to understand your profit position on each deal in order to target them properly. Why? Because if you don't understand this then you can't work out who & what you can afford let alone set a realistic target. If you have a low profit margin, sort that out first. You may not be able to afford the growth you're after. That's another conversation...
Then get clear on the opportunity. That usually means knowing:
How many deals you do each year
Roughly how many quotes
How many quotes convert
How much revenue / profit
Future pipeline
Amount of enquiries you receive
Current market share & desired market share
Now you know what a good week looks like for a salesperson & you're ready to set targets.
3. Get the basics in place
A CRM, so every lead & deal is in one place
Simple pricing & proposal templates. Give them a clear understanding of the pricing ceiling & floor they need to be aware of when closing deals. It's easier if they're targeted on profit, but that's another conversation.
People & systems SOP that supports sales people through deals. Who's responsible for what & when.
A clear handover from sales to delivery
None of this needs to be fancy. It needs to exist before someone starts.
4. Hire the right first person
Your first hire usually needs to find new business, not just look after existing clients. Look for someone who has sold something similar, to similar buyers.
Hire for how they sell & their track record, not how well they interview. Ask how they would handle specific situations that tend to arise in your business. If their answers are vague, you know it's not a situation they're comfortable with. Yes, plan your interviews properly.
You will be investing a lot of time into this person for the first 90 days.
(Not sure if you need a BDM or a sales manager first? Read Sales Manager vs BDM.)
5. Lead them properly
This is where most new sales teams fall over. The owner hires someone good, hands them a phone & a target, then gets pulled back into the business.
A new salesperson needs onboarding, a daily then weekly catch-up & help on their first deals. They need someone looking at their pipeline with them & introductions to everyone they need to know both internally & externally.
For the first 90 days, that matters as much as the hire itself. Don't make the investment & then not make sure your investment has everything they need to be successful.
6. Add people once it's working
Once your first hire is hitting their numbers, you know the process works. Then add the next person, & the one after that.
If you're building your first sales team & want someone to build it with you, call me on 0434 522 983 or send an enquiry.