Tips on Making Your First Sales Hire
Can I tell you a secret?! THIS is “founding sales hire” is my favorite hire to make. (but shhh… don’t tell the other roles that!)
I (Nikki, CEO + Founder @ Hustle Hunters) got hooked on sales while running your sports and PE programming at the YMCA in Berkeley, CA. My transition into the startup scene effectively shifted me from gym teacher and “coach Nikki” into a BDR (equivalent of SDR) role as the first sales touchpoint for a UGC (user generated media) startup called Chute. I was taught the product, learned formalized sales philosophies, and got to partner with some amazing Account Executives who helped me understand the function better. These learning experiences (plus a lot of hustle, tenacity and grit) turned me into a great seller, and allowed me the opportunity to partner with our customers and the leadership team to really transform what sales in the organization looked like. My next role was a more pure “founding” sales role as part of a class of 2 first sales hires ever for Milk Stork. I’m sharing this background because I learned a LOT about what’s been successful in these really dynamic “founder-extention” sales roles, and a LOT about what isn’t. This journey has continued with each startup team we’ve had the privilege of supporting. 2 main shifts we’re noticing recently with respect to scoping out these founding sales roles: closer alignment with marketing, and of course more use of AI tools.
Quick tip: “When was the last time you made cold calls?” - ask this question if you’re hiring a sales leader and “outbound” is a key part of what you’re needing right now.
We see way too many founders bring on a seasoned VP of Sales when they really needed a founding Account Executive to gather the data points from customers.
✅ Founder led sales
🤔 Hiring a Sales partner
Stepping beyond founder-led-sales is a big milestone, one that often comes with a mixture of trepidation and relief. I have been this founding sales hire, have helped others hire for this important role, and love digging into what each individual org needs from this hire.
If this hire’s on your radar - let’s chat so I can help you avoid the mistakes others have made here - and instead focus on scoping a role that translates to long term revenue.
I elaborate a bit on what I mean in this video where I’m fired up after talking about this role with a fellow founder who is thinking towards the day when the business is ready for him to shift sales off of his plate.
