Beware “The 1st Sales Rep Hire” Trap.
This article is for Founders and Business Owners who are considering hiring their first sales rep.
Read this article to avoid making a very costly mistake.
There is a recurring conversation I have with business owners and founders whose sales have stalled.
It goes something like this:
The owner of a small tech advisory company comes to me looking for advice and guidance.
They’ve been running the business for a few years and grew it by selling to their personal contacts and business relations. However, now their personal connections are all used up, and revenue growth has stalled.
They don’t really enjoy selling, and they often don’t know all that much about best sales practice. So, they come to the conclusion that it’d be much better if someone else could take care of sales.
Now, they want to “hire a sales rep.”
But do they have a sales strategy in place, ready to go?
At the very least, they’ll need…
A defined target market (by industry, sector, geography, business size, buyer personas, etc.)
A sales process for that target market (including strategies for the top, middle, and bottom of their sales funnel)
A clear and succinct value proposition (to answer the “why choose us?” question)
A proven and scalable lead generation program (to fill the funnel)
A high-quality sales pipeline (showing upcoming revenue flows)
Often, their answer is: “No.”
Typically, the business owner then asks a question that triggers alarm bells for me:
“Won’t the rep bring all that with them?”
Alarm Bells!
When I hear these alarm bells ringing, I explain to them that, in my experience, quota-carrying, commissioned salespeople, reps and BDMs predominantly want to make money.
Alarm Bells!
Just like anyone else, sales reps prefer to come into an organization where everything is set up for them, ready to go.
A place where their success will be actively supported from the start, not one where they must first build everything up on their own... often before they earn their first commission.
After a couple of month trying to muddle through, the rep becomes frustrated and leaves for greener pastures, i.e. an employer where everything is already set up for them to hit the ground running and make money.
Back to the Beginning
Then, the poor business owner, having just lost several months of sales, will have to go through the recruitment process all over again. Meanwhile, the business is still not set up for sales growth success.
To complicate matters further, even IF a sales rep sticks it out and brings along their own sales process and lead gen methods, what happens when you hire your second and third rep?
What if these new hires also bring their own sales processes?
You’ll end up with a rabbit warren of different reps’ sales methods
that give your customers an inconsistent and confusing buying experience.
Eventually, it will be up to you, the owner, to sort out the mess and finally create a singular, consistent, and useful selling system.
So, if you are looking to hire your first sales rep, don’t put the cart before the horse. Get your house in order first. Set up your business (and your reps) for sustainable sales success.
Only then can you hire your first rep with confidence, and start scaling up your business. This will save you the time, energy and heartache of having to stop-start again just when your business should be taking off.
How can you be sure you’ll get started right?
Use this free Sales Checklist to discover just how ready you are to hire your first sales rep.
Or, if you prefer to talk first, then let’s have a conversation.
Go ahead. I’m looking forward to helping you make an informed decision.
Contact me directly, your first call with me is always free.
Do it now!
Peter Strohkorb
Peter Strohkorb is the Founder and Principal of Peter Strohkorb Advisory, the international Sales Acceleration Advisory firm with a growing list of clients in the B2B services and tech space in the US, Australia, and in the UK.
Our motto is: “More Sales, Faster”
and that is exactly what we deliver to you, our clients.