Alarm: Think Before You Hire Your First Sales Rep and Don’t Make This Mistake!

Are you a Founder or Business Owner who is getting ready to hire their first sales rep?

Stop!

Don't do anything

until you have read this article first.

You see, there is a recurring conversation I have with business owners and start up founders. Maybe it’s one that you have had, too, or one you have been meaning to have with someone like me.

Either way, it goes something like this:?

The owner of a business comes to me looking for guidance. They’ve been running their business for a few years, it grew it quickly just selling to the owner's personal contacts and business relationships. However, now their personal connections are all used up, and growth has stalled.?

They’ve come to the conclusion that the business won’t grow any further without more resources.

So, now they wonder whether they should “hire a sales rep.”?

This Is My First Response:?

I ask them whether they have in place the following:?

1. A defined target market (industry, sector, geography, business size, buyer personas, etc.)?
2. A sales process for that target market (including top, middle, and bottom of the sales funnel)?
3. A clear and succinct value proposition (to answer the “why choose us” question)?
4. A proven and scalable lead generation program (to fill the funnel)?
5. A high-quality sales pipeline (showing upcoming revenue flows)?

Often, in each case their answer is, “No.”?

Then, this business owner then asks me a question that triggers alarm bells for me:?

Won’t the rep bring all that with them??

Alarm Bells!

When I hear these bells ringing, I explain to them that, in my experience, commissioned salespeople, reps and BDMs like to make money.? Quickly.

Just like everyone else, sales reps prefer to come into an organization where everything is set up for them and ready to roll. A place where their success will be actively supported from the start, not one where they must first build everything out from scratch and on their own... often without being paid for it.?

At this point I usually continue with my explanation and warn them that, from what I have seen time and again, the pressure of high expectations from owners will cause the new BDM to go for “quick wins.”

They will start cutting corners and get caught up in short-term activities. This will lead to them having to put out fires caused by the lack of structure, systems, and methodologies not in place before their arrival.?

After a couple of month of 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, be productive and make money.

The poor business owner then needs to start from scratch, having just lost several months of selling time, and having to go through the recruitment process all over again.

The consequence is that the business never?becomes set up for long-term success.?

Back to the Beginning?

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 sales engagement styles and methods?that serve only to confuse you and – worse yet – your customers.?

Eventually, it will be up to you, the owner, to sort out the mess, and finally create a singular, consistent, and useful system. You’ll be going through the steps outlined above, but now with one or more frustrated salespeople on your payroll.?

So, if you are looking to hire your first sales rep, my advice is to do this instead:?

Get your house in order first.

Set up your business?(and your reps) for sustainable success.?

Then hire your first rep.

Only then can you hire your first rep with confidence and start scaling your business. Going about it in this way will save you the time, energy and heart ache of having to stop-start again just when your business should be taking off.?

How can you be sure you won't waste your time when hiring your first Sales Rep?

To make sure your hire is as productive as possible, try this free Sales Funnel Assessment .

Discover just how ready your business is right now for you to hire your first sales rep.

Or let’s have a conversation.

Contact me directly to discuss your specific requirements and I’ll show you how you can get there.

Your first call with me is always free.?

Wishing you all the best for your business growth!

Peter Strohkorb

About

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.

Contact

Phone AUS: +61 (0)411 865 301??|??[email protected]

Phone US: +1?(628) 246-1242??|???peterstrohkorb.com