Moving Beyond the Founder – Making Sales the Key Catalyst to Growth

Imagine a B2B start-up led by a tech-founder (btw, that seems to be the majority of all start-ups).

The founder, along with a team of skilled developers, has crafted a groundbreaking product that has garnered positive responses from potential clients. As the company gears up for a Series A investment, early-phase scaling becomes imperative to secure funding.

But, in the absence of a foolproof playbook, the path forward is far from clear-cut or universally acknowledged. The typical playbook, though, often suggests hiring a VP of Sales, a move fraught with challenges:

1. High Cost: Bringing in a VP of Sales is a pricey endeavor.
2. Immediate Scrutiny: The newly appointed VP carries an immediate target on their back.
3. Multiple Roles: The VP must rapidly transition into both a sales contributor and a product development contributor to pivot the product toward market viability.
4. Fall Guy: Ultimately, the VP becomes the scapegoat for any shortcomings in sales success.

Regrettably, this type of VP often stays in place for less than a year, turning out to be a costly misstep for a cash-strapped start-up.

However, there is a more astute alternative process:

• Engage a Fractional Sales Leader: Opt for the expertise and leadership of a senior executive without the exorbitant cost and time associated with hiring. Pay for senior expertise, not just expensive pavement pounding.
• Strategic Clarity: The first crucial step involves the founder and the experienced fractional sales leader clarifying the strategic direction, ideally through extensive customer interactions.
• Operational Efficiency: Prioritize a process-centric CRM implementation early on. Sales success is a numbers game rooted in efficient processes.
• Persona Development: Craft personas and messaging to avoid the pitfalls of ineffective deal management, discounting, and the erosion of customer positioning over time.
• SDR Recruitment: Build a robust sales lead development structure with lead-focused marketing, engagement nurturing, and a skilled team of SDRs to qualify and pass leads to sales.
• Inside and Field Sales Recruitment: Acknowledge this as the most challenging step. Balancing ambiguity, transferring strategies, and maintaining a structured yet creative approach requires exceptional leadership.
• Permanent Sales Leader Recruitment: Only after these steps, under the guidance of a fractional sales executive, should a permanent VP of Sales be brought in.

In the complex landscape of a start-up's journey, opting for a strategic, cost-effective, and step-wise approach is not just wise—it's imperative for success.