Blake J. Harber’s Post

Two things you can do to boost your odds for success when interviewing for a Sales position. Talk to as many people as you can at the company. Not just the Account Executives. Speak to the SDR's. The people on the Marketing team. The people on the Rev Ops team. Talk to people on the Customer Success team. Talk to former employees who had these positions as well. Talk to people who work at competitors who have these positions. Of course look at RepVue. The more people you speak with the better sense of the company culture you will have. The Sales Leader is going to have a big impact on your career. Spend extra time speaking with these people. How long have they been in that position. What is their track record. What is their GTM plan. What training and learning programs do they have in place. What percentage of AE's made quota the last few years. How has the turnover been the last few years. What Sales Methodology do they use. Again the more knowledge you have about how the Sales team works and what they are looking to accomplish the better position you will be in to see if their goals align with yours. I like to say an informed candidate is a good candidate. No guarantees however I like your chances for success if you are well informed before you decide to join the company.

So you're hiring your first few sales reps in the early days? Before you have a great VP of Sales? It's an interesting time. Leads are precious, everyone is a team. So you need a very certain type of sales rep during the founder-led stage. Let me give you a checklist of a few signs they won't work out: #1. They're Late Many will challenge me here, but if they're late to the interview, they'll be late to customer calls, too. Don't make the hire. If they send you a professional message ahead of time, that they need to push? That's fine.  If they just show up at 2:05 on the Zoom though, don't make the hire. #2. You Wouldn't Buy From Them A classic SaaStr theme, as true today as it ever was. If you honestly wouldn't buy from them -- well neither will your prospects. At least not in the early days. Not during founder-led sales. #3. They Can't Sell You This Pen I don't know if these days, a sales rep has to come to the first interview being able to do a strong sales demo of your product. But at least make sure they can do it before you send over an offer. #4. They Don't Do Any Research Before The First Zoom Too many folks phone it in and do zero research before a "Learn More" meeting. They'll phone it in before they meet prospects too. Or worse. #5.  They Struggle With Your Tech If they can't get your Calendly or Mixmax link to work, if they struggle to get Zoom to work ... well ... I get it. But they're gonna struggle to understand and sell your product, too. #6. They've Also Got Another Job I know a lot of folks want to work 2 jobs at the same time today, or 2-3 additional big side hustles. But I've just never seen early sales rep excel that do this. It's too intense, and you have to be a product guru as an early rep. You don't get there if your mind is also focused on all your other jobs and businesses. Can you still "sell"? Sure -- if it's very transactional. But it's never that simple or easy in the early days. If ever. #7. They're Really Angry About Their Last Role Almost every great sales exec I've ever worked with has had one tough role. Many of the best have been fired once. But if they are too bitter in the interview? They'll be just too sour once they start. #8. They're Constantly on LinkedIn. Like Posting Multiple Times Every Day, Constantly. A little of this is OK. But if they are spending tons of time promoting themselves, their experience, their courses, etc. on LinkedIn -- be wary. You want a hunter. Someone that wants to close deals and make coin. Not be an influencer.  Hunters don't have interest or time in being LinkedIn influencers. #9. Your Product is Just Much More Complex Than The Other Ones They’ve Sold There are rare exceptions here, but in general, sales execs just struggle to sell much more complicated products than they’ve sold before. By contrast, they can just fly if you put them in an environment where the product is even just a tiny bit simpler and easier to sell. 

#8 applies to all levels ..

7 Things Every Founding Sales Hire Should Know 1. There’s no such thing as a “must-win” deal. 2. Your success is tied to building systems, not just hitting quotas 3. The buyer's process is your process. At this stage, understanding how your customers evaluate and buy is more important than any rigid sales methodology. 4. You might be the founding sales hire, but you need to be intimatley involved with marketing. Early-stage success depends on creating demand, refining messaging, and understanding where your ICP hangs out. 5. Ask for more money with every deal. Pricing is flexible early on—use each deal to test what your solution is truly worth. Don’t undersell your value. 6. Comparison is the thief of progress. Being a founding sales hire is unlike any other role—don’t benchmark yourself against established teams or playbooks. 7. A founder who prioritizes sales and GTM is your greatest asset. If your founder isn’t deeply involved in selling and shaping GTM strategy, it’ll be an uphill battle—make sure they’re all-in. TAKEAWAY: The founding sales role is unlike any other in sales. You may have been an AE before, but now you’re far more than just an AE. Regardless of what your title says.

Here’s a sales scenario I recently encountered. Curious how you’d handle this scenario: I (buyer) had a discovery call with a sales rep (seller) from a company that helps automate some prospecting and outbounding activities. The call went well; I shared my challenges, and he demoed parts of the platform that might address them. I told him that I wouldn’t move forward with any solution until I decide on my hiring plans (whether to do the outbounding myself, contract a BDR, hire a BDR, etc.). I let him know that I'd make the hiring decision within the next two weeks. He then suggested setting up a follow-up call for two weeks out. In full transparency, I could have used some guidance on costs vs. efficiencies associated with my hiring options. Digging deeper into my decision criteria + process might have led to being able to influence it. If you were in his shoes, what question would you have asked to get more info here? Personally, I would’ve asked: “Out of curiosity, how are you making the decision on those hiring plans? What factors are you considering?” That could have teed him up to make a pitch for his solution being quicker to implement, and cheaper both in the short-term and long-term than bringing someone on as a contractor or full-time. #ForRepsByReps #SalesScenario #InfluenceDecisions #SalesCoaching Leadoff.ai

Does founder-led sales stop when you make your first sales hire? ❌ Nope This hire works with you. They don't replace you. Founders must lead sales at this stage. ✅ Start with 2 account executives This gives you redundancy The ability to A/B test ✅ Document, document, document Yes, things are still fluid But keeping a playbook, even a very flawed one, at this stage is helpful ✅ Do not hire a VP or CRO titled individual Remember you are still the sales leader Hire for flexibility, self-sufficiency, a doer ✅ Have patience and faith This is not easy or quick to figure out But, it is possible Joe Fontana 🐘 thanks for sharing your experience and perspective on founder-led sales. ……………………………………………… 🔔 ring to follow me here: https://bit.ly/3yvY3p7 ♻️ repost if you found this useful 📈 DM me "Founder-Led Sales" for more tips

Dear "my future first sales hire", My company, Tech Sales Mentors, is growing fast (300% YoY growth). We’re growing fast because we solve a hair on fire problem. We spend so much time on our work, but where & who we decide to work with is way more important. Finding that next opportunity in the job search can often feel lonely, long, and confusing. Many people start by going for the opportunity of their dreams...but eventually end up settling for any job they can get. I think the job search should be run differently. I don’t think candidates should leave anything on the table. I believe candidates need guidance from experts in their hiring market so they can work for a top-tier company w/ a high density of talent, ultimately maximizing their career potential. And that's what we've built for job seekers. A fast, simple, and easy job search. We run a candidate’s job search, and land them an epic opportunity in tech…in under 2 months. The best part…the job seeker doesn’t pay unless they sign an offer they love. That’s led us to placing 100+ candidates w/ an 80% success rate. But I’m not sure we can keep this growth up…unless we hire a GREAT first sales rep. And that’s why you’re reading this. You are a killer closer in the high ticket B2C space. You'll be reporting to Chris DuVall, an enterprise seller at HubSpot turned entrepreneur. If you want a leader with high energy, high integrity, and high intelligence, Chris is your guy. So show me your sales skills, reach out to me, and tell me why’d you be a good fit. …or if you know a great seller that was born for this role, tag em below.

I have to say, I’m mind-blown by the challenges Sales Development Reps tackle every day. The pressure, the rejection, and the relentless grind make this job incredibly tough. Here’s why I think it can be so stressful: 💀 Constant Rejection: Cold calls and emails lead to hearing “no” all day long, which can seriously crush the spirit.😫 💀 High Quotas: Aggressive targets create ongoing pressure to hit numbers, leaving SDRs stressed and scrambling to keep up.📈 💀 Repetition: Day in, day out, it’s all about calls and emails. This routine can become exhausting quickly.💤 💀 Time Crunch: Speed matters. SDRs must hustle through leads fast, which adds to the stress.⏰️ 💀 Unpredictable Hours: Adapting to prospects’ schedules can mean last-minute calls that disrupt personal plans.📞 💀 Company's Card: SDRs are the face of the company, making the first impression on potential clients, which adds a lot of pressure to get it right. 💀 Constant Tracking: Every action is monitored, and falling behind can feel like being under a microscope.🔍 So, hats off to the incredible SDRs at ProspectHunter and beyond! This job isn’t for the faint of heart, and the determination and grit of these friends are nothing short of amazing! You guys rock!🤟 Whats the toughest part of the SDR role in your opinion? #SDRLife #SalesWarriors #HatsOffToSDRs

As a recruiter, I talk to Account Executives, BDRs, Sales creatures of all kinds multiple times every day. As a fellow lover of all things outbound I love hearing about their tool stack. Without fail they will tell me their current stack, what they would change, what they loved at previous employers etc. My favorite question to ask, is "if all your tools were going to be taken away and you could only keep one tool, what would it be? " I was talking with a battle tested A-player-sales-warrior yesterday. His answer: "Nooks power dialer accounts for 90% of my pipeline" This answer is quite revealing if you consider that his email outbound and LinkedIn tool sets were on point. Also take into account he has been an award winning rep at several great places known for hiring great sales people. He inspired me. Sort of reminds me when you have too many months of upper body gym days and then you see that one person at the gym squatting 4 plates. That's real motivation. I'm looking into Nooks. Please post other power dialers and what you recommend in the comments below!

My story & My timeline: From 1990 thru 2005, I was a heads down inside and outside sales rep in high tech. Hardware (IT Infrastructure) and Software (Medical Billing and Electronic Health Records, among many other solutions), plus a 3-year successful run at sellont copy machines, faxes, and electronic document storage solutions. From 2005 thru 2009 I took a break from high tech sales to pursue a home brewing gone wild hobby. I bought a 2-acre parcel, built a 4000 square foot facility and commissioned a 20x40 BBL Brewhouse. I got a divorce at the end of 2009, sold the brewery, became a single dad of 3 daughters (4, 6, and 9 at the time) and went back to selling electronic medical records full-time for a company I grew up working with. That company was acquired 5 years later by an org back East. They invited me to move back East as remote work wasn't an option. I declined as my home and family are on the West Coast. Around 2014/15 is when I started getting more active on LinkedIn. It didn't take long to start hearing about the SDR/BDR roles as a result of Aaron Ross's book Predictable Revenue. In 2017 I got involved with some folks who were strong advocates of the SDR/BDR role and we started doing 3rd party outbound. Hiring, training and coaching SDRs was my wheelhouse. It was easy for me because I had spent 20 years exceeding quota being a door opener, deal closing, and account managing seller for 20+ years. Fast forward to today, and I'm still not in the "Sales has changed, adapt or die," or "Modern Buyer/Seller," or "AI for Sales adapt or die," camps. I do not care about and do not use sequencers, research, personalization, or intent data. As far as sourcing talent goes... Outbound Cold Calling talent doesn't look anything like anyone ever says it should look like. What works for one rep won't work for other reps. There is no right way. There's only what works. The A/E role is a FULL cycle/funnel role. SDR/BDR hand-off to A/E turns the A/E role into a fractional, or mid-bottom funnel role - this isn't a good trend, IMHO. The SDR/BDR roles are always fractional, top of funnel roles. And, the Specialization of Roles for the sake of having specialized roles is really, in my opinion, the only thing that's wrong with sales today. Fast forward to right now: 2024 - I'm doing two things these days: 1. Training reps, teams and the leaders who lead them how to prospect effectively via long game cold outbound phone prospecting. And I mean "Training" NOT "Coaching" --- Coaching is so overblown... The "modern" sales world needs "Training" so much more than it needs coaching. The other thing I'm focused on is: 2. Running some campaigns for some clients who have a solution that's been proven to help their clients achieve their strategic goals. At this very second: I'm on a plane from Arizona to California for my first Grandson's first birthday party! 🎉 With success in mind, Shawn #TalkSoon