Sybill’s Post

VP of Sales @ SaaS company: "Nah, I'm not involved in that!' Recruiter: Ok. But you are the regional head of sales right? VP of Sales: Yup! Recruiter: Ok cool - who do you report to? VP of Sales: CEO / Board. Recruiter: OK cool. Do you mind me asking why they employed you in the first place? VP of Sales: It's obvious isn't it. I'm here to implement sales strategy, and build a world class sales team. It's what I do! Recruiter: Ok cool. So in theory - you are the most knowledgable person when it comes to sales right? At least in the eyes of the Board, right? VP of Sales: Yup - six figures, a million shares and a lot of benefits says so! Recruiter: How good would you say your eye for spotting sales talent is? VP of Sales: Razor sharp! Recruiter: Razor sharp hey!? What makes you say that? VP of Sales: Because I know a good sales person when I see one! 25 years in the game - son! Recruiter: Ok.... - so why are you not involved in the hiring process then? VP of Sales: Hmm.. I have this conversation every single day! What's wrong with it? #WorkSmartNotHard

Ever been here? As a sales leader or C-level executive, mid-July hits, and reaching your annual goals seems daunting. Marketing has fallen short, leaving the burden on the sales team. You might consider sending more emails, increasing calls, or closing deals aggressively. Perhaps hiring new salespeople seems like a solution. But deep down, you know the truth... Sending more emails can exhaust your TAM, ineffective strategies won't work, new hires won't change much, and increasing ad budgets risks revenue. Meanwhile, forward-thinking competitors gain market share with modern strategies. Consider content-enhanced outbound sales strategies. Why? Imagine a future with solid pipeline strategies, lower CAC, and enhanced brand credibility. Educate, train, and empower your team for success. Models for this approach exist. Curious about what I mean by content in outbound sales? HMU. Let's chat. Always down to talk shop. #SalesLeadership #LeadGeneration #OutboundSales #B2BSales #Content #FutureProof #SDRs

What is your actual sales cycle for net new deals? I've noticed a common misconception among hiring managers when it comes to sales cycles, especially when setting expectations for new Account Executives. It’s easy to assume that the timeline for closing deals will mirror what they’re used to—quick wins (relative) from referrals or inbound leads. But here’s the thing: there’s a world of difference between closing a deal with a warm lead and building trust with a net new client from scratch. When you're hiring an AE to bring in new business, you're asking them to do more than just close deals—they need to create opportunities. This takes time. Cold outreach, nurturing relationships, and understanding the unique needs of new prospects are all part of the equation. Expecting the same sales cycle as your inbound leads can lead to frustration and missed opportunities. Let's give our new hires the time they need to truly develop their pipeline, and recognize that the investment in building these relationships will pay off in the long run. Understanding the real sales cycle isn’t just about closing deals—it’s about setting realistic expectations and supporting your teams to succeed. #SalesCycle #Hiring #AccountExecutive #BusinessDevelopment #SalesLeadership

Transitioning from founder-led sales is tough. The failure rate is high. Hiring the right founding Account Executive makes all the difference. It can be the difference of making it to 1m+ ARR any beyond or not. But hiring that AE from a large company will not cut it. They need the scrappy startup experience, it’s a wide role that involves way more than just selling. The founding AE should be a hustler, and will have too: - Attend events - Run webinars - Create top of funnel - Close deals - Build playbooks, call scripts etc - Create forecasting/reporting - Carry a large part of the overall number Ultimately they will help the transition from founder led sales and repeatability. Often these profiles want to be entrepreneurs or VP’s of Sales and this role will give them great learnings by being part of the founding GTM team. I've been both a founding AE and founding VP Sales before. It's not for everyone you have to LOVE building at this stage. My advice would be to have a rigid interview process with a tailored final stage assessment along with a score card is key to mitigate miss hiring. What your advice be to ensure getting the right hire?

I have a post here (https://lnkd.in/dNdufuAH) which mentions 11 important steps to getting sales hiring done well (especially if you're 50-1k employees) Step 3 says to use a sales candidate assessment. I don't know why you wouldn't do that, right? Erm -------- Save a whole bunch of senior leader time in the sales hiring process (think about all the people you don't need to meet) and ------- Get a whole bunch of predictive data and analytics to help you choose candidates who can operate in your context, selling your goods and services, against your competition. OR ------- waste lots of time meeting people you might like, but who probably couldn't hit their targets and ------- possibly make a lesser hire? *If they couldn't fail, how many salespeople would you hire?* ------- https://lnkd.in/dBMGCPEb - Great short video here ------- Let's talk about what your ideal candidates need to have. https://lnkd.in/dti-sVuj #predictivesaleshiring #saleshiring #salesgrowth #hypergrowth #hypergrowthbuzz #sherwynsingh #scalingup

🚀 You’ve built an incredible technology that could change the world, and now you’re taking the next big step: hiring a sales team to get it out there! But as you know, hiring for sales is a whole different ball game. Salespeople aren’t like tech talent—they have unique needs, they speak a different language, and their impact is directly linked to performance outcomes. 🧩 Here’s something to keep in mind: Sales hiring isn’t just about filling a role. Someone, somewhere signed off a business case linking this hiring decision to critical outcomes—a bigger pipeline, key clients, specific revenue goals. Achieving that means putting a sales-hiring-to-performance framework in place from the start. To help our clients make their sales hiring more predictive and successful, we guide them through 11 key areas: 1️⃣ Sales Hiring Readiness: Is your organization fully prepared to bring on sales talent? 2️⃣ Sales Compensation: Does your plan align with what top sales talent wants? 3️⃣ Sales Candidate Assessments: A quick, powerful tool that’s too often overlooked. 4️⃣ Sales Playbook Creation: Get critical knowledge into the hands of new hires fast. 5️⃣ Sales Hiring Process Clarity: Candidate experience and efficient processes are essential. 6️⃣ Sales Interview Excellence: Ensure everyone in the hiring process knows their role. 7️⃣ Offer Management & Negotiation: Make sure the best candidates feel valued. 8️⃣ Onboarding: Set up new hires for success from day one. 9️⃣ Sales Management & Coaching: Accountability and growth must be cultural pillars. 🔟 Early Sales Results: Review activities and provide support as they get started. 1️⃣1️⃣ Top Quartile Sales Performance: Equip your sales hires to continually improve. Each of these steps helps drive the performance and outcomes linked to your sales hires, ensuring that your technology gets the traction it deserves. 👉 Curious to learn more about building a high-performing sales team through your sales hiring? Let’s chat! https://lnkd.in/dti-sVuj https://lnkd.in/dHU52nYc #saleshiring #predictivesalehiring #salesleadership #B2Bsales #scalingup #hiring #growth

You are an underperformer. Strong quota attainment is hugely important in GTM recruiting. Every interview I have with a sales rep I qualify it. It's one of the biggest barometers of someone's ability. But is it? Sales Rep 1: Averaged 100 -150% last 4 years Sales Rep 2: Averaged 60 -100% last 4 years We are all hiring rep number 1 right? Here's what you don't see: Sales Rep 1: AE at a Major Enterprise Software Vendor Manages an industry they dominate in Prospects know them before they call Territory is 50% existing customers An SDR does all their outbound Gets constant inbound leads Sales Rep 2: AE in a 'first on ground' role for a SaaS startup Firm has no brand awareness in the region Cold territory with zero customers No SDR team. 100% outbound Zero marketing budget No inbound leads This isn't a post to call out those in established firms. Both of these reps are high-performers. But it's a good reminder that numbers only tell half the story. Make sure you dig deeper before discounting someone. Give people a chance. #technologysales #saasrecruitment #gotomarket

Hiring for Success: What to Look for in New Sales Reps Building a successful sales team starts with hiring the right people. Here are my top tips for finding the best sales reps: Two Years of Experience: Focus on hiring reps with a minimum of two years of B2B experience. New hires without experience require too much training and can slow down your growth. Demonstrated Success: Look for candidates who have tangible results like shorter deal cycles, new business acquisition, and significant deal flow management. Relevant Questions: A good sales rep will ask about your pipeline, lead generation, and expected earnings. This shows they’re serious about their potential income and understanding your business model. Always ensure your company has a stable flow of new appointments and a closing rate of at least 30% before bringing on new hires. This preparation sets the stage for their success.

KPIs are the compass for sales success. Without them, you're not just setting the rep up for failure, but you're also missing out on critical growth insights for your business.

#hiring more #sales reps is rarely the answer to growing your business. I'm asked to assess a sales team about 15 times a year. These sales teams are generally successful, but their leader recognizes that more could be accomplished. The companies are financially sound, with plenty of cash to invest in sales growth. So what's the problem with doubling down on what's working and hiring more salespeople? It doesn't scale. It can create linear growth, but not geometric growth. Many of you are reading this and realizing it's happening in your business. So if hiring more reps isn't the answer, then what's the secret? Better support for the reps you've already hired. As your sales team becomes more successful, they have more orders, customers, and administrative responsibilities. Processing orders, responding to customers, and completing reports are important work, but it's not sales and should be done by other people and technology--not salespeople. Your best salespeople are expensive. They should be doing the work of creating more customers. But unfortunately, their previous success has them doing things that aren't growing your company. Fix this. Don't hire more salespeople.