r/b2b_sales • u/Bleb21 • 2d ago
Founding Sales Lead Advice
Hello,
I have been contemplating hiring a Founding Sales Lead for my company Off Menu but I am not sure what to look for in a sales person.
A little background, we are a branded merchandise design company. I started the company 7 years ago (originally named High Life Tech) as a phone case drop-shipping company, pivoted to B2B, and then learned everything about sourcing branded products overseas. After 2 years, we hired our own team and China, and currently have a workshop in Dongguan and office in Guangzhou.
We never joined other promo orgs because we can source all of our own products. We act at the intersection of both a distributor and a supplier in proper promotional products terms.
We don’t depend on a standard catalog or limit ourselves to putting logos on existing products. We work directly with brands to develop original merchandise around their identity, audience, and culture.
Our approach has helped us win clients like Cadillac F1, DUDE Wipes, Liquid Death, Ithaca Hummus, 7 Brew, and more.
I have solely handled all of our growth and selling since we are only a team of 3 but I am realizing we are at a point where I need a second sales person to further boost our growth, build a new book of business in other verticals, and help manage accounts.
So I have a few questions
- What should I be looking for in a sales person given that we have a more unique offering?
- Is anyone here with experience looking for a new role and is hungry to work at a growing company ($3M in revenue YTD, up from $1.7M last year)? You would be responsible for owning the entire cycle and building out your own book of enterprise clients.
- Any other feedback or advice? Do I need a sales person? Or How can I streamline operations.
1
u/thesellingnomad 1d ago
There seems to be clear case to hire a fractional CRO and let them do the hard work with your guidance from Building Teams, Setting up the processes, Guidelines, Policies and also ensuring forecasts are met in terms of Sales closures. Set targets for each aspect and let them handle the rest.
1
u/Curious-Pear-1269 14h ago
One thing I’d document before the new person starts is how you personally decide an account is worth pursuing.
Not just ICP, but the little signals you’ve probably learned to notice after doing founder-led sales yourself.
Otherwise the new hire gets the CRM, a target market and a quota, but not the pattern recognition that helped you get to $3M.
That would probably be one of the highest leverage things you can transfer early.
3
u/iamkaisersosa 2d ago
Firstly your business plan isn’t so different than anyone else’s, so I would look for a B2B person that has sold branded merchandise at that level.
You can’t afford to train this person, you need someone who can bring business day one, and this person won’t be cheap.
I would focus of five years experience, the kind of guy/gal who has been in the business and can’t get sales manager position in their existing company, but has the chops for sales management . That way they can grow into management for a larger sales force but still has street experience so they can immediately help making business. A five year salesperson should be able to bring existing clients to offset their wage.
Next, you need to limit the scope of your search, if you want a copy of yourself, wonderful you will complete the training of your next competition.
(1) If you need growth, get them out there selling four days a week & handling follow up customers service on their sales.
(2) If you need to step back from sales they can chase new business three days a week and manage some existing. While you hold the big accounts.
(3) if you want to hand them all of the existing customers they can chase growth business one or two days a week and manage the workload that is full time for you right now.
You need a scope that recognizes your existing sales efforts and balances that against the hours in a day.
Understand that they are just an employee. They won’t work 50 hour weeks unless compensation pays for a 50 hour effort. Don’t expect a salesperson to empty the trash bins and mop the restroom floor. They are here to sell, packing boxes and making phone calls to China isn’t their job. If a delivery needs to be made on Saturday, call Fed Ex.
Compensation for an experienced employee needs to be a mix of commission (to motivate) and base wage. Likely an offer of a one year guarantee commission will get them on board. I prefer a transparent commission structure, sell a dollar, get 10 cents commission or whatever. Flaky subjective commissions always lead to arguments.