The Startup Velocity Question: Is it the Sales Team?

When things are not going right, especially in B-to-B SaaS, the blame falls on the sales team.

As a company switches from Founder-led Sales to a Repeatable Sales Process, often, sales do falter.

Velocity cannot be achieved without a repeatable sales process.

Training a sales team, setting up lead generation and lead qualification processes, diligent funnel building and management – these are the responsibilities of a VP of Sales.

As of the end of 2023, there are 54,000 venture-funded startups in the US. Worldwide, conservatively, there are likely to be at least another 10,000 if not 20,000.

The vast majority of these ventures are B-to-B SaaS ventures.

It is very difficult to find experienced sales executives who know how to set up these processes.

It is also very difficult to hire sales reps who can effectively sell half-baked products.

So yes. Often, the problem IS with the Sales Team.

And yes. It needs to be fixed to achieve velocity.

But, more often than not, sales teams are hired without first figuring out the Positioning.

Sales teams CANNOT figure out Positioning.
It is not their job.

Don’t blame the sales team if the Positioning is half baked.

Key Takeaways:

• Transitioning from Founder-led Sales to a Repeatable Sales Process is challenging.
• A repeatable sales process is crucial for achieving velocity.
• Responsibilities of a VP of Sales include training, lead generation, qualification processes, and funnel management.
• Finding experienced sales executives and effective sales reps is difficult.
• Sales teams often struggle if Positioning is not clearly defined beforehand.

My Question to You:

Are you having trouble getting traction? Is your Positioning half-baked?

If you think you need help, consider 1-on-1 Private Consulting with me. I will diagnose and create a path forward in an hour.

Photo credit: Jaimie Wilson/Flickr.com

This segment is a part in the series : The Startup Velocity Question