growing your b2b sales team

@markeelliott @itbeginswithif

Growing Your Sales Team

Mark ElliottCo-Founder

Venture Accelerator Partners

October 14, 2015


Agenda• What type of Sales Rep• Sales Targets• Compensation• Recruiting• Interview• Sales Tools• Onboarding• Communications Plan• Personal Development• Keeping them



Background• Mark Elliott, Co-Founder Venture Accelerator

Partners • Provides Part-time sales and marketing• 9 Years since the start of VA Partners• 10 Years at Fortune 500 Technology Company• Champion of Sales P2P at Innovation Factory• At VA Partners

– Worked with over 70 Companies– Helped book hundreds of meetings– Drove millions of web page views– Customers have realized millions in revenue


Type of Sales Person

• Inside vs Outbound

• Local vs Remote • Channel• Inbound Lead

Generation


Factors to Consider

• How do customers buy?• How complex is the sales

cycle?• Customer Lifetime Value• Resources available

– Time – Money


Sales Targets

• What organization?– Geography– Vertical– Size– List

• Contact within company– One or Many


Compensation• Salary• Variable

– Revenue– Margin– Activities

• What is the right split?– 50% to 70% Salary, the rest

variable


Recruiting• Always be recruiting• Networking• Local schools• Use Social Media• Recruiters


Candidate Evaluation• Have the tailored their cover letter• What does their Linkedin look like• Do they use other digital

platforms?• Do the jump around a lot• Do they quantify results?• If candidates are junior

– Customer service– Achievements in school


Interview• Create questions based on the job• Ask for specifics• Situational Questions: Tell me

about– biggest win– most challenging customer– your CRM use

• Ask about process• Be creative with junior hires


Sales Tools• CRM• Path to Sales Success• Social Tools• Scripts

– Email– Calling with objections


Onboarding• Have the week scheduled• Admin and tools ready for day 1• Solution review

– Focus on benefits and Value prop• Break apart the sales cycle

– Start with simpler tasks• Practice• Make yourself available• Ongoing training and education


Communications Plan• Management by walking

around• Team meetings• Joint calls or meetings

– Coaching opportunity• Individual meetings


Individual Meetings• Funnel Review with CRM

– What was expected– What is expected– What has changed– Updates on larger

opportunities– Be accountable

• Other administrative tasks• Personal Development


Personal Development• Identify a few areas for

improvements– From Rep– Observed– Something new

• Create a plan– Could include training– Practice– Sales leader involved

• Does not need to be expensive


How do you keep them?

• What do they want to do medium term?• Are they being successful?• Is there a path for them?• Are you supporting them?• Are they happy?• It’s not about you, it’s about them, unless it is about you.


Sales Resources

@marsdd@vapartners

@AA_ISP @itbeginswithif @Profit_Magazine

@salesplaybookli