Have you built a sales team in a start up environment? What skills did you look for when you hired? Anything you would do differently?
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Enterprise SaaS Deal Coach in Software7 months ago
I’ve always hired based on attitude, commitment and a sense of humor. Now I’d also prioritize customer knowledge and relationships, partner-friendliness and business acumen.
Rainmakers are out there, many of them caught up in broader RIFs.
Director of Corporate Development7 months ago
Yes. The attributes you need will vary based on your market segment and your GTM approach. Enterprise markets require a different profile and attitude than broad-scale B2C.Most important is to understand who your target market is (or a primary and a secondary, but not more when starting out) and modelling your required attributes on that.
One tip: don't worry much about specific market experience (unless you're in a very tightly-knot, small market of enterprise customers - that's a different beast). You want the right personal attributes above all else.
An SMB AE at a Saas company would be someone who is high energy, moves quickly, organized, can handle volume of work, not hyper detail oriented or fixated, loves to prospect and cold call, goes for the close early, etc.
An ENT AE is someone who is deep, detailed, thorough, consistent, even keeled emotionally, process oriented, and on the list goes.
Role by role there are differences as well but hopefully this is a good jumping off point.