Today we are joined by Managing Director from Foster Beck Associates, Bill Cea, to discuss hiring for sales organizations of every size, from seed stage to market. Bill gives insights on making great long-term hires by sharing startup hiring strategies according to three stages. In the first stage of growth, companies should focus on hiring people who fit the product and market. In the second stage, companies should focus on hiring people who can help them scale. In the third stage, companies should focus on hiring people who can help them mature.
Additional Resources:
HIGHLIGHTS
- Hiring for startups at every stage of growth
- Why you need a recruiter at the Product Market Fit Stage
- The Impact of Hiring on Business Growth
- The role of culture fit in hiring
- How to be a Student of the Marketplace
- Red Flags to Look for in candidates
- Key indicators of a candidate with entrepreneurial spirit
- The Benefits of Hiring Self-Aware Salespeople
- The Most Important Attributes of a Successful Sales Leader
- Key Components for Hiring the Right Person
- Hiring Salespeople with the Right Domain Expertise
- Distributed Workforce on Sales Management
- Impact of Technology on Talent
- The Differentiation of a True Sales Professional
- Elements of a thorough Background Check
- Recruiting in a tight economy and competitive job market
QUOTES
BILL: PRE-REQUISITES OF BUILDING A PROFILE
“When you're building a profile, what else you really need to understand is, how is the company going to go to market. In other words, there are many different ways companies go to market, they're going to do a vertical approach, they're going to do geo-named accounts. I don't believe the Rolodex question is applicable anymore. But I think it's much more important that they at least sold to like industries where they understand the buying process.”
BILL: CREATE A DEFINITIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS PROCESS
“A smart company has that definitive process, while that process is going on, they're doing their due diligence, background perspective, they're ready to strike, you have to be expeditious through the process, or you're gonna lose to a company that is doing it right.”
Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064
