In this episode, I sit down with Phillip Tillman, founder of SurTech and Konsise, to explore the real-world challenges of building and scaling software businesses in the African market.We unpack the founding story of SurTech, a specialist distribution business in the SaaS space, and dive deep into what it takes to build a high-performance sales function from the ground up.Phillip shares practical insights on:- The power of cold calling and why rainmakers still matter- How to cultivate strong salespeople and structure a sales engine that scales- Understanding the customer buying cycle and aligning your team around it- The iterative journey of building Konsise and how customer feedback shaped the product- Balancing growth between two businesses and managing control as a founder- Why company culture, intellectual property, and exit strategy all matter more than you thinkWe also discuss remote work, future plans, and what it means to build a sustainable business while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.This one is packed with valuable lessons for founders building sales-led companies, especially in emerging markets.

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Metavolve is a team of focused experts committed to helping entrepreneurs like you scale their businesses successfully. Reach out to our team to learn more: https://metavolve.co/

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00:00 Introduction

03:50 What Is SurTech and Konsise?

08:48 The Founding Story of SurTech

18:11 Building the First Sales Function at SurTech

26:52 How to Get Other People to Sell Like You

35:50 How to Cultivate Rainmaker Characteristics in Yourself and Your Team

45:24 How to Map Out Your Customer Buying Cycle

51:52 Next Steps to Cultivate a Rainmaker Salesperson

57:56 How to Take Someone From Immature to Mature in Sales

59:55 How to Get the Best Salespeople Into the Hiring Process

01:09:02 How Konsise Came Into the Fold

01:15:19 Phillip’s Relationship With His CIO

01:18:30 Current Growth Obstacles

01:23:39 How Phillip Is Thinking About Exit

01:38:07 What Does the Future Look Like for Phillip?

01:42:24 Phillip’s Advice to Other Entrepreneurs

The Secret to Building a World-Class Sales Engine - Phillip Tillman, Konsise