Recently, speaking with a VC in Europe, I was surprise how reluctant these investors, with a background mostly in finance and very little, if any operations experience, were in endorsing the hire of senior sales manager for their early stage companies. With no customer or sales experience, what can you expect.. ??
A reminder for investors.. and the BoD..
1) CEOs of start-up and early stage companies .. NEED senior sales managers to build credibility and a solid base with initial customers.
2) Seasoned managers know the sales cycle inside and out—they can spot qualified prospects, move deals forward smoothly, and close with confidence. That kind of experience can really speed up ARR growth when cash flow’s a little tight.
3) Senior managers usually already have connections with key decision‑makers, channel partners, and early adopters in the IT world. Those relationships can open doors fast—ones that might’ve taken months to reach otherwise.
4) With years of experience under their belt, they know how to shape messaging, pricing, and go‑to‑market strategy so the product really clicks with enterprise buyers.
5) Senior managers go after bigger accounts and handle more complex deals, which will lift the average contract value (ACV)
6) Since they’ve already nailed prospecting, discovery, and handling objections, they don’t need much ramp‑up time and can start producing results fast.
AVOID the “valley of death” approach – through under-investment in the very function that converts product promise into sustainable revenues !!
Recently, speaking with a VC in Europe, I was surprise how reluctant these investors, with a background mostly in finance and very little, if any operations experience, were in endorsing the hire of senior sales manager for their early stage companies. With no customer or sales experience, what can you expect.. ??
A reminder for investors.. and the BoD..
1) CEOs of start-up and early stage companies .. NEED senior sales managers to build credibility and a solid base with initial customers.
2) Seasoned managers know the sales cycle inside and out—they can spot qualified prospects, move deals forward smoothly, and close with confidence. That kind of experience can really speed up ARR growth when cash flow’s a little tight.
3) Senior managers usually already have connections with key decision‑makers, channel partners, and early adopters in the IT world. Those relationships can open doors fast—ones that might’ve taken months to reach otherwise.
4) With years of experience under their belt, they know how to shape messaging, pricing, and go‑to‑market strategy so the product really clicks with enterprise buyers.
5) Senior managers go after bigger accounts and handle more complex deals, which will lift the average contract value (ACV)
6) Since they’ve already nailed prospecting, discovery, and handling objections, they don’t need much ramp‑up time and can start producing results fast.
AVOID the “valley of death” approach – through under-investment in the very function that converts product promise into sustainable revenues !!