How to Build Your First Sales Team (Without Losing Your Mind)

Next week, I'm delivering a masterclass to 30+ early-stage founders about to launch their startups.

These sessions always excite me, but they're also a huge responsibility.

I want everyone to walk away with practical, actionable, and strategic ways to set up their first sales team.

As I'm working through my slides and talking points, I decided to give you a sneak peek into what's coming.

The presentation kicks off by laying solid foundations for your sales team.

Foundations aren't just nice-to-have - they're absolutely essential.

If you're already selling or even just thinking about it, you need these nailed down from day one.

Skip this step, and you'll fail before you've even started.

First things first: Define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

Who exactly are you selling to? Why should they buy from you? What problem are you solving, and how big is that problem?

Define it, write it down, memorise it, and use the same narrative in every sales interaction.

Next up is your Sales Cycle.

This is where you'll clearly map how you acquire new leads and retain and grow existing customers.

Think of your Sales Cycle in two parts:

• New business (from lead generation to closing)

• Existing business (onboarding, renewals, upsells)

How exactly do you turn prospects into happy, paying customers?

Now let's talk about your market segmentation.

If you're thinking of selling to everyone, stop right there - trust me, it's a recipe for chaos.

Break down your market into manageable segments:

• SMB (Small & Medium Business)

• MM (Mid-Market)

• ENT (Enterprise)

You'll thank yourself later for doing this upfront.

To manage all this activity, you need a solid CRM. Attio and Hubspot are fantastic choices for early-stage startups.

Your CRM pipeline should clearly reflect your sales cycle stages - new business, existing business.

Don't forget to add key properties like close dates and deal amounts.

Tracking is crucial.

Now, about generating leads.

Start with inbound marketing, leveraging the most powerful tool you already have - your founder's brand.

Share your journey consistently; people buy from people, and right now, you are your startup's first lead generator.

Have a few leads coming in? Great!

It's time to scale that effort with outbound sales.

Outbound sales can feel brutal (it often is!), but it's worth every struggle.

Don't spam; build meaningful relationships through LinkedIn Sales Navigator, smart automation, and personalised outreach sequences. Be human, not robotic.

Next step: Planning your sales goals.

Set clear, actionable goals - monthly, quarterly, and annually.

Narrow down your funnel, track every stage, and measure your activities against your results.

Numbers are your friend (even if they don't always seem friendly).

Your marketing materials are your sales team's best buddies.

Have these ready:

• A sharp, engaging 1-pager for quick follow-ups.

• A concise sales deck (max 10 slides), including pricing and onboarding.

• Success stories featuring 5-10 delighted customers who love your product.

• A comprehensive onboarding deck to warmly welcome new customers.

Finally, building your team. SDRs? AEs? Don't panic, I got you.

Establish a killer hiring process:

• A-Player scorecards (so you only pick winners).

• Screening interviews.

• Chronological interviews.

• Role-play exercises.

Building your first sales team isn't easy, but it isn't complicated either...

Do it right, start with the right foundations, and your journey will be downhill.

Thanks for reading this far. I will see you all next week!