What are the key processes you'd set up when expanding the sales team from 1 to multiple people?

• Email Templates based on vertical & title you're selling to (Outreach or Sales Loft)

• SFDC Dashboards to track accountability metrics

• Closed Won Recorded Call Library (Chorus or Gong)

• Interview Scripts and Interview Processes with the recruiting team

• Onboarding Program with different departments internally

• Training Videos for the tech stack you have available

• Clear source codes from Marketing//Demand Generation

• Offsites with new team members and existing team members

• Practice sessions for value prop, elevator pitch, objection handling

Define and Structure Your Sales Process:

• Foundation is Key: The first and most crucial step is establishing a clear and structured sales process when expanding your sales team. This process should outline every sales cycle stage, from lead generation to closing deals.

  • KISS - Yes, Keep it simple: My goal for my sales process is to take a lengthy cycle and make it feel easy for the customer. This usually means I pare steps way back and drop them into larger, stage-based steps. IE, technical discovery might actually take a few evaluating committees, but when I highlight the process, I make it all feel like a single stage/phase in the evaluation.
    

• Revenue Cadence: Alongside your sales process, structure your revenue cadence to align with your company’s quarterly goals. I recommend setting up a cadence that includes a stand-up meeting at the beginning of the week to align on key priorities and a washup meeting at the end to review what was achieved and where adjustments may be needed.
  

Create a Stable Sales Culture:

• Cultural Stability: Expanding your sales team isn’t just about adding more people; it’s about creating a sales culture that new team members can seamlessly integrate into. Stability and clear direction are critical to maintaining momentum as you grow.

  • Regular stand-ups and wash-ups help reinforce this culture by keeping everyone aligned and focused.
    

Document and Regularly Communicate the Sales Process:

• Written Guide: As your team expands, it’s essential to have a single, detailed, written guide that outlines your "ideal" sales process. This document should cover every aspect of the sales journey, including key steps, milestones, and best practices. It serves as your team's reference point and ensures everyone is on the same page.
  

• Regular Walkthroughs: I regularly walk through this sales process in detail to keep the team aligned.

  • This could be during team meetings, training sessions, or one-on-one coaching.

Foster Cross-Functional Alignment:

• Company-Wide Understanding: As you expand, your sales team and cross-functional partners need to understand the sales process, too.

  • Share your sales process with other departments like marketing, product, and customer success to ensure they are aligned with your approach.
    

• Collaborative Effort: Building a successful sales team is a company-wide effort. By involving other departments in understanding and supporting the sales process, you create a more cohesive strategy that enhances overall business performance.

**WAINWRIGHT PRO-TIP: Get your department heads to review the pitch and describe a milestone in the sales process. Anything you can do to create alignment on what Sales is doing to drive the business's numbers is usually a welcomed investment from cross-functional collaborators.

Implement Effective Onboarding and Continuous Training:

• Onboarding New Reps: Having a structured onboarding process is vital as you bring on new salespeople. This should include an introduction to the sales process, tools, and company culture. The goal is to get new reps up to speed quickly so they can start contributing to the team’s success as soon as possible.
  

Metrics and Accountability:

• Tracking Performance: With a growing team, it becomes increasingly important to track performance metrics closely. Establish clear KPIs that align with your sales process and revenue goals. Regularly review these metrics in your stand-up and wash-up meetings to hold the team accountable and identify areas for improvement.
  

WAINWRIGHT PRO TIP

Track:
1. Activities like outbound emails, calls, and meetings completed.
2. Engagement metrics like meetings with Sr. buyers
3. Track deal age (number of days to close) and number of days in a given stage.
4. Track ASP per rep. Look for themes around relative deal size and compare it to base metrics about accounts

Feedback Loop: Create a feedback loop where reps can share their experiences and insights on the sales process.

WAINWRIGHT PRO TIP: Start a Customer Council, a Product Council, and any other internal councils comprised of tiger teams to further enable the team to either become or remain aligned toward the big picture!

Incentivize Success:

• Rewards for Milestones: To encourage adherence to the sales process and motivate your team, consider tying incentives to key milestones. For example, reward reps for setting up executive meetings, completing technical validations, or closing deals within a certain timeframe. This helps ensure that the process is followed and that the team remains focused on achieving the desired outcomes.