Make your first sales hire when the founder has closed enough deals to know who buys, why they buy and what the sales process looks like, and when selling is now taking time the founder needs elsewhere. For most B2B companies the right first hire is an experienced individual seller who has sold to a similar buyer in a similar-sized company, not a VP of Sales. Add leadership once you have a repeatable process and a team to lead.
When is it time to make the first sales hire?
- The founder has closed a meaningful number of customers and can explain why they bought.
- Deals are following a similar path, so the process can be taught.
- Leads or opportunities are going unworked because there isn’t time.
- There’s enough runway to give a new rep two or three quarters to ramp.
If you can’t yet describe your ideal customer or your sales process, a new hire will spend their time guessing. Sell more yourself first.
Should the first hire be a rep or a VP of Sales?
Usually a rep. A senior leader without a proven process and a team often ends up either building one from scratch, slowly, or selling as an expensive individual contributor. An experienced account executive who has worked in an early-stage company can close deals and help shape the process at the same time. When you do need a leader, our guide to hiring your first VP of Sales explains what to look for.
What should you look for in a first sales hire?
- Early-stage experience. They’ve sold without a big brand, a large marketing team or a playbook.
- A matching buyer. They’ve sold to the same kind of buyer at a similar deal size.
- Self-sourced pipeline. They’ve built a large share of their own pipeline.
- A proven record. Quota and attainment they can talk you through in detail.
- Comfort with ambiguity. They’ll give feedback on the product and the pitch, not wait for one.
Should you hire one rep or two?
Hiring two at once has a real advantage: if one struggles and the other succeeds, you learn whether the problem is the hire or the process. With a single hire it can take months to tell. If the budget allows, two reps with the same profile is a smart first step.
How do you set the first sales hire up to succeed?
- Write down the sales process the founder uses today, however rough.
- Hand over real opportunities, not only cold territory.
- Agree a ramp plan: what they should have achieved at 30, 60 and 90 days.
- Meet weekly to review pipeline and share what each of you is learning.
- Set the first-year quota from real conversion data, not hope.
How Sales Talent Group helps growing companies
We recruit first sales hires, early sales teams and first sales leaders for B2B companies across Canada and the United States, including venture- and private-equity-backed companies. We find people who have already done the job at a similar stage, check their record, and guarantee that your hire reaches their first-year quota, with placement within 45 days. That guarantee takes much of the risk out of the first hire, which is the one founders worry about most.
See scaling sales teams, sales recruiting for VC and PE-backed companies, or talk to us.
Questions about the first sales hire
When should a startup hire its first salesperson?
Once the founder has closed enough customers to describe a repeatable sales process and selling is taking time the founder needs for the rest of the business.
What should the first salesperson be paid?
A competitive base salary plus commission, set so that on-target earnings match what experienced reps earn for similar roles in your market. Underpaying the first hire usually means hiring someone less proven.
Should the founder stop selling after the first sales hire?
Not straight away. Founders usually stay involved in key deals while the new rep ramps, then step back as the rep proves they can close on their own.
