Growing Beyond Founder-Led SalesA Strategic Guide to Building a High-Performing Outbound Sales Team
For many small to mid-sized businesses, the founder is often not just the visionary but also the company’s top salesperson. This dual role is common because the founder typically knows the product or service better than anyone else, has a deep passion for the business, and can effectively communicate its value to potential customers. However, as the business grows, this model becomes increasingly unsustainable. The founder’s time is stretched thin, and the reliance on a single individual for the company’s sales function creates a significant bottleneck. At this stage, it becomes essential to transition from founder-led sales to a well-structured sales team that can drive growth independently.
The Challenge of Building a Sales Team
When business owners decide to step back from direct sales, one of the first steps is to hire salespeople. However, many companies make the mistake of trying to hire a single "super salesperson" who can do everything—prospect, set appointments, close deals, and manage customer relationships post-sale. This approach is fundamentally flawed for several reasons.
First, very few people are naturally gifted in all these areas. The skills and personality traits required for effective prospecting are quite different from those needed to close deals or manage long-term client relationships. Second, even if you find someone who is competent in all these areas, it's unlikely that they will enjoy every aspect of the sales process. People tend to gravitate toward tasks they enjoy and are good at, which means that areas of the sales process they dislike may be neglected, leading to under performance.
This common pitfall is why many businesses experience high turnover in their sales teams or find that their salespeople are not meeting expectations. To avoid these issues, it’s crucial to understand the four distinct roles that make up a fully functional outbound sales team and to build your team accordingly.
The Four Critical Roles of a Fully Functional Outbound Sales Team
To create a sales team that performs consistently and effectively, it's essential to break down the sales process into four key roles:
Prospector: The prospector is responsible for finding and qualifying leads. This is often the most challenging part of the sales process because it requires a high level of persistence, resilience, and the ability to handle rejection. Prospectors are the ones who make the cold calls, send out emails, and use various methods to generate interest in your product or service. A good prospector is invaluable because they keep the sales pipeline full, ensuring that there are always potential customers in the queue.
Setter: Once leads have been identified, the setter steps in to nurture these leads and schedule meetings or product demonstrations. This role requires someone who is organized, persuasive, and excellent at building rapport. The setter ensures that leads move smoothly through the sales funnel, setting the stage for the closer to take over. In many ways, the setter is the bridge between the initial interest generated by the prospector and the final sale.
Closer: The closer is the deal-maker. This person takes the nurtured lead from the setter, presents the final pitch, handles objections, and secures the sale. Closers need to be highly skilled in negotiation, have a deep understanding of the product or service, and be able to adapt their approach to different customer needs and personalities. A great closer is confident, persuasive, and thrives under pressure.
Maximizer: After the sale is made, the maximizer takes over. Their job is to ensure a smooth transition from sales to delivery, solidifying the client's commitment to the sale, ensuring their satisfaction, handling any issues that arise, and looking for opportunities to upsell or cross-sell additional products or services. The maximizer’s role is crucial for driving repeat business and increasing the lifetime value of each customer.
A Step-by-Step Approach to Building Your Sales Team
Understanding these roles is the first step. The next is to strategically build your sales team, focusing on these roles one by one rather than trying to find a single individual who can do everything.
1. Start by Hiring a Prospector/Setter
When building a sales team from the ground up, it’s often most effective to start by hiring a good prospector/setter. This individual will be responsible for generating leads and moving them through the initial stages of the sales funnel. By focusing on these roles first, you create a strong foundation for your sales process. A good prospector/setter will ensure that your sales pipeline is consistently filled with qualified leads, setting the stage for future success.
2. Then Bring in a Closer/Maximizer
Once you have a steady stream of qualified leads, the next step is to hire a closer who can convert these leads into paying customers. If your business model involves ongoing relationships with customers, you might also consider bringing in a maximizer at this stage. The closer and maximizer roles are critical for turning leads into revenue and ensuring customer satisfaction. Together, these roles help to solidify the gains made by your prospector/setter, creating a seamless transition from lead generation to revenue generation.
3. Separate Roles as Your Business Grows
As your business and sales team grow, you can begin to separate these roles into distinct positions. This allows each team member to specialize and excel in their area of expertise. For example, you might start with one person handling both prospecting and setting, but as the workload increases, it may make sense to split these into two separate roles. Similarly, as your customer base expands, you might need dedicated maximizers to focus solely on the transition from sale to delivery, maintaining and growing those relationships.
4. Scale to Full Departments
Eventually, your business may grow to the point where each of these roles becomes its own department. This level of specialization allows for even greater efficiency and effectiveness, as each team member or department can focus on their specific area of the sales process. This structure is often seen in larger organizations where the sales process is highly optimized and each role is supported by specialized tools and processes.
The Role of Sales Assessments in Hiring
Sales assessments can be a valuable tool in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of potential hires. There are numerous assessments available, such as the Objective Management Group Sales Assessment, DISC Assessment with a sales focus, and the Caliper Profile, among others. These tools can help you understand a candidate's aptitude for specific sales roles and predict their likelihood of success.
However, it’s important to note that while these assessments can provide useful insights, they are not a substitute for a well-thought-out hiring process. If you follow the structured approach outlined above—focusing on the specific needs of your business and hiring for clearly defined roles—you may find that you can effectively build your sales team without relying heavily on expensive assessments.
Conclusion
Transitioning from a founder-led sales model to a structured, high-performing sales team is a critical step for any business looking to scale. By understanding the distinct roles within an outbound sales team and taking a strategic, phased approach to hiring, you can build a team that drives consistent growth. Start by identifying the specific needs of your business, hire for those roles, and gradually expand your team as your business evolves. This methodical approach will help you avoid common pitfalls, reduce turnover, and set your sales team—and your business—up for long-term success.
By moving beyond founder-led sales, you not only free up your time as a business owner but also lay the groundwork for sustainable growth and scalability, ensuring that your business can thrive in the competitive marketplace.
