Starting your sales team on the right foot is crucial for scaling your B2B business. The decision of when and who to hire as your first sales representative can significantly influence your company's growth trajectory.

Strategic hiring is essential to ensure robust sales operations, whether you're a bootstrapped startup or a venture-backed enterprise. Let's explore why hiring two sales reps at once can be advantageous and what alternatives exist if budget constraints limit this option.

Why hiring two sales representatives makes sense

When setting up your sales team, common advice is to hire two sales representatives simultaneously. This approach offers several key benefits:

1. Identifying issues early: If you hire only one sales rep and things don't work as planned, pinpointing the root cause can be challenging. Is it a hiring mistake, a flawed sales process, or a product issue? With two reps, you can compare performance and better diagnose problems.

2. Maintaining sales momentum: If one rep underperforms or leaves, the other can continue driving sales, ensuring your momentum isn't lost. This redundancy mitigates the risk of stalling progress.

3. Benchmarking performance: With two salespeople, you can establish performance benchmarks, fostering healthy competition and providing a clearer picture of what's working and what's not.

However, hiring two sales reps can be financially demanding, especially for startups without significant external funding. Here's what you can do if your budget doesn't allow two hires.

Bootstrapping? Here’s how to make a single sales hire work

Hiring a single sales representative might be the only viable option for startups operating on limited budgets. To make this work effectively, ensure that one of the co-founders meets the following criteria:

1. Strong sales capability: One of the co-founders should be a skilled sales rep capable of closing deals and providing hands-on support to the new hire.

2. Experience in building sales processes: A co-founder with a solid sales background can help establish effective sales processes and ensure the company knows how to secure new accounts.

3. Proficiency in recruiting: If a co-founder has experience recruiting salespeople, the chances of a successful hire increase, reducing the risk of mis-hiring.

Steps to implement a single sales hire strategy

1. Leverage the co-founder's expertise: Ensure that the co-founder with sales experience is actively involved in the hiring and onboarding process. Their expertise will be invaluable in setting up the new hire for success.

2. Develop a robust sales process: Before hiring a salesperson, make sure the sales process is clear and effective. Documenting best practices and providing comprehensive training will help the sales rep hit the ground running.

3. Monitor and support closely: Regularly monitor the new sales rep's performance and provide continuous support and feedback. This will help address any issues early and ensure they align with company sales goals.

When to hire two sales representatives from the start

If your startup doesn't match the criteria for a single sales hire and you've attracted over ten customers, it might be wise to hire two sales reps from the outset. This approach will safeguard your growth trajectory and reduce the risk associated with a single point of failure.

Conclusion

Whether you're bootstrapping or have ample funding, the key to successful sales recruitment lies in strategic sales planning. This is done by leveraging existing expertise within your team. If your budget permits, hiring two sales reps can offer significant advantages. If not, ensure that your co-founders are equipped to support a single sales hire effectively.

Discover how Forecastio can enhance your sales and capacity planning process. Get a demo today and boost your sales performance management without complex implementation or high costs.