[MangoDiesel]

This is generally very sound advice. There is one part that I take issue with though.

>We also looked for proactive junior staff out of companies like LinkedIn who were ready for the next step, but not afforded the opportunity

>A candidate may have worked in sales, but if they were an account manager tending existing customers, they may not be cut out to be an account executive acquiring new business. Just because someone has made 80 sales calls a day in a prior job doesn't mean they can demo and close. Make sure candidates have the expertise you need.

These two points contradict each other, and I think it is a very important issue. If you are not willing to allow a junior person a better opportunity immediately (hiring them into a promotion) then you have to compensate them better compared to the current company for the same position (short of intangibles.)

Often times, larger companies will have a more deliberate and organized sales process that is time-based. This creates scenarios where candidates that are otherwise qualified for the next step (Market Development Rep --> Account Executive) have a seemingly artificial ceiling preventing them from that role at their current company. While it probably makes sense at the larger company for a Market Rep to be promoted after 18-24 months, this person may be very capable of the next level earlier.

If you can successfully find driven junior level people who have this type of artificial ceiling, you can hire very valuable sales people. This also means you are going to have to take a risk that they can perform on the next level, but you can also hedge this risk by offering slightly less total compensation for the opportunity _now_.

[petekazanjy]

Totally right! Goal of this was not to say "don't hire them" but instead "authenticate the acumen."

Also, the non-abridged chapter for the book talks about exactly this:

"But there is a caveat when it comes to more junior staff. Many of these industry bellwethers have the infrastructure to support solid sales training programs and to instrument good sales behaviors, like high calling and emailing activity. So looking there for junior sales staff, like market development reps, who are ready to move on to a closing role could make sense. Just be cautious that the potential hire hits your other requirements, as many of these larger organizations have a lower bar for other important criteria."

Great point!

[vivekpreddy]

Those statements don't necessarily contradict each other. For example, there are a lot of junior sales development (or business development) reps that have these artificial ceilings put on them where it takes a lot longer to get promoted into a true closing role. Their skillsets are still quite aligned with what you'd want in a closing rep in that they have to prospect, cold-call and drum up business in a similar hunting fashion as that of a true closing rep.

On the other hand, you do have to be wary of those that are extremely used to having inbound flow for their calls or were more of account managers. It's a completely different style of sell- more farming and less hunting. For earlier stage companies, you almost always are looking for hunter-types, and that's what the author is trying to point out.

tl;dr: Hire up-and-coming SDRs/BDRs whose growth pattern is too limited at larger companies but avoid farmers when what you actually need are those with the hunter gene in them.