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Before you sell your thousandth customer, your hundredth customer, or even your tenth customer, you have to sell that crucial first customer. For a new startup with no case studies or testimonials at its disposal, this can be a daunting task.
But eventually, one client signs on, and then another, and another. With a bit of luck, the lead flood gates open and you’re now tasked with scaling the sales process that got you this far. And this can be even harder than figuring out the first few months.
Mark Roberge can attest to the obstacles that crop up on this journey because he’s experienced them firsthand. As one of HubSpot’s earliest employees, Roberge scaled the sales team from one employee to 450, and increased revenue by 6000%. Along the way, he had to figure out the company’s sales hiring and training process, define the sales methodology, establish and continuously adjust the compensation plan, and fine tune prospecting, qualification, and closing procedures. Though it wasn’t easy, Roberge’s leadership as the SVP of sales and services helped the company cross the $100 million mark in just a few years.
