Article · 12 min read

The Top 10 Mistakes Folks Make Hiring Their First Sales Team

Jason Lemkin · SaaStr Free Intermediate

Jason Lemkin has watched thousands of SaaS founders make this hire, and this is his running list of what goes wrong. The number one mistake he names is hiring before the founder has closed the first 10 to 20 customers themselves, which is exactly the trap our short answer is warning against.

  • The most common mistake is hiring a rep before the founder has proven the motion themselves
  • Hiring for a resume (worked at a famous company) over ability to sell your specific product is a recurring failure
  • Underpaying your first sales hire is a quieter but equally common mistake
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The question it answers

  1. When do I know it's time to hire a salesperson instead of doing it myself?

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