147. How to determine if you are hiring the right type of sales leader, with Karen Gordon

This episode is also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Fo8j45Ne1Y

Hiring the right salesperson for the stage your company is currently in is crucial to your success. As Karen Gordon emphasizes, the importance lies in understanding the unique needs of your company’s growth phase and finding someone who can meet those specific demands. Early-stage companies might require a salesperson who is versatile and capable of wearing multiple hats, from creating sales emails to collaborating with marketing. On the other hand, more established companies might need someone who excels in managing and growing a sales team. Hiring someone not ready for the role can lead to misaligned strategies, wasted resources, and missed opportunities, ultimately hindering your company’s growth.

Karen Gordon is a distinguished go-to-market leader with a career dedicated to building and scaling early and growth-stage startups. Most recently, she served as the Executive Vice President and a founding team member at GoodShuffle Pro, a SaaS platform for event companies. Under her leadership, GoodShuffle Pro grew from zero dollars to over five million in annual recurring revenue, leading to their Series A funding in January 2024. Currently, Karen is a consultant and advisor to businesses looking to scale, leveraging her extensive experience in revenue generation, marketing, and product management. Her expertise is sought after by companies aiming to achieve significant growth and operational excellence.

What you'll learn:

• What are the crucial factors to consider when hiring a salesperson for different stages of a company's growth?
• How can founders identify red flags and ensure they hire the right sales leader for their needs?
• What strategies can early-stage companies employ to build trust and effectively scale their sales efforts?
  

We want to hear from you!

Sales leaders: What are the challenges you are faced with? Would you like some ideas on how to solve them? Hamish will shortly be releasing our first "Listener questions" episode and we want to hear from you! What's the burning question you want an answer to? What do you think of the show? Whatever your questions, comment on social media or email us at the address below, and we will possibly add your questions to future episodes. 

Please submit your questions at: https://share.hsforms.com/1bauMW6liRNKbrZR0w6FPNwbn9ta

Resources: 

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - by Angela Duckworth

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action - by Simon Sinek

Who: The A Method for Hiring - by Geoff Smart, Randy Street

Multipliers, Revised and Updated: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter - by Liz Wiseman

Goodshuffle Pro - https://pro.goodshuffle.com/

Karen Gordon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kgordon177/

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Connect with Hamish on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishknox/

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