The easiest way for Kiwi startups to fail is to never build and exert your sales muscles. Avoid becoming great at sales at your peril.
Columnist
Serge van Dam
Sales is the oldest profession in the history of our species. Whatever your philosophical or religious starting point, a sales event kicked it all off (Adam and Eve were sold on the benefits of the fruit by the Serpent).
I was lucky enough to host the inaugural Sales Jam back in February (hosted by Movac and Apprento, and covered here by Caffeine Daily). Two hundred sales professionals – and founders who wished they could be – were in the room.
Other than the great human stories told, my core reflection was that every startup is a sales company. It seems like an obvious thing to say, but we don’t say it out loud very often. Convincing a cofounder to join you on a mission to change the world is a sales pitch. Getting investment is a sales process. Getting customers to try your product requires sales skills. And repeatedly getting revenue from a market requires… you guessed it, being great at sales.
In every sector, tech domain, stage of business and geography, being good at sales vastly improves the prospects of your company.
For some reason, the word ‘sales’ carries weird and consequential connotations in New Zealand. It is seen as something secondhand car salesmen do, and leaves you with an ‘icky’ feeling. Or when cults try to get you engaged with their intriguing magazines of fiction at the vegetable markets.
My sense is that this is a cultural leftover from the British – selling is seen as crude, lowbrow and pedestrian. It is certainly not like that in the US, or small independent, modern economies like Singapore. This is not helpful if we Kiwis want to be a globally relevant country. Nor if you really want to change the world with your idea.
We must move beyond this tragic and toxic set of beliefs if we want our startups to flourish.
If you need some other more specific reasons for becoming great at sales, I offer you:
Selling is the greatest profession. Yes, it is.
In my first job, I graduated from delivering consulting services to selling them. I doubled my salary overnight (and bought my mum some golf clubs with my first commission check).
These days, founders want me in their tent because I know a bit about selling.
As for me personally, I don’t worry too much. You can get out of most challenging situations through a bit of salesmanship. Revenue problem? Sell more stuff, and sell it for more. Talent problem? Sell the value of your mission to people with skills. Capital problems? Sell the value of your company to people with cash.
Most founders have a natural affinity for sales, even if they don’t know it. They understand the problem domain deeply, have unique insights, and ooze passion for a different world.
Being great at sales is a superpower. Where you have it, use it. Where you don’t, work on it.
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