In this episode, Alexander Kohler and Kevin discuss the challenges of building and managing sales teams with limited resources. Kevin shares his journey from selling beer mugs to leading sales teams, emphasizing the value of hiring motivated young reps. He describes turning a minimal operation into a successful team, highlighting the importance of managing remote teams and fostering a supportive culture. Kevin also touches on people management, pressures from upper management, incentivizing quality over quantity, and the need for proper delegation. The episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for startups on creating effective and motivated sales teams with few resources.
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Questions?

Alexander Kohler:

alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Kevin Meyer:
Kevin´s LinkedIn

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00:00 - 01:07 Introduction and technical difficulties with the podcasting tool.

01:07 - 02:36 Kevin introduces himself and his background in sales.

02:36 - 04:41 Kevin shares his early experiences in sales and how he started.

04:41 - 07:25 Kevin's first job in tech sales and how he transitioned into the role.

07:25 - 08:45 Discussion about building a sales team with limited resources.

08:45 - 11:06 Kevin's experience building sales teams in Berlin and Barcelona.

11:06 - 13:20 Challenges and successes of training and managing working students.

13:20 - 15:10 Comparison of hiring junior reps vs. working students.

15:10 - 17:22 Insights on managing a remote sales team and maintaining motivation.

17:22 - 19:10 Tools and methods Kevin used to manage and train his team.

19:10 - 21:26 Kevin's daily routine managing the sales team and generating leads.

21:26 - 23:39 Importance of call shadowing and providing feedback to junior reps.

23:39 - 25:06 Handling feedback and training junior reps effectively.

27:45 - 30:06 Kevin discusses challenges in hiring junior sales reps under time pressure.

30:44 - 33:51 Kevin shares strategies for managing pressure from senior leadership.

34:00 - 40:15 Kevin reflects on the benefits of hiring senior sales staff to support team growth and outlines effective commission models for junior sales reps based on meeting and deal outcomes.

40:23 - 44:31 Kevin concludes with insights on learning through hands-on experience and the importance of early delegation in managing workload and team dynamics effectively.

In this podcast episode, Alexander interviews Josephine Wichmann about her career transition from chef to corporate roles, now leading sales at Fuji, a food startup in Munich. Josephine discusses Fuji's mission to offer fresh, nutritious food via advanced vending machines, particularly for SMEs. She highlights the challenges of selling a physical product and the importance of building client trust. The discussion also covers the sales process, expectation management, and using machine learning for food customization. Josephine stresses the importance of aligning with operational teams to ensure customer satisfaction and reduce churn during trials.

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Questions?

Alexander Kohler:

alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Josephine Wichmann:

Josie´s LinkedIn

00:00 - 00:28 Introduction and weather chat

00:28 - 02:30 Josephine's background in the food industry, her transition to Fuji, and leading a sales team

02:30 - 03:36 Challenges of being the first sales hire at a startup and Josephine's learning curve

03:36 - 05:32 Hiring insights and the founders' decision to bring Josephine on board

05:32 - 07:10 Introduction to Fuji, its mission, and product offering

07:10 - 09:51 Discussion on Fuji's typical customers, sales process, and demo methods

09:51 - 12:34 Target market focus on SMBs, handling objections, and the significance of subsidizing food costs

12:34 - 15:38 Challenges of selling a physical product and educating customers about Fuji's vending machines

15:38 - 17:16 Managing expectations within the sales process and alignment with operations and food teams

17:16 - 19:35 The importance of B2C satisfaction for B2B sales success and handling food subsidies

19:35 - 22:16 Selecting cuisines and using algorithms for optimal food assortment

22:16 - 23:21 Overview of contract terms and managing customer trials

23:21 - 24:01 Handling issues during trials, customer success involvement, and churn rate

24:01 - 25:00 Proactive communication to mitigate operational hiccups

30:12 - 31:57 Discussion on the main revenue drivers for the business, focusing on selling food over leasing contracts.

31:57 - 32:33 Exploring the importance of qualifying customers to ensure profitability, especially in terms of employee numbers and company subsidies.

32:33 - 34:54 Detailing the process of qualifying potential customers and the impact of employee subsidies on profitability, along with regional expansion plans.

34:54 - 36:00 Addressing the go-to-market strategy and the need for alignment between customer support, marketing, and sales teams.

36:00 - 38:23 Describing the alignment processes within the company, including weekly meetings and monthly business reviews, and discussing the transition to a new CRM system to better scale the business.

38:23 - 38:48 Emphasizing the importance of understanding and meeting customer expectations through feedback and tailored solutions.

38:48 - 39:18 Closing remarks and invitation to the audience to connect with Josie on LinkedIn and learn more about Fuji.

In this episode, hosts Alex King and Alexander discuss the challenges of first-time sales managers. Alex shares his career journey, highlighting the distinct skills needed for sales versus management. They cover hiring, managing talent, and Jeremy Duggan's "three Rs" framework: Recruiting, Retention, and Revenue. Emphasizing growth and independence, they stress the importance of allowing team members to learn from mistakes and develop problem-solving skills. Alex also discusses the transition from player-coach to manager and the need to balance support with autonomy to foster a culture of trust and development.

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Questions?

Alexander Kohler:

alexander@sellabl.co

Alex´s LinkedIn

Alex King:

Alex´s LinkedIn

00:00 - 01:28 Introduction

Alexander and Alex King introduce the topic and share a light-hearted moment about Alex’s last name.

01:28 - 04:09 Alex King’s Career Journey

Alex King discusses his career path from media sales to running his own business, and eventually moving into SaaS and revenue leadership roles.

04:09 - 05:51 Challenges of First-Time Sales Managers**

Alex King reflects on the difficulties he faced as a first-time sales manager and CEO, emphasizing the lack of guidance and resources available at the start of his career.

05:51 - 08:36 Role of a Sales Manager

Alex King explains the critical responsibilities of a sales manager, including recruiting, retention, and revenue, and introduces the “Three Rs” framework by Jeremy Duggan.

08:36 - 10:33 Player-Coach Dynamics

Discussion on the dual role of player-coach in startups, its challenges, and the misalignment of incentives when a manager also has a sales quota.

10:33 - 11:54 Founders and Sales Leadership Transition

Exploration of the transition phase from founder-led sales to establishing a structured sales organization, and the importance of leaders being involved in the sales process.

11:54 - 14:40 Recruiting the Right Salespeople

The significance of hiring the right caliber of individuals at different stages of a company's growth and the impact of having a competent sales leader on securing investments.

14:40 - 17:58 Promoting Salespeople to Managers

Alex King discusses the common pitfalls of promoting top salespeople to management roles and the differing skill sets required for successful sales management.

17:58 - 20:40 Characteristics of Successful Sales Managers

The necessary attributes and mindset shifts needed for salespeople transitioning into management roles, emphasizing selflessness and team-focused leadership.

20:40 - 24:38 Real-Life Scenario: Promoting the Right Person

A deep dive into a scenario where a VP must decide between promoting a top-performing salesperson or another team member, weighing the impact on team dynamics and respect.

24:38 - 26:20 Supporting Without Selling for AEs

The importance of a VP supporting their team without taking over their sales efforts, ensuring account executives grow and succeed independently.

28:11 - 32:44: Encouraging independent thinking and fostering a culture where team members are allowed to fail in a controlled environment are crucial for team development and scalability.

32:44 - 37:19: Hiring people better than oneself is essential for growth and scalability in a sales team, as it fosters a culture of excellence and self-sufficiency among team members.

37:19 - 42:17: Adapting leadership styles based on individual team members' needs is crucial for effective management and team performance, facilitating the transition from forming to performing stages.

42:17 - 47:08: Managing by numbers involves creating transparency and accountability by outlining clear expectations and performance metrics for team members, supported by coaching and feedback tailored to individual needs.

47:08 - 50:22: Providing feedback effectively requires understanding individual preferences and delivering it with pure intent, while handling difficult situations like termination with transparency, compassion, and support for the individual's next steps.