The easy answer is Yes! You must review results on a consistent basis to hold yourself accountable but to also analyze what went well and what did not go well. Too many times business owners fail to make adjustments based on the feedback they are receiving. Having a mentor or peer you can disc...
Personally, I'm a fan of sales comp plans being tied to ongoing performance. Sure, the salesperson should get some of that long tail, but only while he continues to work productively at the company. Once he leaves, he should lose the tail, since someone else will likely need to step into the rela...
Don't Outsource. Period. While there are big drawbacks with outsourcing related to building internal expertise the real reason I would never outsource at your stage is the need for speed and flexibility. Per your description, you are an early stage start-up with a MVP that is gathering data....
If I was you I would talk to those companies that have had great approach with retailers and learn from them. Some of this companies (not limit to this list) are: Reserve, Foursquare, Yelp, Density, Estimote Learn from them, maybe even partner with them
HelpScout, ZenDesk or Desk.com. HelpScout (help desk software) would be a great start – less options but even when I ran a 6 person customer support team (with over 500 emails a day), we never needed the complex features of Desk.com. Have one person create 'saved replies' to quickly answer your...
Do you have any internal sales professionals? You should at LEAST have an internal sales director who sets the strategy for a sales force. Then you determine if the proper path is a contracted sales force. I've known companies that have used outside sales teams however NONE that have seen the typ...
The way I hire anyone is to find someone who's currently employed in that role for a company in my existing market. You can find that person using a few techniques. 1) LInkedIn: Search who's currently doing technical sales for companies similar to yours, and reach out to them to get advice on "...
Depends on a large number of factors. Here are a couple - 1. If you own and operate them, do you have the capital to grow as fast as you would like? 2. Do you need to franchise, or will a standard license or dealer arrangement suffice? 3. How much control do you need to exercise over the operatio...
Your question is very interesting and gives me a feeling you have a real commitment for success because it makes me feel you care for your team. If this question could be fully answered in a couple of lines, you can imagine all managers and executives would lead their teams successfully. The ...
There are several factors to consider: 1. Profit share does not have to equal equity. As an example, two people can agree to split net profits 50/50 even though the percentage of equity is split 60/40. Just get it in writing. So find out their expectations for long term income and equity. Are th...