You know you need help with sales, but the last thing you want is another direct report to manage.

You barely have time to manage your own calendar. But, you need to scale the sales process and step away from it so you can fully step into the owner role.

If you’ve tried to hire a salesperson and it didn’t work out, you’re not alone. We’ve talked to dozens of founders who made the same leap. You’re stretched thin, revenue’s growing, and it feels like the right time to bring in someone to “own sales.” So you write the job description, run the interviews, and believe you found a great fit.  And then… nothing. No sales. And an expensive salary to pay. Several months later, you’re wondering if you made a huge mistake.

On the exciting path to ramping up sales, small business owners like us often hit a fork in the road that can really make us scratch our heads: Do we lay down the groundwork and build a strong sales infrastructure first, or jump straight into the action by hiring a savvy sales pro who can land deals and help build that foundation along the way? This decision might look like a no-brainer at first glance, but let me tell you, it's anything but simple. It's one of those big decisions that not only sets the immediate direction for our ventures but also shapes the way we grow and connect with our customers down the line.

In the fast-paced world of SMB's, where every decision counts, there's a secret sales weapon that can absolutely set your business apart: your mission. And here me out on this.....I'm not talking about a fancy tagline......I'm referring to the heartbeat of your organization, the soul that fuels every action and decision. The very reason you and your team show up for work every single day.

Let's dive into 4 reasons why your mission is the unsung hero of lasting sales success.

In the dynamic world of sales, success isn't just about closing deals; it's about cultivating the right mindset. This is true of salespeople and those who lead them.

Great salespeople understand that their mindset plays a crucial role not only in their individual success but also in choosing the right company to work for. In this post, I'll talk about the key mindset attributes of top-performing salespeople and how these factors influence their decisions about who they choose to work for.

A business owner creates an Accidental Growth Lid when they won't let go of the sales function in their business. This is an all-too-common entrepreneurial mistake. It not only affects the growth and valuation of their business, it often creates some personal challenges as well.

I have had far too many conversations with business owners about their lack of margin and time for the things and people they love. There is a lot of frustration about it to be sure. However, most entrepreneurs I've talked to simply consider it an acceptable cost of building a new business.

A seasoned sales professional (me) was once asked, “Why are you so successful at sales?”

The question, coming from the President, and Co-Founder of the company that had employed me for five years caught me off-guard. I hadn’t really given it much thought. I had been in sales for most of my life, and to me, just did what came naturally.

The Discovery Call is the most important conversation in almost any sales process and yet so many salespeople and business leaders are missing the boat. If you take this part of the sales process seriously, the wins will come far more frequently. If not, you will constantly struggle to obtain a healthy close rate

As I have led sales teams and we have assessed sales operating systems at Altezza, here are the 7 most common mistakes we see over and over.