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Sales 101 for CEOs and Founders Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

Sales 101 for CEOs and Founders

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

What are Founde­r-Led Sales?

Founder led sales refer to a business strategy where the founders or CEOs of a startup actively partic­ipate in the sales process taking on a direct and hands-on role in acquiring customers and driving revenue.

Founda­tions of effective Founde­r-Led Sales

1. Know your product better than anyone
Knowing the product inside out enables you to articulate its value propos­ition clearly and persua­sively. This is crucial when commun­icating with potential customers, investors, partners, and team members.
2. Develop your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
Formulate a detailed Ideal Customer Profile to precisely identify your primary customer segment. This is essential to optimize resource alloca­tion, target marketing efforts effect­ively, and guide product develo­pment based on the specific needs of your target customer.
3. Craft a compelling Value Propos­ition
It briefly tells people why your product or service is special and how it will make their lives better. It should be clear, relevant, unique and simple.
4. Map the Founde­r-led sales process
Having a clear sales process from the beginning will guide you on how to move from point A to point B. It will help you stay organized and focused, and train sales reps faster once you start delegating sales functions.
5. Build real relati­onships
The work of establ­ishing and nurturing relati­onships with prospects and customers is key to fostering a sense of trust and loyalty.
6. Measure, measure, measure
Utilizing KPIs and measuring progress is fundam­ental for informed decisi­on-­making, goal alignment, efficient resource manage­ment, and overall success.
7. Learn to say NO
Learning to say "­NO" in the early stages of sales empowers you to focus on quality, allocate resources effici­ently, protect the company's vision, and set the stage for sustai­nable and strategic growth.
8. Leverage technology
Choosing the right sales tech stack, will help you operate more effici­ently, make data-d­riven decisions, scale operations and adapt to the changing landscape of sales.
 

Basic Sales Tech Stack

Final Consid­era­tions

1.Your role as a founder is not just about winning your initial 5 to 20 customers. It's about establ­ishing a process or foundation that allows others to replicate the same success.
2.Founde­r-led sales never stops and continues after PMF. Major customers will always want their executive team to build a relati­onship with the founders of the company.