Opportunity Briefing #5

Snapshot 📸 

• How to crush your next interview

• One open opp we have in-network

What to do (and not do) when interviewing for a founding SDR/AE role

Every week I introduce candidates to founding teams at growing startups. Every week I also get feedback from these startups on what they did/did not like about the reps that I connected them with. This week I thought I would take a moment to share some of that feedback and provide my own insights into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to interviewing for a full-cycle sales role at an early stage startup.

Negative Feedback:

• This won’t be shocking, but the most common negative feedback I get from founders regarding reps I’ve intro’d them to is either

  1. They didn’t do any research about me/my business

  2. They asked generic questions. I wish they would have asked more pointed, specific questions about our company

  3. They seemed very low energy —> on this note one founder even told me “you should remind him he’s interviewing for a role in sales not accounting.”

Positive Feedback:

• Again, no surprises here, but this is what founders really notice when they speak with reps:

  1. Amazing questions —> the best reps will make the interviewer feel like they are the interviewee. The rep will ask detailed questions about the business to the point that it feels like they are a VC deciding whether or not to invest.

  2. Energy —> “I can teach him about the product. I can’t teach work ethic and drive”. This is a real quote from one of our customers after they spoke with a rep we connected them with. BRING the energy and enthusiasm.

     

     A real message from a customer after meeting a rep we connected them to…this rep is now working part-time for the founder and crushing it.

  3. A strong follow up —> let’s be honest…if you go out on a great first date and really hit it off with the person what’s the first thing you think about on your way home? Sending/receiving a follow up message. Same thing goes for interviews! If you enjoyed meeting someone and are interested in working together let them know with a strong follow up email!! This can make all the difference! Don’t just assume that because you were “vibing” on the call they will automatically know you’re interested!

Open Opportunities

Just one purely open opp this week. We have two others that are moving towards close (fingers crossed) as the reps we intro’d made great impressions and are in the final stages of interviewing.

Opportunity #1 - SaaS Startup in Building Materials

Company Overview:
This SaaS company focuses on providing solutions to the concrete, aggregate, and asphalt sectors of the building materials industry. After securing $3.4 million in seed funding last year, they’ve built a strong outbound sales process and formed key partnerships with some of the largest producers in the industry. The goal now is to keep the momentum going as they move towards a series A.

Part-time/Full-time:
Part-time to start, with the goal of transitioning to full-time in a few months.

Role:
You will work closely with the VP of Sales to book demos and support growth objectives. Ideal candidates have SDR experience and are motivated to help drive new business in a scaling environment.

Location:
Remote

Have a great week!