Tomer Tagrin.’s Post

There are some absolute gems in the salestech founder community and Alex Olley is one of them. We've been hiring and expanding fast here at Hyperbound and Alex's advice really helped us with this transition. I'm so happy I got to spend time with him when I swung by London and GTM EMEA Here are the top two things I learned: 1️⃣ Performance-based compensation can be a powerful motivator in early-stage companies. Employees who prefer a higher portion of their compensation to be performance-based, particularly in go-to-market roles, tend to be entrepreneurial and driven, which contributes to their success in these environments. 2️⃣ At the very beginning stages, founders often overlook the pros and cons of hiring highly experienced employees, beyond just the cost. While bringing on someone with extensive experience can feel reassuring and seem like a quick fix to a problem, it carries risks such as resistance to rapid change, a lack of open-mindedness, and potential missed opportunities for the founders to learn critical lessons. Thanks again for tea, and the great advice!

You often don't know what potentially extraordinary opportunity lies ahead of you in life, as was the case when Alex Wonderlic told me to join Placer.ai's world-class SDR team. Fast forward 2.5 years later and Placer.ai is announcing another milestone achievement of $100M in ARR! I could write a very, very long run on sentence about the things I love about this company, the roles I've held within it, and the individuals behind its greatness. Instead, I'll highlight just a few that have been spotlights in my tenure at Placer. Working with some of the most incredible leaders and brilliant minds (Benjamin Pitman, Warren Kay, Kerry Pearce, Michael Fordyce, Rachna Raina, Steve Banfield, Danielle Grisko, Ethan Chernofsky and so many more) -- an unrivaled continual learning experience that has fueled my growth & development since my very first day at this company. Coaching, training, teaching and learning from so many SDRs, CDRs and PDRs who have gone on to flourish in their own careers (Christopher Brian, Carlie Burner, Kyle Miller, Samuel Ireland, Freeman Payne, Brendan Strenge, Tyler Goldman, Pauline Assia, Sean Clancy, Danny Brazil Machado, Katie Kester, Lance Rush-Mills, Kyle Pheanis, Christian Stangel, Claire Holland). Building the Customer Development and Partnership Development departments with process-driven creativity, highly skilled reps (Cole Kisner, Brian R., Nicole Synnott, Matthew Verdun), and endless support from others throughout the organization. And lastly, lifelong friendships with colleagues that make each day more joyful (Cassidy Timms, Aislinn Goering, Taylor Hill, Meagan Dupre, and many others mentioned above). There's a quote from my yoga practice that I often think of in my day-to-day at Placer: "Every time you use the word 'but', you learn something about yourself. The 'but' will reveal your limiting belief. It's like a key to unlock the door to your full potential." If you're ready to uncover your full potential by joining a company like Placer where the sky is the limit, we're hiring so check out the link in the comments for openings. Thank you to our customers, partners, investors, and leaders who have made this achievement possible. Cheers to all the milestones (and the next $100M) to come!

As I ramp up to the full launch of Connect later this month (the new start-up) - I'm reminded how difficult it is to disrupt any industry and break away from how things are 'meant to be done' - customers/users are so set in their ways, comfortable using products and services (no matter how expensive or inefficient they are), simply because it's what they know. That's why I have a special admiration for any start-up challenging the status quo across any industry. One such business I've gotten to know this year is Jumpstart. I love their model - it makes so much sense for both candidates and clients, is fairly priced (how often can you say that in recruitment) and has pretty much universal positive feedback from a pretty strong client roster (a who's who in the U.K start-up scene). They have their next cohort for junior sales talent running next week. You can pitch your start-up to a hand-picked pool of the very best junior talent over zoom, and you get to interview any candidates that are interested. It's completely free to pitch your start-up and meet some great junior talent. If you're hiring for any junior sales roles in your start-up at the moment - you seriously need to give these guys a look. p.s I have no affiliation - I just had a great chat with Kabir Bali recently and can fully get behind their mission / model. Also - nowadays LinkedIn seems to be 99% self-promotion so it's just nice to rave about someone else's start-up/business once in a while - especially when more people should be using them. It feels oddly cathartic! Give it a try sometime :)

I once made a really bad mistake sticking around in a company... Joined to launch and scale GTM outside of the native market. Interview process went well. Founders were smart. Metrics were really impressive. VCs were on point. When I joined there were immediate red flags from day 1. 🚩 Elements of the culture that really didn't sit well with me. 🚩 Transparency was limited. 🚩 Collaboration & openness to be challenged was non existent. 🚩 There were no "cold customers" (it turned out almost all customers had been tapped from the founder's network. PMF, that the founder believed had been achieved already, most definitely had not.) 🚩 Thus expectation of what could be delivered cold in brand new territories was not realistic. I'm motivated by challenge so took it on and stuck it out. (I was also worried about how it might look for me if I quit so soon after joining.) It was the wrong move. Over time little things that I dealt with in the early days became more and more annoying. I became demotivated and lost my drive (which hadn't really happened before or since.) I've been lucky to meet some world class candidates across GTM at RAMPD. Many have had great experiences. Many have had bad ones too. They've gone on to get great jobs and progress their careers. The moral of the story: You can do a tonne of due diligence on a company and still be hit with surprises once you're in. Be sure to check (as well as the typical stuff): 💭 With your network - get references on the leadership/team. 💭 Their customer base - where did they come from/how were they acquired. 💭 Speak to the wider team - get non-founder opinion on company culture/strategy/leadership. And don't fear getting out of a bad environment early. #sales #hiring #interviewing #saas

From Sales Rep to Head of Growth for the Swedish market – Gain insight into Philip Robertsson's remarkable journey at Sendify, where six and a half years of dedication and growth have shaped his inspiring career path. Q: Tell us about your journey at Sendify A: My first role as a Sales Representative allowed me to understand the significance of our solution in addressing the challenges faced by SMEs in the shipping industry. This experience laid the groundwork for identifying areas of improvement, which led me to transition into the role of Business Development. As our value proposition expanded, we entered a phase of hyper-growth, resulting in a substantial increase in the size of the sales team. During this period, I assumed the role of Sales Lead, overseeing the team's efforts. Eventually, Rasmus transitioned into the Sales Lead role, and I took on the position of Head of Growth. Q: What was the moment you knew you’d made the right decision to work at Sendify? A: I initially joined Sendify out of curiosity, eager to experience the dynamics of working alongside ambitious entrepreneurs. I quickly realised that this journey is presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage with inspiring individuals and tackle compelling problem statements in the logistics industry. I believe after 2 or 3 months, when I really got to know the team, I knew that I made the right decision to work at Sendify. There is still so much to learn from everyone. Q: What has been the biggest learning in your career (so far)? A: The most significant lesson in my career so far is recognising the rarity of the passion and commitment I feel for Sendify. For us, the journey is not just a job; it's a commitment to shaping a more efficient world of logistics for SMEs, all while embracing enjoyment and personal growth. #gobeyond #careerjourney #lifeatsendify #careerstory

💣 A brutal onboarding experience for your new Sales Person will not end well. Here is how to Onboard them to drive success 💸 . Have you ever been super excited to hire a great sales person and have the relationship go sour quickly. This commonly happens with startups when they hire a sales person and push him off the cliff Day 1, and hope he learns to fly quickly. I understand the pressure to see results, but it is very short sighted if you think this can happen over night. This doesn't do good for anybody and will almost always end in failure. Here are some tips to help you drive success with your next Sales person and onboarding process. 1. Create a Warm Welcome: Make them feel part of the team from the start with a welcome kit, introductions, and a tour of your workspace (virtual or physical). 2. Set Clear Expectations: Define their role, goals, and the company’s sales processes. Transparency is key to aligning them with your vision. 3. Provide Training: Equip them with the tools and knowledge they need—whether it’s product training, CRM software tutorials, or insights into your target market. 4. Assign a Mentor: Pair them with an experienced team member who can guide them through the learning curve and answer any questions. 5. Regular Check-Ins: Schedule frequent meetings during their first few weeks to review progress, address concerns, and provide feedback. 6. Celebrate Early Wins: Recognize their initial successes to build confidence and momentum. Week 1: Learn industry and team members Week 2: Learn product and practice using it Week 3: Learn the process / tools / ops systems Week 4: Learn the messaging / pitch / demo and practice it. Role Play with your peers to master the talk tracks. Onboarding done right can turn a new hire into a top performer! 🌟 #Fractional #StartupLife #SalesOnboarding #SalesLeadership #SalesSuccess #BusinessGrowth #TeamBuilding #StartupCulture #SalesTips

🚀 Exciting story featuring Gong in action at Uber for Business! "Revenue intelligence has created a foundation for our newfound open access, objectivity, and shared insights, making it easier to achieve a team-oriented culture — from onboarding onward." Read the full story here and discover how Gong is helping drive success:

Story time How I was “given” the VP of biz dev title working for a startup. Bootstrapped agency focused on cold email for generating meetings. Began as a lead gen .. list building.. list cleaner — for a month or so.. Agency wanted to invest in biz dev and I was brought on as a BDR. After about 8 months I was named the VP of biz dev. In the beginning I was like.. this. is. awesome. Look at me. I wore that title until I decided to leave.. in May 2023. As I researched and discovered more about the title.. oh no. Nothing I’ve done correlates with this title .. nor do I have the experience to speak for this title. When I left I consulted close friends in the space. To help me understand what I was doing.. actually. I built lists I wrote copy I built teams I sent emails I ran meetings I sent proposals I sent agreements I negotiated with leads I signed off on contracts I brought on innovative tech I leaned out operations and tech It all boiled down to a full cycle AE.. with a large splash of loyalty and a sprinkle of caring too much. It didn’t take long before I was eating humble pie. Switched up my titles on LinkedIn and my resume with a smile. I learned A TON during that experience and forever grateful for the opportunity to work for a startup. I’ve learned A LOT more since I’ve been gone ..real talk. Fast forward to now.. I’ve got a lot in the oven **I know some of y’all are waiting for that announcement** Grateful to have landed this new role, grateful for amazing friends, and grateful for the opportunity to learn every day. Just always be real with yourself and where you’re at fam. The universe will pay it forward! If this resonated, hit my 🛎️ Thanks for reading! #mindset #sales

You’ll read a lot about the importance of launching with an MVP for a new business. Which I completely understand. However, when entering an existing saturated market, you need to differentiate or just out service your competition. Here’s how we stand out: ➡ Hiring top-tier talent  ➡ Partnering with elite consultants  ➡ Joining exclusive, application-only lead generation cohorts  ➡ Investing in specialised sales process coaching  ➡ Utilising the best software on the market  ➡ Implementing top-of-the-line systems and processes All of this costs more than a lot of existing companies are willing to invest but it helps us in out running existing companies. Even though we’re running a marathon, we still need to sprint. Especially when we’re trying to build the Man City of Lead Generation.

In 7 years, Pavilion went from a local happy hour for 10 overworked VP of Sales to a global platform with 10,000 paying members around the world. Here are the 5 biggest lessons I learned about growing a startup: 1. Focus Your market is bigger than you think. Your first group of products will scale further than you think.  Before $20M in ARR, resist the temptation to go broad.  Resist the temptation to open an office in a new geo. Resist the temptation to sell to an adjacent customer. Every new initiative or GTM motion is costly, time consuming and distracting. You’ll need all of those things eventually (new markets, new customers, new products), just not as soon as you think.  Enjoy the beautiful monotony of doing one thing very well. 2. Talent drives outcomes Your execution is directly related to the quality of talent on your team.  You want there to be a mix of people that are hungry and can learn.  And you want there to be people with deep subject matter expertise.  But understand that your results are going to be driven by the quality of the “motor” from the people on your team.  Lower you hiring standards at your peril.  It will show up in slipping targets and missed forecasts. The old adage “hire slowly, fire quickly" is true.  Hiring for a role out of desperation is a surefire path to mediocrity.  3. Never lose sight of the customer Your customers will provide you the roadmap. In B2B especially, you’re not Steve Jobs.  You don’t need to know better than them.  Avoid drawing up your strategy in a backroom whiteboard without checking in with them.  Avoid product teams that don’t spend time deeply interacting with customers. Avoid zooming out so far you lose empathy for what motivates them.  Customera are your north star.  4. Size your bets For most questions, it’s not “if” you should do something but to what extent.  New ideas should be encouraged but preserve your precious capital by ensuring that before you go big you have enough data to understand HOW big.  Maybe you should build a new GTM motion but that doesn’t mean throwing millions of $$$ at that new motion before you have evidence it works. 3 AE’s hitting quota? Great! That doesn’t mean hire 20. Hire 3 more. See how they do. Channels don’t scale linearly. Size your bets. 5. Build your operating rhythm Every company needs an operating system.  Ideas are great.  Talent is great.  But you need a system where the team is reviewing performance on a regular basis, is accountable to each other, understands expectations, and feels pressure to deliver results.  So figure out what your system should be.  It can be V2MOM.  It can be EOS.  But it has to be something that provides a rhythm to your team and builds discipline and a regular reporting cadence. Bottom line... The most important lesson is the first one: Focus.  Get GREAT at a small number of things. Not good at a huge number of things Being great is 10x the value of being good.