Predictable Revenue laid the ground work for sales development and the rise of sales engagement software. The author, Aaron Ross, outlined a more modern, predictable function of appointment setters on the sales team, as separate from the closing team. In the book, he outlines four types of functions on the sales team.
Here are the four types of sales reps in startups:
- Market Response Rep – Qualifies and nurtures inbound leads that are handed off to an account executive once engaged in the sales cycle (one rep can handle approximately 400 inbound leads per month)
- Outbound Sales Development Rep – Cold calls and emails potential prospects and nurtures them until they are ready for an account executive (one rep should generate 10-20 qualified leads per month)
- Account Manager – Manages the relationship with existing customers and continually looks for ways to add more value
- Account Executive / Sales Rep – Carries a quota and is responsible for taking leads engaged in the buying process through to close and hand-off
Early in the startup lifecycle, it’s common to have “full stack” sales reps that do both the appointment setting and deal closing. Then, as the startup grows, more specialization emerges. Look for these four types of sales reps.
What else? What are some more thoughts on the four types of sales reps?
David Cummings on Startups 