Scale & Business Systems · Automate with AI
Partnerships & Strategic Growth
Make your first sales hire with confidence: pick SDR, AE, fractional, or VA with the first-hire matrix, then run interviews, a 30-day onboarding playbook, ramp expectations, and compensation design.
10 lessons · 490 minutes
Before starting: A sales process that closes deals consistently without hired help
Start courseWhat you walk away with
- Decide when to make your first sales hire with a timing decision tree instead of desperation
- Choose between an SDR, AE, fractional rep, or VA using the first-hire matrix
- Write a sales job description and run interviews that predict performance
- Onboard a new rep with a 30-day playbook and explicit month 1-3 ramp expectations
- Set base plus variable compensation and manage or exit a hire that is not working
- An automation map for one repeated handoff, with exceptions, an owner, and a review step. Every artifact saves to your workspace, so you keep it after the course ends.
- A knowledge-check quiz and a visual walkthrough inside every one of the 10 lessons, about 8 hours of guided work.
- Most lessons close with a checklist, template, or do-it-this-week task, so progress shows up in your work, not just in the app.
The Hire Timing Decision Tree
Learn when to hire your first salesperson for your small business - avoid costly mistakes by understanding the revenue thresholds, documentation requirements, and readiness checklists that ensure hiring success.
SDR vs AE vs Fractional vs VA: First Hire Matrix
Identify your core sales bottleneck and choose the right first hire to solve it -- whether you need pipeline generation, closing expertise, or process improvement.
Writing the Job Description
Learn to write a compelling, specific job description that attracts the right first sales hire for your small business -- avoid clichés and be transparent to filter for quality.
Interview Framework for Sales Roles
A 3-stage interview process to identify sales talent for your small business -- focusing on practical skills, not just personality, to find someone who can actually grow your client base.
Compensation: Base + Variable Models
Learn how to structure fair and motivating compensation plans for your first sales hire - covering base salary, variable pay, accelerators, and equity - to attract the right talent and align their success with your business growth.
The 30-Day Onboarding Playbook
A week-by-week plan to onboard your first sales or marketing hire, transferring your customer knowledge and sales voice so they can start generating leads independently within 30 days.
Ramp Expectations: Month 1-3
Learn the week-by-week framework for setting and tracking realistic performance goals for your first sales or marketing hire, so you can spot problems early and guide them to success.
Managing Your First Sales Rep
Learn how to effectively manage your first sales hire to drive results without micromanaging -- includes a framework for weekly 1:1s, call coaching, and performance metrics.
When the First Hire Doesn't Work Out
Learn to identify performance issues early, coach effectively, and make the tough keep-or-part-ways decision respectfully and professionally -- turning a difficult situation into a learning opportunity for your next hire.
Your Hiring Playbook
Package everything you've learned into a single Hiring Playbook that makes your next hire faster, cheaper, and more likely to succeed -- transforming you from a business owner who sells to one who builds and manages a sales team.