It’s 2021. An early stage cybersecurity startup’s technical founder made a bold move. He stepped back from sales and handed it to a seasoned manager. No prep, no context, no process. Just: “Here’s the CRM. Go.”
Deals didn’t stall. They closed faster. Pipeline grew. Conversion rates jumped.
But in my view? That wasn’t process. That was luck.
The sales manager had to reverse engineer the pitch, the buyer persona, even the objections, on the fly. Most teams wouldn’t survive that gamble.
Here’s how to do it properly:
1. Transfer the Story, Not Just the CRM
Founders often know why early buyers said yes. That context, what clinched it, what nearly killed it, is gold. Dumping names into a CRM isn’t a handover. Sit down. Walk through the narrative. Call by call.
2. Package the Playbook
Codify the basics:
- Who’s the real buyer?
- What’s the objection pattern?
- What slide actually wins the room?
You don’t need a 40 page playbook. A tight Notion doc or Loom video will do. But do it.
3. Shadow, Then Step Back
Let the manager shadow calls before taking over. Then let them lead, but keep the founder looped in on edge cases and big pitches for a few cycles.
4. Make Space, Stay Close
Don’t micromanage. But don’t disappear. A weekly debrief can surface misalignments early, before they show up in lost deals.
The founder’s job isn’t just to sell. It’s to make sales scale. That means setting up successors to win faster than you did.
Even rockstars need a map. Give them one.
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