The people and the system: Sales and Talent, in that order
Week one: the new salesperson has no CRM access. Week two: there is no playbook, so they shadow the founder when the founder has time. Week three: nobody has agreed their targets. Week four: there are no leads assigned. Week nine: they resign, and the business concludes it is hard to find good salespeople.
It is a familiar story, and the conclusion is usually wrong. The problem wasn't the person. It was that they were hired into a business with no system to walk into.
The short version
- Salespeople perform when they join a working system: a clear process, a CRM set up around it, a playbook, targets and a steady flow of qualified leads.
- Build that first, then hire.
- NOIZE Sales designs the system and NOIZE Talent provides the people to run it, from fractional sales leads to outsourced teams, so new people perform sooner and stay longer.
Why sales hires fail
01No process
Without defined stages and steps, each salesperson invents their own approach.
02No tools
CRM access, templates and pricing are missing or out of date.
03No leads
The hire is expected to find their own customers from day one, without the support to do it.
04No targets or measures
Nobody knows what good looks like, so performance conversations are vague.
05No coaching
The founder is too busy to coach, so the new person learns by trial and error.
Build the system first
- The playbook. Ideal customer, qualification, stages, objections, pricing and follow-up, written down.
- The CRM. Set up around the process with stages, tasks and templates.
- The lead flow. Marketing producing qualified leads, with clear rules for who follows up.
- Targets and measures. Activity and outcome targets that are realistic for the ramp-up period.
- Onboarding. A first-month plan covering product knowledge, the playbook, shadowing and early wins.
Then bring in the people
With the system ready, hiring becomes far less risky. And it doesn't have to be a full-time permanent hire straight away. NOIZE Talent can provide a fractional sales lead to run the process part-time, embedded salespeople who work as part of your team, or outsourced sales capability while the role proves itself. Once the process is stable and the volume justifies it, a permanent hire can step into a role that has already been tested.
> I've taken thousands of sales calls and hired many salespeople, and the best performers I ever brought on joined the businesses that had their act together. Same talent pool, different outcome. People rise to the level of the system you give them.
“Couldn't recommend these guys enough.”
An illustrative example
Picture a manufacturer that has hired and lost two salespeople in eighteen months. Before a third attempt, Sales builds a playbook from the founder's knowledge, sets up the CRM and agrees targets. Talent provides a fractional sales lead two days a week to run the process and coach. Within a quarter, the pipeline is fuller and better organised, and the business has a clear picture of what a full-time role would need.
Mistakes to avoid
- Don't hire to fix a process problem. Fix the process first.
- Don't expect immediate results. Set realistic ramp-up targets.
- Don't leave new salespeople to find their own leads with no support.
Questions to ask before hiring a salesperson
- Is our sales process written down?
- Is the CRM set up around it?
- Are there enough qualified leads for someone to work?
- What targets would be realistic in the first ninety days?
- Who will coach the new person?
- Would a fractional or outsourced arrangement test the role first?
If more than two answers are unclear, the system isn't ready yet.
What good looks like
The playbook, CRM, templates and lead flow are in place before anyone starts. The new person has a ninety-day plan with activity targets first and revenue targets later. A fractional sales lead or the founder coaches weekly. Pipeline reviews happen in the CRM. By the end of the first quarter, the new salesperson is running their own pipeline and closing deals, and the business knows whether to expand the team.
Flexible options while the role proves itself
Not every business is ready for a full-time sales hire. NOIZE Talent can provide a fractional sales lead, embedded salespeople or outsourced sales capability, so the business tests the role, refines the process and only commits to permanent headcount when the numbers support it.
Where to start this week
Write down what a new salesperson would need on their first day: access, tools, documents, leads and targets. Tick what exists today. The gaps are what to build before you hire. See sales.noize.com.au and talent.noize.com.au.
How Sales connects to the rest of NOIZE
This is where the wider NOIZE group makes a difference. NOIZE Legal helps keep terms of trade current, with an appropriately qualified professional where required. And when deals grow larger, NOIZE Accounting helps make sure the pricing still works. Sales stops being one person's job and becomes a system the whole business supports. NOIZE Marketing brings the leads and adjusts campaigns based on which ones close. NOIZE Digital builds the CRM, integrations and automation that keep follow-up running. NOIZE Creative makes proposals and pitch decks look like the brand. NOIZE Talent provides the people to run the process once it exists.
Related reading
- Stop leaving deals on the table: where small businesses lose sales
- Follow-up should not depend on who remembers
Common questions
Why do new salespeople fail?
Often because there is no process, tools, leads or coaching for them to work with.
What is a fractional sales manager?
An experienced sales leader who works part-time, running the process and coaching the team.
Should I outsource sales?
It can work well for testing a market or role, especially once there is a clear process to follow.
How long does a new salesperson take to ramp up?
It depends on the sales cycle. A good system and onboarding plan shortens it.
What should a sales onboarding plan include?
Product knowledge, the playbook, CRM training, shadowing and early targets.
How do I set sales targets for a new hire?
Start with activity targets during ramp-up, then move to revenue targets as they settle.
Can NOIZE recruit a permanent salesperson?
Yes. NOIZE Talent handles recruitment once the role is defined.
What comes first, marketing or a salesperson?
Both matter. A salesperson needs qualified leads, so Marketing and Sales should be planned together.
How often should the sales pipeline be reviewed?
Weekly for active deals, with a monthly look at conversion rates and trends.
Can NOIZE Sales work with our existing team?
Yes. We build the process and tools around your team and coach them to use it.
What is a qualified lead?
A lead that matches your best-fit customer and has a genuine need, budget and timeframe, as agreed between Marketing and Sales.
How do we know where deals are lost?
Track each deal's stage in a CRM and review lost deals regularly, recording the reason each time.
Should the owner still be involved in sales?
Usually, yes, in coaching, key meetings and the largest deals, rather than in every step.
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