5 tips for scaling your sales team

So, you’ve built a killer cybersecurity service offering. It’s slick, solves a real problem, and you’ve even managed to sign your first few customers.

Now, you’re thinking, ‘How do I scale the sales?’

It's tempting to jump straight into hiring a seasoned sales manager or BDM, hand them the reins, and get back to building your empire.

Hold your horses.

Hiring your first salesperson, let alone a sales leader, is one of the most critical decisions you'll make.  Get it right, and you’ll build a revenue engine that fuels sustainable growth.

Get it wrong, and you’ll join the long list of founders who burn through talent, cash, and morale.

The average tenure for a sales manager is now under a year, which should tell you something is broken in the hiring process.

So, how do you scale your sales team without the drama?

Here are five key takeaways for Australian founders ready to grow..

1. Don’t hire a salesperson (yet)

If your business is in its early days, with less than $3-6 million in revenue, you, the founder, are the best salesperson you have. Early sales are about creating demand, not just closing deals. No one can do that better than you.

Why?

• Trust: You have the credibility customers want. You built the solution and lived the problem you’re solving.

• Unrivalled expertise: You know your product inside-out and can address any concern in real time.

• Direct feedback: Early customer talks offer priceless insights that inform your product and sales strategy.

  
  

At this stage, take the lead on sales, connect with customers, and refine your messaging. If you can't sell your own product to the first 5-10 customers, you can't expect someone else to.ress, often one of the smartest moves is to start by prioritising sales admin support.

2. Your first hire isn't a leader, it's an apprentice

When you’re juggling up to 40 customers, the urge to scale your sales team will be a real conundrum.

Resist it for now.

Your sales process is still unique to you. Instead, hire a sales admin or account manager - a sales apprentice. Their goal is to:

• Manage logistics after you’ve secured a win (contracts, onboarding)

• Learn your selling playbook

• Free you up to focus on where the business needs you most

  
  

You’re still driving sales. This division of labour allows you to keep control, stay close to the customer, and set a scalable foundation.:

3. Hire a sales manager to scale, not to save

Once you've hit the point where your capacity can't keep up, your lack of process starts to be the problem, or you can't seem to break through that revenue ceiling, it's time to systemise the founder-led sales approach you've built.

The traditional next step is hiring a full-time sales leader. However, finding a senior, experienced person who knows exactly how to structure a sales team for success is expensive and risky. It's hard to find the right person, and once you do, you've made a significant commitment that requires extensive onboarding and training.

The truth is, at this stage, the role doesn't demand a full-time, 40-hour-a-week commitment.

This is where a fractional sales leader can be transformative. You get the benefit of a senior, experienced leader who can hit the ground running and knows precisely how to build a scalable sales motion - without the cost and risk of a full-time hire.

Ready to build your sales engine?

Scaling a sales team is a marathon, not a sprint. By following these principles, you can avoid the common pitfalls that cause so many managed service providers to stumble. It means doing the hard work upfront, staying close to your customers, and hiring methodically.

Building a structured, sustainable sales engine is what we live and breathe at Morphability. If you’re ready to grow but aren't sure where to start, let's have a chat.

We can help you implement the right processes to ensure your sales team and your business are set up for long-term success.