The question of needing a sales team is top of mind for most startups and fast-growing companies. As the leader of sales recruitment team for the last 20 years, it’s a question I get asked a lot. What I usually tell leaders of those type of companies is that there will come a time when you’ll need to establish a sales team if you want to scale up. But some company owners still question the need so I thought I’d capture my thoughts here. 

The purpose of a sales team goes far beyond “just selling things.” In a well-run organization, a sales team serves several interconnected roles that drive revenue, build relationships, and feed strategic growth. So, the need for a sales team goes beyond the need for someone to make sales and generate revenue. 

We’ll explore the following questions to determine if you need a sales team:

• What is the purpose of a sales team?
• Why do you need a sales team?
• When should you hire a sales team?

What Is The Purpose Of A Sales Team?

Selling is a key action, but it’s not the only purpose of sales reps. If you think about it, the sales team’s purpose is essentially to create, capture, and sustain value for the customer and for the company. Without them, growth becomes guesswork. Here’s a breakdown of the core purposes:

1. Generate Revenue: This is the obvious purpose. The most direct and measurable goal is to close deals and bring in income for the business. Without sales, even the best product or service won’t sustain the company.
2. Identify and Develop New Business Opportunities: Sales teams don’t just respond to interest; they proactively seek out new markets, clients, and partnerships. This expands the company’s reach and opens fresh revenue streams.
3. Build and Maintain Customer Relationships: Salespeople act as trusted advisors, nurturing trust before, during, and after a sale. Strong relationships lead to repeat business, referrals, and long-term loyalty.
4. Understand Customer Needs and Market Trends: Sales teams are on the front lines of customer interaction. They gather valuable insights into pain points, preferences, and emerging trends, which can inform product development and marketing strategies.
5. Represent the Brand: Salespeople often are the face of the company. Their professionalism, knowledge, and communication style directly influence how the brand is perceived.
6. Collaborate Across Departments: Sales teams work closely with marketing, customer service, and product teams to ensure that what’s promised to customers matches what’s delivered, creating a consistent customer experience.
7. Support Company Growth Goals: Beyond hitting monthly targets, sales teams play a long-term role in expanding the business footprint, improving market share, and meeting strategic objectives.
   

Why Do You Need A Sales Team?

You need a sales team because they are the driving force that turns your products or services into actual revenue. Even with great marketing, an excellent product, or strong brand awareness, you still need skilled people who can have conversations, build trust, and guide potential customers through the buying process.

A sales team is essential for a business because they are responsible for generating revenue by actively closing deals. They build crucial human connections, fostering trust and personalizing the buying experience. Operating on the front lines, they provide valuable market insight by gathering direct feedback from customers, which helps improve products and services. 

Salespeople are also key problem-solvers, identifying customer challenges and positioning your offerings as the solution. The team acts as brand ambassadors, shaping the company’s reputation through every interaction. Finally, they ensure consistent growth by creating a steady pipeline of opportunities and repeat business, which is more reliable than one-off marketing wins.

In short, you need a sales team to bridge the gap between interest and purchase, while also creating loyal customers who stick around and refer others.

When Should You Hire A Sales Team?

You know the purpose and why you need a sales team. But when should you hire one? You should hire a sales team when your business reaches the point where personal outreach, relationship-building, and deal-closing are critical to sustaining or accelerating growth. The exact timing depends on your product, market, and resources, but here are the key signs it’s time:

1. You Have a Proven Product or Service: You’ve validated that people want what you’re offering, and now you need more hands to scale sales beyond founder-led efforts.
2. Inbound Interest Is Outpacing Your Capacity: Leads are coming in faster than you can follow up, and opportunities are slipping through the cracks. If you have too many missed calls and can’t follow up, it’s time. This is a common sign to scale up.
3. You Need to Expand into New Markets: Entering new regions, industries, or customer segments often requires dedicated salespeople who can research, network, and build relationships locally.
4. Your Sales Cycle Requires Personal Touch: If your product is complex, high-value, or requires trust-building, a sales team can guide prospects through the decision-making process more effectively than automated channels alone.
5. Your Growth Goals Can’t Be Met Through Marketing Alone: Marketing creates awareness, but you need people to actively pursue leads, close deals, and upsell existing customers.
6. Customer Retention Is a Priority: Account managers or customer success–focused sales roles can maintain relationships, secure renewals, and increase lifetime value.
7. The Founder or Leadership Team Is Stretched Too Thin: If leadership is juggling sales alongside other responsibilities, a dedicated sales team frees them to focus on strategy, operations, and innovation.

Hire a sales team when you’re ready to move from opportunistic sales to predictable, scalable revenue generation.

A Final Word On When To Invest In A Sales Team

For any startup or growing business, the question of when to build a sales team is critical. A sales team’s purpose extends far beyond simply “selling things”; they are essential for creating, capturing, and sustaining value for both the customer and the company. It’s time to hire a sales team when your product has a proven track record, inbound leads are overwhelming your current capacity, and you need to scale growth beyond what marketing or founder-led efforts can accomplish alone. Creating a sales team allows you to move from unpredictable sales to a more strategic and scalable model for generating revenue.

Get More Advice From Our Sales Recruitment Team

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