Dear SaaStr,
In the scenario of hiring a head of sales for a high-priced, niche B2B SaaS product, the decision between focusing on general B2B SaaS sales experience or market/customer knowledge becomes crucial, especially if finding a candidate with both is challenging.
Selling a $100,000+ product with limited knowledge of the customer base may lead to the temptation of hiring someone with an extensive network. However, hiring someone without domain expertise and experience in small deals is not a viable option.
For larger deals, the value of domain expertise increases, as reps with industry experience can bring in strong leads. It is advisable to explore both options by hiring the best AE with deep industry experience to bring in qualified opportunities from their network, as well as hiring a strong AE with general experience at the price point.
In summary, it is crucial for complex vertical SaaS start-ups to have reps with domain expertise for success in early stages. Additionally, when hiring a VP of sales for complex vertical SaaS, they must quickly become a domain expert. However, for highly transactional sales, domain expertise may be less critical.
Running an experiment to test if a seasoned AE can bring in big names at a reasonable cost is recommended. It is essential to assess the experiment quickly and ensure that the hired AEs are strong. It is advisable to hire multiple AEs rather than just one.
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Sincerely,
[Your Name]
