Diana Yuen Kei Chan’s Post

When Building a Team, Start with the End in Mind 🔑 Key to Scaling: Focus on team members and systems that fill your calendar. 💡 If resources are scarce, you, the founder, need to step up to close deals. It's crucial to establish a rhythm in booking appointments. Once you have a cash cushion, begin building out sales roles to close those deals for you. 🚀 Expensive Mistakes: Skipping this sequence is where many falter. 🤔 Hiring Insight: Can potential hires demonstrate their revenue impact at previous companies? Despite sounding materialistic, experience shows the best sales reps are those driven by substantial financial goals. 🎭 Roleplay Tests: Assess their ability to engage with curiosity, ask insightful questions, and ease you into discussions. Identifying your current challenges during a roleplay indicates they’re a keeper. 🎖️ Value of Experience: While product and industry knowledge are bonuses, prioritize hiring excellent communicators with strong work ethics. 🎯 Clarity in Targets: Knowing precisely how many appointments are needed to hit revenue targets makes accountability simpler. Automate to streamline sales processes, ensuring your top prospects receive the attention needed to close deals. 📊 Data is King: Constantly book new appointments, track every piece of data, and monitor your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). Embed your knowledge into a single, accessible training area within your CRM. 🔄 Lead Generation: Separating roles between sales and marketing ensures a balanced lead generation strategy. Remember, the majority of leads should still originate from sales efforts. 🚫 Common Pitfall: Hiring sales personnel to generate their own leads can be a misstep. Aim for a collaborative effort between sales and marketing for effective lead generation. 🔁 Iterate and Improve: Always be testing and optimizing your messaging and outreach strategies. Active listening, tailored pitching, and leveraging sales playbooks can significantly enhance your team’s performance. 🤝 Let's Discuss: How do you balance lead generation between sales and marketing in your company? ♻️ Feel Free to Share: If you found this approach insightful.

My client just fired all his SDRs and is booking more meetings than ever. heres the brutal math most miss: Traditional SDR model costs: - 60k base salary - 15k in benefits - 25k in tools and overhead - 3 months to ramp - 50% churn in year 1 thats 100k before they book a single meeting Now look at actual conversion metrics: - 100 emails sent per day - 2000 emails per month - 0.5% positive reply rate - 10 meetings booked monthly - 20% conversion to opportunity - 25% close rate Final output: 6 closed deals per year per SDR The math simply doesnt work for most b2b companies unless your ACV is 50k+ But heres what changes with modern outbound systems: - Research + enrichment happens automatically using Clay - campaigns trigger based on RB2B website visits  - infrastructure handles itself with Hypertide.io - one operator managing Instantly.ai can send 10x volume Your cost per acquired customer drops by 60-70% minimum The companies winning right now arent the ones hiring massive SDR teams They're the ones building intelligent systems that let a small team drive outsized results Modern outbound is about leverage, not headcount Curious what math youre seeing in your outbound programs?

We are hiring fast! As our agency continues to grow, we’re expanding our team to meet the increasing demands of our clients. Despite being a lean team of 8, our ability to deliver exceptional results hinges on the quality of our hires. Here’s a look at the 5 key qualities we prioritize in every new team member to ensure they're the right fit for our dynamic team: 1. Adaptability Things change fast in our industry, and we need people who can switch gears quickly and handle whatever comes their way. 2. Team-Oriented Mindset We do a lot of work together, so it’s crucial that everyone can get along well, share ideas, and help each other out. 3. Strong Communication Skills Clear and effective communication is crucial, not just for internal collaboration but also for managing client relationships. We value team members who can articulate their ideas clearly and also listen actively. 4. Problem-Solving Ability Challenges are inevitable, and the ability to approach problems creatively and efficiently sets apart the good from the great. 5. Passion for Learning The digital landscape is continually evolving, and we need people who are committed to personal and professional growth. A passion for learning new technologies, strategies, and industry trends is essential. These 5 qualities are non-negotiable for us (and it should be for you as well) because they align closely with our company culture and the high standards we set for our work. By focusing on these characteristics, we ensure that even with a small team, we are mighty in capability and can efficiently handle a growing roster of clients. As we continue to hire, these criteria will guide us in assembling a team that isn’t just skilled, but also a perfect fit for our aggressive growth plans.

Stop Trying To Hire The Smartest People. Hire people who show these 9 traits instead. Too many businesses focus on hiring for: - Qualifications - Experience - High IQ But the traits that truly matter. Are the ones that can’t be taught. Start hiring for these 9 rare traits To build a truly high-performing team: 1. Gets Sh#t Done ↳ They work through challenges and don't give up without putting in 100%. 2. Self-Awareness ↳ They are aware of their weaknesses and want to develop them. 3. Shows Empathy ↳ Always treat everyone with respect no matter their role or authority. 4. Strong Communicator ↳ Can communicate ideas and concepts very well with all types of people. 5. Great At Simplifying ↳ Understands difficult topics and can break things down into simple bites. 6. Control Over Emotions ↳ They have high EQ and never let emotions affect decisions. 7. Speaks Up ↳ Doesn’t just accept things and will speak up to make positive change. 8. Manages Time Well ↳ Is self-organised & self-managing and will provide updates clearly. 9. Enjoys Being Wrong ↳ They embrace different viewpoints and understand mistakes create growth. Hiring for experience will only get you so far, Start hiring based on these 9 traits to get ahead fast. --- Original Content Creator: Chris Donnelly (give him a follow)

I’m seeing a lot of people confused over what they need to do right now to grow their business and part of that confusion is coming from people assuming what others are doing is what they need to do. The reality is business owners need to focus on different things at different stages. Focussing on the wrong things can slow down your growth or worst still halt it altogether. So, what do you need to focus on? In the early stages of your business, it's all about survival. The priority is cashflow, audience building, things that give you immediate growth so at this stage you should be focussing on the critical tasks that will help you to move the needle. In this early stage the actions you take and the decisions you make are about the right now so if you are too concerned over the long-term vision at this stage, you are likely to miss immediate opportunities which will hinder your long-term growth. This is known as the launch stage of business and most businesses sit within this stage for at least 1-2 years, sometimes longer. As your business starts to grow and more importantly stabilise this is the time when you need to start planning for the future; this is the time when things like systems and processes become more important. This is when you would be potentially looking at hiring a team as you would need to start focussing on the longer-term plans. But even at this stage your longer-term vision may still only be the next couple of years as this is the stage to build solid foundations. This is known the growth stage of business, and many businesses choose to stay in this stage forever. They choose not to scale. Then finally there is the scaling stage of business. This is when you are really focussed on the longer-term vision, the 5–10-year plan, the expansion into new markets, the direction for your team and your business model and maybe even the sale of the business. This is a stage that not every business enters and that is absolutely ok.

Bet you didn't know how easy it is to outsource your tasks to a virtual assistant. Let me show you by answering your FAQs. In the fast-paced world of business, efficiency is key. Many have turned to virtual assistants (VAs) to streamline operations, but questions often arise. Let’s address some common queries: What tasks can a VA handle? VAs can manage a lot of tasks including email management, scheduling, social media management, customer service, and more. The scope depends on the VA’s skills and your business needs. How do I communicate with a VA? Clear communication is crucial. Utilize tools like email, video calls, and project management software to ensure seamless collaboration. Establish regular check-ins to stay aligned on goals and tasks. How does a VA manage confidentiality? Professional VAs prioritize confidentiality. Ensure a comprehensive contract outlining confidentiality clauses is in place. Discuss and implement robust cyber security measures to protect sensitive data. Can a VA integrate into my existing team? Absolutely! VAs can seamlessly blend into your team dynamics, collaborating with other team members and contributing to group projects. Clear role definition and communication channels facilitate this integration. What’s the cost-benefit of hiring a VA? Hiring a VA is cost-effective. It eliminates overhead costs associated with full-time employees, such as office space and benefits. You pay for the services you need, optimizing your budget and resources. What questions do you have about starting to work with a VA? Let me know in the comments below!

1 thing I’ve noticed with early-stage MedTech startups: Many lack a well-structured sales process. This is especially true at the top of the funnel and something I hear a lot from early stage sales hires, particularly around prospecting and driving the right conversations. Clarity on strategy, measurements for success and processes are often missing... Junior sales hires feel lost without this level of direction. Frustrated reps often exit, costing time and momentum. That’s why hiring process-focused sales leaders is critical. Leaders who build & refine repeatable systems that consistently deliver results. Ideally someone who has 'cut their teeth' in a scrappy start-up environment, who has proven they can scale effectively. Although there are 'some' in the bigger players who could be equally as effective that have launched into new segments operating in tighter business units. A leader like this is the fastest way to build a winning team. __ Is this the type of hire you need heading in 2025? Get in touch, it would be great to chat with you👍 Yozi Search & Selection

"I shouldn't be admitting this on camera..." is how all great stories start :) Nic Yeeles ran his own companies as a founder CEO for years until he decided to get a VP Product role, except he had no experience in product roles before. Salaries looked impressive; others usually had 10 years of experience in product roles before getting to a VP level. 99% of people wouldn't have even tried. Nic bought a bunch of books and... faked it until he made it. Years later, he's in his third VP Product role, having learned everything on the job. I love this story because founders have a special energy. They look for solutions. They don't give up when things are hard. They fake it until they make it. They find a way. And that's what makes founders amazing employees when others hire them. Early-stage startups are all about learning fast; ex-entrepreneurs excel at exactly that. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯: -> You have more to offer than you think you have 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗖-𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲: -> Ex-founders are great at learning fast and navigating uncertainly; hire them

If I had to go from $0 to 7 figures with an agency again, here’s exactly what I'd focus on: After doing this multiple times, the path has always looked something like this: At 1-10k a month focus on: → Establishing an offer the market wants → Defining your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) → Finding a channel to get your first customers → Learn how to sell At 10-50k a month focus on: → Figuring out who your first hires are (I recommend an EA & fulfillment hire) → Delegating lower-leverage tasks to them → Figuring out ONE scalable client acquisition method → Learn how to market yourself At 50k-100k a month focus on: → Streamlining your onboarding process to handle volume → Streamlining your fulfillment process to handle volume → Improving your product/service delivery efficiency & results. → Learn to lead At 100k-300k a month focus on: → Building a leadership team → Growing customer LTV → Potentially expand your offerings → Implementing robust systems and processes across departments → Learn how to delegate high level decisions At 300k-500k a month focus on: → Finding businesses that compliment what you do and look to acquire them → Building strategic long-term partnerships with complimentary businesses → Building redundancies across customer acquisition & fulfillment → Hiring a C-Suite with leadership who's been to the level you're striving for Each level presents a set of challenges and a new skill set to master. And that’s why playing this game is fun.