Scaling a sales team is one of the most critical challenges early-stage startups face. Yet, it’s also an area rife with misconceptions that can derail even the most promising businesses. The old-school “Predictable Revenue” approach no longer works in 2024. Instead of forcing outdated playbooks, the future of sales requires lean, hyper-focused teams that create demand through modern strategies.
Here are the seven biggest lies about scaling sales teams—and the truths that will help you build a high-velocity sales engine.
1. Bigger Teams Mean Faster Growth
The Lie: A larger sales team equals more revenue.
The Truth: Simply hiring more reps won’t guarantee growth. The “Old Way” of building sales teams focuses on capturing demand rather than creating it. This results in bloated, inefficient organisations pushing outdated prospecting playbooks.
Instead, focus on a smaller, highly-skilled team that leverages modern strategies like content-driven demand generation to fill their pipelines. A lean team operating with precision often outperforms larger, unfocused groups.
2. You Can Scale Reps Linearly and Maintain Productivity
The Lie: Adding more sales reps will directly increase pipeline and revenue.
The Truth: Productivity doesn’t scale linearly with headcount. In today’s market, prospecting doesn’t create demand—it captures it. Many companies rapidly hire BDRs only to find their pipeline numbers stagnate because unmeasured efforts (like brand-building and podcasts) are actually driving results.
Focus on activities that create demand before scaling headcount. Measure the impact of initiatives like thought leadership, partnerships, and content marketing. Then, use that data to inform your hiring strategy.
3. It’s Good to Have Your AEs Prospect
The Lie: Account Executives (AEs) should spend time prospecting to fill their calendars.
The Truth: AEs should be closing deals, not prospecting. The most successful sales organisations flood their AEs with qualified demos, keeping their calendars packed. An AE who’s focused on high-value activities—like closing—is far more productive and motivated than one bogged down by cold outreach.
Invest in strategies and teams that generate warm, low-in-the-funnel leads, so your AEs can focus on what they do best: closing deals and driving revenue.
4. You Need Expensive Perks to Attract Top Talent
The Lie: Fancy perks like kombucha machines and unlimited PTO are necessary to hire the best salespeople.
The Truth: Top-performing sales reps care about their earning potential and the opportunity to succeed in a high-growth, fast-paced environment. They’re drawn to companies with a reputation for providing strong leads and enabling reps to maximise their commissions.
Instead of wasting money on superficial perks, build a culture of ambition and opportunity. Create an environment where top talent can thrive and be well-compensated for their efforts.
5. “Predictable Revenue” Is the Goal
The Lie: Scaling sales is about creating a predictable, assembly-line process.
The Truth: The “Predictable Revenue” model, which relies on large teams executing generic playbooks, is outdated. With 100,000 other SaaS companies running the same strategy, it leads to inefficiencies and wasted resources.
Modern sales teams focus on lean, bespoke approaches that capture demand and close with speed and precision. This means abandoning cookie-cutter playbooks and prioritising high-value opportunities over sheer volume.
6. Ecosystem Plays Are Only for Big Companies
The Lie: Partnerships and ecosystems are too complex for early-stage startups.
The Truth: Even startups can leverage ecosystems to capture demand. Developing relationships with agencies, partners, and influencers can funnel high-intent leads directly into your pipeline. This strategy becomes even more effective once you’ve achieved product-market fit (PMF).
By building an ecosystem early, you can generate a steady stream of low-in-the-funnel leads for a small, highly-trained sales team to close with speed and efficiency.
7. Founder Brand Doesn’t Matter for My Space
The Lie: A founder’s personal brand isn’t relevant to their startup’s sales success.
The Truth: In today’s market, a strong founder brand is a major competitive advantage. By consistently posting valuable content and building a presence on platforms like LinkedIn, founders can create trust and awareness that fuels demand generation.
It’s hard work and takes time, but the ROI is undeniable. A strong personal brand not only drives inbound leads but also establishes credibility for the business.
The Takeaway: The “Old Way” of Sales Is Dead
Most startups still believe scaling a sales team is about creating predictable revenue by hiring more reps and doubling down on outdated playbooks. This approach often leads to wasted resources and poor results.
The next generation of sales teams will be leaner, smarter, and faster. Instead of pushing on a string, they’ll create demand through content, partnerships, and ecosystems. They’ll attract top talent not with perks but with the promise of opportunity. And they’ll build ultra-efficient sales machines designed to close deals with precision and velocity.
Scaling sales in 2024 and beyond isn’t about muscle—it’s about strategy. The old way is dead. It’s time to embrace the future.
