"You Need Sales Help as Soon as You Can Afford It"

Hiring the right sales talent can make or break a startup. 92% of first sales hires don’t last a year, and many founders struggle to know when and who to hire. In a conversation on the NextGen GTM Podcast, Zach Walker, co-founder of Unicorn, shared deep insights on sales hiring, fractional sales teams, and why most companies approach their go-to-market (GTM) motion the wrong way.

Why Sales Hiring is Broken for Startups

According to Zach, many startups fall into the same trap when hiring sales talent:

• They expect too much from a single hire – Sales leaders are asked to build playbooks, do outbound, close deals, and define strategy—all at once.
• They hire too late – Founders are told to get their first $1M in revenue before hiring sales, which can slow growth significantly.
• They don’t consider fractional models – Instead of waiting months to find and onboard the perfect sales hire, startups can tap into fractional sales teams for faster execution.

Key takeaway? Hiring an individual contributor too early can be a huge risk. Startups need sales help as soon as possible, but that doesn’t always mean a full-time hire.

The Myth of the Sales Unicorn

Many startups dream of hiring a “sales unicorn”—someone who can sell, strategize, and execute flawlessly. But the reality? Unicorns don’t exist.

What Happens When You Hire a “Unicorn” Too Early?

• They burn out – Expecting one person to do everything from outbound to product-market fit is unrealistic.
• They quit – Over 90% of first sales hires don’t make it past 12 months.
• You lose time – Hiring a full-time salesperson takes 4 months, and another 4-6 months to ramp up. That’s a full year before you even know if it’s working.

The Rise of Fractional Sales Teams

Zach notes that 58% of tech startups are now moving to fractional sales models—hiring outsourced sales teams instead of individual reps.

Why?

• Faster execution—no 6-month ramp-up period.
• Access to VP-level sales leadership at a fraction of the cost.
• Lower risk—if it’s not working, you pivot fast.

The Difference Between Sales, RevOps, and GTM

Many startups confuse Sales, RevOps, and Go-to-Market (GTM). Zach breaks it down:

• GTM: The entire strategy—how you take your product to market.
• RevOps: The infrastructure—CRM setup, automation, reporting.
• Sales: The execution—cold outreach, closing deals.

“You need all three. Sales never works the first time. You iterate, adjust, and improve constantly.” – Zach Walker

The Sales Tech Stack Startups Need

Sales tools can be overwhelming, but Zach highlighted a few that are game-changers:

Top Sales Enablement Tools

• Exact Buyer – Combines AI sequencing, multiple email addresses, and contact data, replacing ZoomInfo and Apollo.
• Upsell – Best LinkedIn data scraper, perfect for targeted outreach.
• Trellis – Dialer that enhances outbound efficiency.
• Sailbot – New AI-driven sales tracking tool.
• Soso – Automates gifting for outbound sales and engagement.
• BlinkSky – Allows recipients to swap gift cards for their preferred brand.
• HubSpot & Salesforce – The two dominant CRMs, with HubSpot being better for early-stage startups.

The Role of AI in Sales

Is AI going to replace sales teams?

“AI won’t replace SDRs, but bad SDRs will be replaced by AI. Great salespeople will use AI to be even better.” – Zach Walker

How to Use AI the Right Way

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✅ Leverage AI to automate low-value tasks like lead enrichment and follow-ups.

✅ Use tools like Lavender to refine and sharpen cold emails.

✅ Avoid fully AI-generated outreach—it’s obvious and hurts credibility.

Why Founders Need to Do Sales (At Least for a While)

Even if a founder plans to hire a sales team, they should still sell early on.

“Cold calling isn’t just about booking meetings. Every conversation teaches you something about your market.” – Zach Walker

Founders who do sales will:

• Learn firsthand what messaging resonates.
• Understand objections and refine the GTM motion.
• Develop a deeper appreciation for sales efforts.

The Future of Sales Hiring: Disrupt or Get Left Behind

Three Takeaways for Startups:

1. Don’t wait too long to hire sales help—but consider fractional teams first.
2. Sales, RevOps, and GTM must be connected—disjointed efforts lead to failure.
3. AI won’t replace great salespeople—but it will replace lazy ones.

The hiring landscape is changing. The best sales teams are agile, AI-powered, and built on fractional models. Companies that fail to adapt will struggle.