The Road To: Creating Your Sales Strategy
- Stephanie Roulic
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Sales are the driving force behind any startup’s growth, and getting it right can make or break your business. Whether you’re a founder, an early-stage employee, or a seasoned sales leader, knowing the ins and outs of a solid sales strategy is key to success. From building an authentic sales approach to leveraging video content and establishing your sales funnel, it’s crucial to equip your team with the right tools and strategies to grow your business effectively.
To help you navigate the ever-evolving world of sales, we’ve curated some of Startup Boston’s most insightful panels, workshops, and presentations. You’ll gain valuable insights from experienced sales leaders and industry experts who will guide you through essential topics like cold outreach, building a sales funnel, and scaling your team’s performance.
Dive into the content below to learn how to transform your sales approach, enhance your pipeline, and close more deals, no matter where you are in your startup journey. Whether you're just starting or looking to refine your strategy, this guide will provide actionable insights to take your sales game to the next level.
Table of Contents:
Video Magic: Boost Your Startup's Sales and Close More Deals
Building the Revenue Engine: Creating A Sales Funnel – Process & Practice
Highway to Sell: Forming Your Business Development and Sales Strategy
Happy Sellers, Happy Sales: Cultivating a Culture that Keeps Your Sales Stars Thriving
Scaling to Giants: Charting Your Course to Enterprise Customers
Real Talk! Ask a Sales Leader Anything!
What questions do you have about sales? We’ll be answering the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. In this session, we’ll also cover important topics such as:
Topics Covered:
How to handle struggles at different stages of company development
How to establish your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) or beachhead market
How to delegate sales responsibilities as your sales team grows
How to pivot or refine your approach to sales as companies scale
Speakers: Brian Denenberg, Petar Petrov, Karen Kariv
Video Magic: Boost Your Startup's Sales and Close More Deals
Video content is king. You see it everywhere on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, but how can your startup leverage video to build brand identity, boost sales, and close more deals? Join us for an in-depth session where we’ll reveal the secrets to using video effectively in your sales pipeline, focusing on:
Topics Covered:
Why video content is dominating platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube—and how to make your videos stand out in a crowded field
How to strategically use video to engage potential clients and move them through your sales funnel
Understanding the different types of videos—from event coverage to product marketing and case studies—that drive results
Tips for planning and organizing your video content to ensure consistent and impactful communication with your audience
Speakers: Cara Hogan, Greg Wise, Ian Martins, Tyler McWilliams
Cold Calling: Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
It can be nerve-wracking to pick up the phone and dial someone you've never spoken to before, let alone sell to someone you do know! In this event, we’ll guide you through the process of cold outreach with confidence.
Topics Covered:
How to create effective cold email and cold calling scripts, plus the proper cadence of follow-up (hint: it’s more than just “checking in”)
How to determine if you're talking to the right person at the company
How to assess if the person is a quality lead before picking up the phone
When to email versus call
How to find basic information about a prospect (e.g., email and phone number)
Knowing when your outreach template isn’t working and how to improve it—plus how often to make updates
Speakers: Jodi-Tatiana Charles, Allyson Barr
Building the Revenue Engine: Creating A Sales Funnel – Process & Practice
Sales is the lifeblood of any business, and it’s truly an art form. Before growth can take off at your startup, you need to create a sales funnel that effectively pulls in qualified leads. In this panel, we’ll unpack everything you need to know about building a sales funnel, developing processes, and establishing best practices.
Topics Covered:
Do you need a process before you start selling?
How to research prospects to kick off the funnel
Is a CRM necessary right from the start?
Where warm intros and cold calls fit into your strategy
Speakers: Rachel Bates, Kishore Kothandaraman, Brian Denenberg, Guivens Andre
Highway to Sell: Forming Your Business Development and Sales Strategy
It’s not enough to have a great idea or the perfect product—you also need a solid sales strategy. This panel will guide founders and early-stage startup employees in forming their first sales strategy.
Topics Covered:
How to identify and find your ideal customers
Creating a business strategy that delivers results
Understanding the different stages of a sales process
How to close your first deals
Speakers: Kim Walsh, Dean Blackman, Jack Hannah, Mike Goldenberg, Kathryn Rose
Happy Sellers, Happy Sales: Cultivating a Culture that Keeps Your Sales Stars Thriving
We’re excited to explore how your startup can tailor sales development and retention strategies within a fast-moving environment! In this session, you will learn how to adapt to shifting priorities and foster stability within your sales teams while addressing key challenges.
Topics Covered:
Creative approaches for developing and promoting sales talent in early-stage startups with limited resources
Balancing competitive compensation with tight budgets to attract top sales talent
How to strike the right balance between setting ambitious growth targets and avoiding unrealistic expectations that could lead to burnout and turnover
Speakers: Vishal Sunak, Andi Wilson
Make it Rain: How to Find Your Authentic Sales Style
Closing a deal is more than just making a pitch; it’s about developing a sales style that is authentic and true to your goals. Finding your own approach will help you create and nurture valuable business relationships that will last throughout your career.
Topics Covered:
How to develop an authentic sales style that aligns with your goals
The importance of building genuine networks that will support your career
Transforming from a reluctant business leader into a confident rainmaker
Creating a sales plan and process that feels true to you and can be immediately applied
Speaker: Dorothy Potash
Scaling to Giants: Charting Your Course to Enterprise Customers
As startups evolve, many begin by targeting SMBs before scaling up to pursue enterprise clients. In this session, we’ll guide you through understanding when it’s the right time to consider targeting enterprise clients and the key factors to evaluate before making the shift.
Topics Covered:
Strategies for aligning your product roadmap with the needs of enterprise customers (without losing focus on your core market)
Key challenges faced by startups transitioning to enterprise sales and effective strategies to mitigate them
Critical differences in sales processes and negotiations when dealing with enterprise-level customers compared to smaller clients
Strategies for maintaining agility and innovation in product development while catering to the specific needs of large enterprise clients
Speakers: Jason Ingargiola, Adriana Zeman, A.J. DeRosa
Email Apocalypse: The Future of Reaching Prospects
As AI continues to reshape the future of business, understanding how to harness its power for customer acquisition is crucial for startups. In this session, we'll explore the impact of AI-driven technologies on sales strategies, helping you decide whether investing in AI should take precedence over hiring additional sales staff. We'll also delve into the importance of building scalable AI-powered sales processes.
Topics Covered:
Ongoing relevance of personalized email marketing and its effectiveness compared to high-volume generic emails
The role of the human touch in sales and whether reliance on automation tools detracts from genuine human connection
The truth about open rates as a metric for measuring email outreach success
Speakers: Katie Bickford, Robert Foney, Jashin Lin, Kristen Kohler
As you navigate the complexities of building and refining your sales strategy, it's crucial to stay proactive and continuously improve your approach. Whether you’re developing your first sales funnel, incorporating video content into your pipeline, or refining your cold outreach techniques, the key to sustained success lies in learning from experienced professionals and staying adaptable to the evolving needs of your startup.
By applying the insights shared in this post—ranging from establishing a solid sales process to building a genuine sales style—you can empower your team to thrive and grow your business effectively. Keep honing your sales techniques, leveraging data-driven strategies, and nurturing meaningful relationships with clients and prospects.
For more tips and expert advice on scaling your sales efforts and achieving long-term success, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter below. Stay ahead of the curve and continue driving your startup’s growth with confidence!
This is a fantastic breakdown of the sales strategy process—so many startups underestimate how crucial a structured approach is! One key takeaway for me is the emphasis on understanding your customer’s pain points before pitching. Too often, businesses focus on features over solutions.