With tech companies trying to scale their enterprise sales motions, new trends are emerging as the SaaS sector navigates the intricacies of this market. Where midmarket selling was driven more often by industry-driven targeting, go-to-market (GTM) strategies for larger accounts in the technology industry are better suited for persona-based sales.
This strategic shift represents one of the most significant developments reshaping GTM recruitment, as outlined in our brand new Enterprise Compensation Guide. In this blog, we will walk you through how to refine your talent acquisition for this trend and ensure you find your unicorn seller for enterprise-sized accounts:
Industry-Specific vs. Persona-Based Selling
Tech sales have been driven for years by industry-specific targeting, with SaaS value being defined in large part by the vertical sector a product served. From Fintech to cybersecurity, go-to-market strategies in the technology space have long been focused on speaking to the specific demands of each industry, which funneled sales and marketing recruitment into searching for candidates with only a certain kind of experience.
Industry-specific sales motions typically center on the challenges and recurring pain points of the given market, such as regulatory hurdles or workforce limitations. While this approach still has its advantages in many cases, it too often falls short when it comes to enterprise sales. Deals are inherently more complex at this level, and can become almost labyrinthine in more extreme cases with the number of specifications some larger companies need to ensure alignment with their existing processes and goals.
Why Enterprise Sales Require a Persona-Based Approach
Enterprise-sized accounts will need to involve multiple stakeholders in a SaaS deal cycle, requiring sales reps that can speak to different executive and managerial leaders on their level. Persona-based selling experience gives sales representatives a better understanding of these different audiences, including the language decision-makers are accustomed to and the communication channels that work best to reach them. This shift enables sales teams to be more effective in engaging enterprise clients and closing high-value deals by focusing on how different titles think, make decisions, and prefer to be approached.
Understanding the Enterprise Sales Team
Enterprise sales success depends on more than just your frontline sales reps, requiring a whole team to successfully close – and support – larger deals:
- During the pre-sales process, Enterprise Account Executives work closely with Sales Engineers to provide technical validation that satisfies IT stakeholders while building business cases that resonate with executives. Solutions Architects then design implementations that address specific enterprise requirements and integration challenges.
- For post-sales activities, Enterprise Customer Success Managers and Customer Success Engineers ensure adoption and identify expansion opportunities, often working directly with the same personas your sales team engaged during the initial deal.
This collaborative approach means you are not just sourcing one unicorn seller for enterprise sales – you will need to hire a team of qualified professionals. Each needs to be experienced with engaging the stakeholders in their area of expertise.
Understanding Enterprise Decision-Maker Personas
Based on the trends we have researched, successful persona-based sales focuses on three primary categories of enterprise decision-makers:
C-Suite Leaders
Top-level C-suite executives evaluate solutions based on strategic business impact for their teams first and leave the technical specifications for their IT department to translate. The highest level of enterprise decision-makers includes titles such as:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Strategic vision and company direction
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Budget authority and ROI requirements
- Chief Operations Officer (COO): Operational efficiency and process optimization
Technical Executives
Technical buyers need to understand how solutions fit within existing technology stacks and what implementation challenges they might face. These stakeholders focus on implementation feasibility and solving integration challenges:
- Chief Technology Officer (CTO): Technology strategy and implementation oversight
- Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): Security protocols and risk management
- IT Directors: Infrastructure compatibility and support requirements
Procurement Teams
Procurement-focused personas prioritize cost efficiency, risk mitigation, and seamless integration with existing processes. These leaders manage the purchasing process and vendor relationships:
- Procurement Directors: Contract negotiation and vendor evaluation
- Legal Counsel: Compliance and risk assessment
- Finance Managers: Budget approval and cost justification
- Operations Managers: Implementation timelines and resource planning
Recruiting Persona-Based Sellers
Recruiting for candidates that have experience in selling to specific personas in enterprise companies is its own challenge due to the size of the existing talent pool. You are looking for professionals who can switch between engaging a CISO about security protocols in the morning and discussing ROI projections with a CFO in the afternoon, all while maintaining credibility and building relationships with each persona type. Add to that the demand for these same candidates from your competitors, and you will be spending both time and money searching for your right-fit unicorn enterprise sellers.
Why Traditional Recruiting Fails for Persona-Based Roles
The combination of technical knowledge, persona-based selling expertise, and experience with complex deals increases the competition for top enterprise talent. Traditional recruitment models often fall short because:
- Job Boards Attract the Wrong Candidates: Standard postings may pull in applicants with some experience but lack the specific engagement skills you need.
- Lengthy Search Times: The more specific your experience requirements, the longer it takes to find qualified candidates through traditional channels.
- High Competition: Every enterprise-focused company is competing for the same small pool of candidates with verified expertise.
Scale Your Sales Recruiting with Betts
Recruiting for candidates with specific GTM experience in tech is a challenge on its own, but becomes a significant obstacle to overcome when you hire a whole team while trying to stay ahead of your competitors and without stretching your talent acquisition budget. This is exactly why we developed our Recruitment as a Service (RaaS) model.
RaaS gives you unlimited access to the Betts Connect network, which hosts one of the largest collections of experienced sales, marketing and customer success job seekers in the technology industry. With the help of a dedicated Betts recruiter and your Connect CSM, you will be able to quickly refine and narrow down your search for your unicorn candidates for enterprise sales. With tailored filters and AI-powered search functions, Connect will empower you to identify candidates with the specific experience you need faster, without having to sift through hundreds of applicants.
Building Your Persona-Focused Sales Team
The shift toward persona-based sales represents your opportunity to build a competitive advantage – while other companies are still hiring based on industry selling experience, you can assemble a team that knows how to speak directly to the decision-makers. Let Betts Recruiting help you expedite your search for your unicorn sellers and get you started on assembling an enterprise sales team that will enable you to engage directly with key stakeholders at enterprise companies, and close larger deals faster by speaking the language that resonates with each persona type.
Contact Betts here to learn how our specialized RaaS approach can help you find enterprise sales professionals with the persona-specific experience your growth strategy requires.