Build, Do, Prove, Scale: The Right Way to Build Your Sales Org

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Want to build a scalable sales organization that actually delivers results? Then don’t skip the order of operations. Many try to cut corners here, and it often backfires, costing them time and money.

Here’s how it should work, step-by-step:

Phase 1: Build the Process Before you even think about hiring your first salesperson, you need a foundational sales process. What are your ideal customer profiles? What’s your core value proposition? What are the key stages of your sale? What outreach methods are getting traction? Document what you, as the founder, are doing that works. You can't delegate effectively if you haven't defined the basics.

Phase 2: Do the Process (Yourself or with a Small Team) Now, execute that defined process rigorously. If you're the primary seller, this is still you. If you have a very early, small team member, they follow this documented process. This is where you pressure-test your assumptions, gather initial data, and see what breaks or where the friction points are.

Phase 3: Prove It Works This step is non-negotiable. You need to see consistent, repeatable positive results from the process you've built and executed. Are you closing deals based on this process? Are your conversion rates becoming somewhat predictable? Is the market feedback aligning with your value prop? You need proof that the system can generate revenue, not just your personal founder magic.

Phase 4: Then (and Only Then) Hire Reps & Start Coaching Once you have a process that is proven to work, now you can confidently hire salespeople to execute and scale that validated system. Your role then shifts significantly from primary seller to coaching your team on this established process, monitoring their performance against clear benchmarks, and iterating for ongoing improvement.

The Common Trap

Many founders, feeling the intense pressure to scale, jump straight from a rough sales idea to Phase 4. They hire someone (often hoping for a silver bullet), step back from day-to-day sales themselves, and cross their fingers.

That’s not a strategy; it's a high-stakes gamble. More often than not, it's a direct path to churn, internal chaos, missed revenue targets, and wasted investment.

The GSD Order of Operations for Sales Scaling:

1. Build. (Define your process)
2. Do. (Execute it yourself/with a small team)
3. Prove. (Validate that it works consistently)
4. Then Scale. (Hire to that proven system)

Don't put the cart before the horse. Follow the order, and build a sales engine designed to win and last.

By Travis Janko, CEO of GSD Coach & Recruiting, helping SaaS founders build the top 5% of talent, FAST!