You've got early customers, a product that works, and investors who want to see more. The next hire...
In this article, Alex shares four key things investors look for in a sales team when considering investment beyond Series A, based on his hard-won experience.
For many B2B Tech companies between Series A and Series B, growth expectations rise sharply as investors are no longer evaluating potential; they are evaluating scalability.
Having worked at the sharp end of sales in growth organisations, one of the most common obstacles preventing companies from hitting the growth targets required for Series B is a sales cycle that is simply too long.
Long sales cycles slow revenue velocity, make forecasting unreliable, introduce uncertainty and risk, and place pressure on pipeline generation, and for a Series A business trying to scale quickly, it can create serious challenges, as even if deal sizes are strong, the business often struggles to demonstrate predictable growth, which is exactly what Series B investors want to see.
That all sounds like doom and gloom, but the good news is that long sales cycles are rarely just a market constraint and are more often the result of internal process gaps that can be addressed.
Having witnessed these challenges firsthand, I am outlining and sharing 4 areas where you can actively make a difference and set yourself up for the next round of investment:
#1 Check Your ICP
Whilst you have no doubt defined your early-market ICP, as your product has evolved, you now need to revisit it to ensure it supports the next stage of your growth. And you need to make sure your sales team is focused on the segment(s) with the strongest and fastest buying behaviour, not just building pipeline to show activity in your CRM.
#2 Ruthless Qualification
An opportunity may fit your ICP, but if it’s poorly qualified, with no timeline, budget or executive sponsorship, it will clog up your pipeline for months before being marked as lost. You need to put in place and, more importantly, manage a strong qualification process to ensure your sales team only spends time on opportunities that are truly winnable.
#3 Proof of Value
As you look to scale sales from early adopters to broader market penetration, these more conservative buyers will need clear proof of value before making a decision. To reduce buyer uncertainty, you need readily available case studies, ROI models, and customer references to maintain deal momentum.
#4 Simple is Good
Many early-stage and Series A tech companies unintentionally create friction through complex pricing, unclear product positioning, or custom proposals for every deal. You need to make it easier and quicker for the buyer to say ‘Yes’ by simplifying the buying journey through standardising packaging, pricing and contracts.
For Series A companies aiming for Series B, shortening the sales cycle is not just about closing deals faster; it’s about building a predictable, scalable revenue engine that gives investors confidence that growth will continue as the business scales.
