I've placed Sales and GTM talent at 200+ startups. One of the most common things I see is a founder making a great hire — then watching that person struggle for reasons that have nothing to do with their ability. The rep is good. The marketing foundation underneath them isn't. Here's what I learned working alongside fractional CMO June Bower — and what every founder should fix before making their next sales hire.

The best candidates have options — and they know it. Salary gets you in the conversation, but it rarely closes the deal. Here's what actually gets great people to say yes.

Hiring a great rep is hard. But the work doesn't stop at the offer letter. Research shows structured onboarding improves retention by 82% — yet most early-stage startups still hand new GTM hires a laptop and a Slack invite. Here's the 30/60/90 framework, plus expert onboarding support from HR consultant Nivi Rabbi, that actually sets new hires up to perform.