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Hiring In-Person Sales Reps at an Early-Stage SaaS Startup

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Why This Guide Exists

Post-COVID, many startups defaulted to remote-first or hybrid environments, even for sales teams. But if you're building a coachable, high-output GTM motion, there are real advantages to having your sales reps in-office full-time.


This guide is for early-stage SaaS founders and sales leaders who want to hire in-person in a hybrid or fully in-office capacity. Whether you're trying to build culture, speed up learning, or create a strong outbound engine, this gives you the playbook to find reps who want that too.


And here’s the good news: There are sales reps who want to be in the office. The key is knowing who they are, where to find them, and how to win them.


We’ll break all that down here.


1. Reps Who Will Thrive In-Person

Not every high-performing seller wants a remote job. In fact, for some reps, in-person is the unlock.


Here are a few signs of reps who may lean in:

  • Athletes or team-first players who love shared energy, clear expectations, and a winning locker room feel

  • People who’ve worked remotely and didn’t like it, especially those early in their career

  • Reps who are coachable and hungry to learn through live feedback and live fire

  • Extroverts who get energy from others, Zoom just doesn’t cut it

  • Reps who have worked at a startup or two that struggled and now want to join a company with real momentum, strong leadership, and visible progress, they’re often willing to trade flexibility for focus and wins


2. How to Position Your Role

You’ll need to sell your in-office culture just like you sell the product. That starts with framing, not apologizing.


Lead with:

  • Learning: “You’ll be coached daily, and learn more in 90 days than most reps do in a year”

  • Belonging: “You’ll be part of a squad that wins together, not just a name on Slack”

  • Energy: “You’ll be in a room with founders and top performers building something real, fast”

  • Structure with flexibility: “We’re in office 5 days per week, but we’re not watching the clock, we trust you to run your day like a pro”


3. Build Your Local Hiring Strategy

If you’re going to require in-office, your hiring process and sourcing should reflect that.


Here's how:

  • Geo-target your sourcing: Focus outreach on local candidates within commuting distance

  • Lead with clarity: Mention “in-office, 5 days per week” early in outreach to avoid wasted cycles

  • Offer flexibility within structure: Example: “In-office 5 days, but flexible on hours”

  • Partner with a trusted recruiting agency: Especially one that specializes in the function you’re hiring for, for example SDRs, AEs. They’ll know how to position your opportunity for the right profile, and can filter for in-person interest upfront to save you time

  • Host an in-person open house: Invite candidates to meet the team IRL before committing

  • Facilitate peer conversations: If you already have a salesperson on the team, give candidates the opportunity to speak directly with them. A casual, honest conversation with a peer can build trust and give real insight into your day-to-day culture and leadership style


Final Thought

Hiring in-person doesn’t need to limit your pool, it just means you need the right strategy.


About ClosedWon Talent

ClosedWon Talent is a specialized sales recruiting firm that helps growth focused companies hire top GTM talent. We partner with founders, revenue leaders, and investors to build high performing sales teams across SaaS and beyond.


What sets us apart is the ClosedWon Method, a proven recruiting framework built on speed, precision, and transparency. We combine deep industry expertise with a curated candidate network to deliver shortlists of qualified, motivated sales professionals...fast. Our team does not just fill roles, we act as embedded partners who understand how to assess selling style, territory experience, and growth potential based on each clients' specific needs.


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