Free template · Hiring & sales team
The First Sales Hire Kit
Pick the right first sales role, then hire with job description templates, a scorecard and a 30-60-90 plan.
What's inside
- Founding AE vs SDR vs sales leader: which first
- Two fill-in job description templates
- An interview scorecard with exercise ideas
- A 30-60-90 day plan
Who it's for
Founders making their first sales hire.
Why it matters
The first sales hire is one of the most expensive decisions an early startup makes, and the choice of role matters as much as the person. A big-company AE may struggle without leads, a junior SDR rarely builds a motion alone, and a VP hired before the motion is proven is a common early mistake. Hiring for where the funnel breaks today avoids most of these.
This kit covers the full sequence: picking the role, writing an honest job description, scoring candidates against criteria agreed in advance and setting 30, 60 and 90 day expectations in writing. It also includes a readiness check, because a new hire without an ICP, working messaging, a CRM and a target list spends months building instead of selling.
How to use it
- 1Use the role picker table to decide between a founding AE, an SDR or a sales leader based on where your funnel breaks today.
- 2Run the readiness check before posting the role, confirming you have a written ICP, a playbook, a working CRM, a scored target list and ramp budget.
- 3Adapt the matching job description template, filling in your stage, team size and customers, and state a real compensation range.
- 4Agree the scorecard criteria before the first interview, then score every candidate from 1 to 5 with evidence and include one practical exercise.
- 5Fill in activity, meeting and pipeline targets for days 30, 60 and 90, share them before the start date and review together at each checkpoint.
Read alongside it
Follow Enablemnt AI on LinkedInShort, practical posts on GTM, outbound and RevOps for early-stage B2B founders.FollowThe First Sales Hire Kit: FAQ
- Should my first sales hire be an AE or an SDR?
- Most early B2B startups are better served by a full-cycle founding AE who can both create and close pipeline. An SDR makes sense when someone can already close and the real gap is first meetings. Junior SDRs need proven messaging, a list and close coaching to succeed.
- What should a first sales hire do in their first 90 days?
- In the first 30 days, learn the product, ICP and playbook, shadow founder calls and start outreach on a small list. Days 31 to 60 focus on running outreach and discovery with founder review. By day 90 they should move deals independently and update the playbook with what works.
- How do you interview a startup's first salesperson?
- Score every candidate against the same criteria: pipeline creation, discovery, closing, stage fit, written communication and coachability. Add a practical exercise, such as writing a first-touch email to a real target account or role-playing a 15-minute discovery call. Check references, including one the candidate did not volunteer.
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