There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to building a sales function, and this is especially true when doing so in a region as diverse and complex as Asia.
However, in the Asia Growth Forecast episode on Scaling SaaS Teams in Asia with Scott Pugh of Figma, we learned what sales leaders can keep in mind to build a successful sales team in this region.
Building a sales team in Asia involves focusing on different must-haves at different points. Here’s what to consider at each stage.
The most effective sales teams are just that — teams. But establishing a positive sales culture is challenging. Here’s how successful teams who have grown in Asia have done it.
To build a strong, inclusive sales team culture:
Focus on behavioural traits. These are the people who will build the foundation of your company in a new region, and they will dictate the culture of the team you build. Choose wisely, and know you can train a rep to sell well, but it’s hard to train a person to be an exceptional teammate.
According to Scott, there are three important things to keep in mind when making the first hires on a sales team in Asia.
Once you have a strong sales team full of reps, managers, and leaders that lay the foundation for a supportive culture, it’s time to optimise for specific regional sales strategy requirements. Hire people with the language skills you need in each region, with local connections, and with local cultural insight to each place.
Invest deeply in onboarding, training, and sales team enablement. By providing resources and support, reps can learn independently while knowing they can always ask for help — and teach one another.
Keep your team excited about collective goals and the company mission. Always show the impact of the team’s work by praising publicly and correcting privately.