How to Build First-Time Sales Managers, Fix Broken Comp Plans, and Coach for Scale
Taylor Martino on the GTM Playbooks That Help Seed-Stage Teams Hit $10M Faster
Taylor Martino on the GTM Playbooks That Help Seed-Stage Teams Hit $10M Faster
In this episode of Knocking to 10, sales coach and former elite athlete Taylor Martino breaks down the most common—and costly—mistakes Series A and B startups make when scaling their sales teams.
A national champion diver turned revenue leader, Taylor has coached dozens of early-stage companies on how to hire, onboard, and uplevel their first sales managers, build comp plans that actually motivate, and avoid the “player-coach” trap that derails growth.
“The player-coach model sounds scrappy, but it kills team development. One thing always takes priority: closing your own deals.”
Taylor strongly recommends giving first-time managers real time to coach, onboard, and motivate their teams. Otherwise, you’re just creating bottlenecks that won’t scale past $1–3M ARR.
📌 Pro Tip: Don’t wait until Series B to fix this. If you’re hiring BDRs or AEs in a 10–15 person GTM team, designate a full-time manager or bring in fractional leadership help.
Too often, founders promote top reps to manager roles with zero onboarding. Taylor outlines a four-part onboarding plan for new managers:
💡 “You can’t hold someone accountable if they don’t know what good looks like. That’s your job as a leader.”
“If you comp reps on things they can’t control, they’ll check out.”
At her previous company, Taylor overhauled a broken comp model that paid BDRs on meetings set, held, and deals closed. The new model? Pay based on decision-maker seniority.
This also incentivized reps to self-educate on buyer personas and prioritize strategic outreach, without requiring daily micromanagement.
“Founders love their product. But your buyers care about pain. Start there.”
Before scaling outbound, Taylor helps teams validate 3–5 messaging pillars tied to actual pain, not features. She also recommends:
📊 Framework: Message → ICP → Channel → Feedback → Iterate weekly
“Startups waste months chasing reps from big logos. Look for the builders.”
Taylor says the best early-stage reps often have side hustles, underdog backgrounds, or experience selling unknown products. Her favorite interview prompt?
🧪 “Pitch me a fake company. Bonus points if it’s weird.”
These reps are creative, resilient, and willing to experiment—exactly what you need at Series A or B.
“If people can’t win without you on the call, you’re a bottleneck. Your job is to build a team that doesn’t need you.”
This episode is a masterclass for:
In the messy middle, from $ 0 to $10M ARR, your first sales hires, especially your first sales manager, can make or break your momentum. Taylor Martino gives a tactical, no-BS roadmap for building the coaching culture and team structure your startup needs to scale with confidence.
At the core of my business is a simple belief: your people are your potential. I work with founders and sales leaders to build strong, scalable teams by coaching the people who lead them. Through 1:1 leadership coaching, team workshops, and strategic advisory, I help early-stage companies and growing organizations level up how they lead, driving clarity, accountability, and performance from the inside out. Whether you’re a founder navigating your first hires or a sales leader managing high expectations, I’m here to help you lead with confidence and build a culture that scales.
- Taylor Martino
Connect with Taylor on Linkedin.
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