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How SMEs Can Build Scalable Sales Teams with Tech and Process

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For Singapore SMEs, sales growth often hits a frustrating ceiling: reliance on one or two superstar sellers. These top performers drive 80% of revenue—until they leave, taking client relationships and growth with them. As Daren, a seasoned sales coach at AlphaSense AI Market Intelligence, bluntly puts it:

"Individuals want to be indispensable to protect themselves. Company owners want no one indispensable. It’s a dance—and without systems, SMEs stay stuck."

In a recent episode of The TFC Business Show, Daren Yoong—whose background includes building Google’s award-winning Sales School—shared actionable strategies to break this cycle. Here’s how SMEs can shift from talent dependency to scalable, tech-enabled sales engines.

The Scalability Trap: Why Your Sales Team Isn’t Growing

Daren identifies the core tension:

"20% of your sellers contribute 80% of impact. But if you only have stars, you can’t scale. That’s why businesses plateau."

For SMEs, this manifests in three ways:

  1. Key-person risk: Losing a top seller devastates revenue.

  2. Inconsistent results: Junior reps lack playbooks to replicate success.

  3. Growth paralysis: Founders handle "big deals," neglecting system-building.

The solution? Document, decentralise, and duplicate excellence—using process over charisma.

Coach Your Sales Team Out of a Sales Slump

Building Your Sales Team: Roles, Sequence, and Secrets

Daren’s blueprint for a scalable sales team prioritises roles in this order:

  1. Account Executives (AEs): Your "hunters and farmers." They prospect, close, and manage renewals. Start here.

  2. Sales Development Reps (SDRs): Free AEs from cold outreach by handling emails, calls, and lead generation.

  3. Product Specialists: Onboard users so AEs focus on pipeline growth.

  4. Account Managers: Nurture relationships post-sale to drive renewals and referrals.

"Every hour an AE spends onboarding a user is an hour not building pipeline. Specialists free them to grow the company."

Closeup of young asian guy looking curious and focused searching for something looking through magni... | Premium Photo

The Playbook Imperative

Top performers often can’t articulate why they succeed. Daren’s fix:

  • Forensic analysis: Study star sellers’ behaviors—how they land deals, not just what they do.

  • Create playbooks: Turn observations into repeatable steps (e.g., handling objections, discovery calls).

  • Scale insights: Train teams using documented best practices.

Surprisingly, playbooks don’t lift all boats equally:

"Good performers study playbooks and get better. Your top 20% may become 15% driving 85% of results—but overall revenue still rises."

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Hiring: Soft Skills Trump Industry Experience

Forget charisma or technical prowess. Daren prioritises three traits:

  1. Curiosity: Genuine interest in client needs.

  2. Coachability: Willingness to learn and adapt.

  3. Resilience: Handling rejection (sales is 90% "no").

"Soft skills are harder to train than hard skills. Curiosity and resilience beat industry knowledge in client-facing roles."

Context matters: Selling to a hedge fund? Hard skills help. Selling to HR? Soft skills build trust.

 

Tech as Your Sales Copilot: AI’s Game-Changing Role

Generative AI isn’t replacing sellers—it’s accelerating them. Daren cites examples:

  • Pre-call prep: AI analyses a client’s LinkedIn activity or earnings calls to surface priorities.

  • Negotiation intelligence: Tools transcribe calls and flag hidden deal-breakers (e.g., "Procurement needs a 5% discount").

  • Scalable research: Platforms like AlphaSense scan thousands of reports to answer questions like "What’s Company X’s pricing strategy?" in seconds.

For SMEs, this is transformative:

*"Generative AI is a great leveler. A 5-person SME can compete with giants if they use it better."*

The Hidden Cost of Low-Priced Tools - Zahn Dental Labs

Low-Cost Tools to Start Now

  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator: AI-powered lead insights.

  • Gong/Chorus: Call analytics for coaching.

  • Consumer AI (ChatGPT): Draft emails, research prospects.

The Mindset Shift: From Operator to Owner

Siloed teams kill scalability. Daren’s fix: Instill an owner mindset:

  • Operator mindset: "I hit my KPI—nothing else matters."

  • Owner mindset: "I’ll do what’s right for the client and company, even if it doesn’t benefit me."

Tactically:

  • Celebrate cross-functional wins: When a deal closes, credit SDRs for prospecting and product specialists for demos.

  • Shared language: Use all-hands meetings to reinforce collaboration.

  • Long-term greed: Sacrifice quick wins for enduring client relationships.

"Owners make companies successful. KPIs follow mindset."

SME Survival Guide: Tailored Insurance for Small Businesses | Bi-me

For Singapore SMEs, scalable sales isn’t about hiring more superstars—it’s about systemising their genius. By documenting playbooks, hiring for curiosity, leveraging AI, and fostering ownership, SMEs can turn sales from a talent lottery into a growth engine.

As Daren puts it:

"Your first 10 hires are 10% of your business. Every person multiplies success—or pain. Choose systems over heroes."

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