Scaling Up Sales is a program supported by the Service de la promotion de l'économie et de l'innovation (SPEI) in partnership with Innovaud and the Fondation pour l'innovation technologique (FIT). This program supports SMEs and technology start-ups in their growth phase by developing the business management skills of entrepreneurs.

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Innovation alone represents a minority part of a company's economic added value. It is the implementation of innovation in the market that provides tangible and substantial proof of the value of the company - through its market, its customers, its revenue and its history of growth. Implementation begins with the ability to acquire customers and then grow its capacity exponentially to ensure its survival and economic success. The ability to acquire customers is a state of mind and a science that can be learned and which must be part of the DNA of the company and its leaders.

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The program aims to train entrepreneurs in sales management and business growth. Theoretical training in sales management is complemented by practical support from a Sales Angel to support startups and SMEs in a logic of economically sustainable growth and encourage entrepreneurs to develop their business beyond Switzerland, to go further, bigger and faster.

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In the context of this program we are looking for Sales Angels to complete our team.

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Scaling Up Sales Angels (M/F), startups based in French-speaking Switzerland (consulting mandates)

Based in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, startups benefiting from this support program are innovative companies less than ten years old, in the commercialization or pre-commercialization phase with a product or service validated by the market. They are represented by their CEO and their commercial director. The fields of activity of the startups range from robotic programming to genomics, including drones, 3D printing in bioscience, medical and research equipment, fluid analysis and data protection. The startups in the program have levels of commercial maturity ranging from a few hundred thousand swiss francs of annual revenue to several million swiss francs - so they are no longer projects but companies with employees and customers. 

 

The program provides economic support for up to 50% of the Sales Angels' fees. The Sales Angels follow a precise coaching doctrine and their intervention is subordinated to the management of the program.

 

The Sales Angels help the startups in the program to develop their market, adapt their value proposition, educate their market, develop their sales pipeline, establish their sales organization and set up their management routines. Sales Angels are involved in the strategy down to the nitty-gritty of execution and are called upon to "get in on the ground floor" where necessary. The level of competence required of Sales Angels is that of a company's Advisory Board.

 

The role of the Sales Angel

 

• Submit a roadmap for a mandate to support the startup based on an intervention of 4 to 8 hours per month over a period of approximately 18 months.

• Support the startup in both the development of the growth strategy and its operational implementation

• Support in the acquisition of growth resources (employees, business partners, economic resources)

• Support in the commercial effort, the management of the opportunity pipeline

• Assist in setting up sales management routines (weeklies, sales meetings, etc.)

• Intervene if necessary in meetings, interactions and negotiations with the startups' customers

• Assist in setting up sales materials and tools (sales funnel and pipeline management software, configurators, prospecting tools and robots, etc.)

• Assist in the recruitment process of sales people and the implementation of management by objectives

• Support the management of employees involved in sales

• Ensure that his knowledge is effectively transferred to the startup and does not act as a subcontractor

• Maintain and submit an accurate and analytical timesheet of support activities

• Invoice and collect fees from the startup on a monthly basis 

• Participate in the coordination and experience sharing meetings of the Sales Angels

• Work under the supervision of the program manager
   

What you must have

 

• Be a professional and recognized consultant in the startup and SME support ecosystem with at least 3 years of experience and references

• Be economically independent and available for a few hours per month

• Ability to work in a team, under the leadership of the program management
   

• At least 5 years experience as a sales manager with one or more reporting sales teams

• At least 10 years of experience as a sales person, working with customers internationally and for technology products and solutions

• Proven work or consulting experience in building and developing a sales force from scratch

• Proven work or consulting experience in one or more of the program's startup sectors

• Work experience in companies of different sizes: startups, SMEs and international corporations
   

• Competence in sales management of employees: from prospection to closing deals and sales pipeline management

• Competence in HR management of employees: recruitment, management of objectives, management of personal development
   

• Experience in acquiring new customers through prospecting and managing existing customer portfolios

• Experience in managing relationships with large and medium-sized organizations and the ability to develop high-level relationships quickly and effectively

• Proven track record in negotiating and closing deals

• Active listening and the ability to perceive and build the perfect value proposition for prospects
   

• Ability to quickly understand new technologies and processes

• Extensive experience using sales force automation (CRM, SFA, ERP, etc...) and prospecting tools (Linkedin Sales Navigator, etc...)

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What you must NOT have

 

• Be a job seeker or 100% employed

• Apply to the program in order to join the startup as a permanent employee

• Be in overwork with important availability constraints

• Lack work and business experience in Switzerland, Europe or USA

 

Places of execution of the Mandate:
 

• In video conference (Zoom, Teams, etc..)

• In the startup's offices in Switzerland 

• At the startup's clients' offices
   

Language requirements:

 

• English at a professional level (imperative) and, ideally, at least one other language that can be used professionally with the startup's clients (French, German, etc.)

 

Travel Requirements:

 

• Occasional travel may be required.

 

Compensation:
 

• Sales Angels bill their time by the hour at a rate of CHF 200.-/hour

 

Application:
 

• We will only consider applications that fully meet the required criteria and that contain a convincing letter of motivation specific to the proposed mandate. This mandate is NOT A JOB.
   

• We look forward to meeting you!