Scaling Your GTM Team: Deciding Between Full-Cycle and Specialized Sales Roles

Key Factors to Consider When Designing Your GTM Organization

DEAR STAGE 2: What are the trade-offs between full-cycle reps and more specialized roles (AE, CS, onboarding, AM, etc...)? When should we consider having the same person play multiple roles? Is this more about the customer or stage of the company? ~EVALUATING A RE-ORG

DEAR EVALUATING A RE-ORG: In an ideal world with unlimited resources, organizations could create the perfect all-encompassing sales structure. This would cover every step of the buyer's journey, ensuring an optimal experience throughout. But in reality there are many factors to consider when designing an effective GTM organization. Company stage and customer are key, but you might also need to consider your budget, growth goals, and expected ROI on any FTE addition.

In a world where constraints are the norm, the key lies in managing within your means and strategically allocating resources for maximum impact. I called on Stage 2 Limited Partner, Tanya Alfonso, to share her experience and unpack the pros, cons and considerations of full cycle reps v. specialized roles. Read on for Tanya’s take!

Full-Cycle AEs

Full-cycle reps own the entire customer journey, from initial contact to closing the deal through adoption and renewal. This approach offers continuity for the customer and fosters deep relationships, as reps develop a comprehensive understanding of each customer's needs. For smaller organizations with limited resources, this simplicity can be ideal (and cost effective!).

However, full-cycle roles come with inherent challenges, especially as the company scales. The generalist nature of these roles means reps may lack deep expertise in specific areas, requiring reliance on others within the organization or leaving gaps for your customers. Scalability is another issue; it becomes difficult to manage all aspects of the customer lifecycle as the number of customers grows and we find that reps tend to lean into their strengths - think hunter vs. farmer where reps might gravitate towards aspects they prefer, neglecting others. To mitigate this challenge Tanya recommends clear and concise goals and a comp plan fully captures company priorities. 

Specialized Roles

Specialized roles (BDRs, AEs, Implementation Managers, CSMs, Sales Engineers, etc.) focus on leading or supporting specific parts of the customer lifecycle. These roles are generally easier to recruit for and allow you to find people with deep domain expertise. As the company expands, specialized roles offer greater scalability and efficiency, with repeatable processes optimized for each stage of the sales cycle.

But challenges exist here as well. Specialization risks creating silos, potentially leaving communication gaps between departments. To ensure a seamless customer experience, handoff management and knowledge transfer are critical. This requires coordination and clear rules of engagement to avoid internal conflicts.

Factors Influencing the Decision to Specialist or Not

The decision between full-cycle and specialized roles isn't solely about the customer or company stage—it’s a blend of both:

Customer Considerations

• Complexity: Higher-touch customers require specialization.

• Product Intricacy: Complex products might necessitate specialized knowledge.

• Lifetime Value: High-value customers can justify more specialized post-sales focus.

Company Stage Considerations

• Early Stage: Resource constraints often favor full-cycle roles for broader coverage

• Growth Stage: As the company scales, specialized roles become more feasible and beneficial.

• Mature Stage: Larger companies typically benefit from highly specialized roles to optimize each part of the sales process.

Strategies for Maximizing Value

Almost all companies start with full-cycle roles, and in fact a founder(s) is likely playing this role from day one. Founders need to reflect on where they can personally add the most value and where new skill sets or additional bandwidth will allow the company to move faster and better serve their customers. That might be a BDR to help on lead gen as the first GTM hire or a full cycle AE who can take deals from prospecting through onboarding and renewal. 

Over time, you will naturally specialize roles. Tanya advises against going too far in this direction too fast and recommends focusing on the critical points in your customer’s journey to understand where your team can maximize value. Maybe it is increasing adoption post-sale, or accelerating the time from first meeting to close with additional technical support. 

Shifting a team from generalists to specialists can be challenging, and in some cases, it may seem like you're reducing responsibilities for top performers. To address this, it's crucial to openly discuss this evolution during your recruiting process and provide individuals the opportunity to grow into these newly created specialized roles over time. You might be surprised by what can be achieved when someone is given the chance to explore something new. Offering your team these opportunities will help recruit and retain A players while building a sense of loyalty.

Choosing between full-cycle reps and specialized roles isn't a one-time decision. It's a journey that, much like your business, isn't static. Starting with generalists and moving towards specialists, your goal is to maximize customer value while aligning with the company strategy. This balance requires constant (re)evaluation.