Stop making your sellers do this!

I got this question today:

"Should the salesperson be in the onboarding/handover meeting with the client or not?"

After 25 years in sales, working with 100-person sales teams, I have come to believe something about salespeople: Their highest and best use (including founders who sell) is to be on the phone, closing deals.

Time spent on other things–admin, research, internal meetings, handoff meetings–is a misuse of their talent.

And it robs you of future revenue.

Instead, dial in your sales handoff process.

When the contract is signed, give your new client a premium handoff experience and free up your seller to close more deals.

CQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why shouldn't a salesperson attend the onboarding or handover meeting?

Because their highest and best use is being on the phone closing deals, not sitting in internal handoff meetings. Time spent elsewhere is time not spent generating new revenue.

What counts as a misuse of a salesperson's time, according to this view?

Admin work, research, internal meetings, and handoff meetings all qualify. None of these activities use the specific skill that makes a salesperson valuable in the first place, closing deals.

How does keeping salespeople out of onboarding meetings protect future revenue?

Because every hour spent on a handoff meeting is an hour not spent prospecting or closing. Freeing sellers to focus entirely on sales activity directly protects the revenue that would otherwise be lost to misallocated time.

What should replace the salesperson's presence in the handoff process?

A dialed-in sales handoff process that delivers a premium experience for the new client without requiring the salesperson to personally be in the room. The transition can be smooth without pulling the seller away from selling.

Does this apply to founders who sell as well as hired salespeople?

Yes, the same logic applies. Whether it's a hired seller or a founder personally closing deals, their time is best spent selling, not sitting in meetings that could be handled by someone else.