How to manage startup sales? Our 5 step framework for commercial growth.

Vondel Commercial, helps SaaS, marketplace, fintech, AI, deep tech companies from Pre-seed to Series C with the following commercial challenges.

We work with frameworks; strategic or operational, using our own internal & external experts, full-timers, interim managers, advisors or fractionals, or a combo; no cure no pay, for a fixed fee, equity or a hybrid setup. Let’s discuss how to collaborate on your growth.

Check out our Commercial Growth Framework below, with all the basic and advanced steps that you come across on the growth path of your (portfolio) company.

I. Fix Basics

• Set up CRM (i.e. Hubspot) incl. leads, segmentation, funnel, sales cycle, dashboards etc.

• Materials: sales deck, mails, Linkedin content etc.

• GTM strategy

• Market research / market access advisory

• Lead generation & lead qualification

• Tools

• Automation

• Using AI

II. Grow Revenue

• Outbound Sales, (using Telesales, Linkedin, Emails, Field Sales), Inbound, PLG

• Business development

• Partnerships

III. Build Teams

• Hiring team, using our network and headhunting services

• Team structure, compensation, weekly meetings & cadence etc.

IV. Expand Markets

• International expansion (remotely, boots on the ground or open local office and team)

• Open new verticals or market segments

• Start field sales, to strengthen your digital sales game

V. Optimize Growth

• Look for growth drivers and focus on those

• Fight churn

• Tweak pricing or model

• Adjust GTM, learnings, segmentation etc.

• Account management / client success / activation

• Team management, sales enablement & training

• Mergers & acquisitions

Where and how do you need support on your growth journey? Growing revenue, building teams, opening markets?

• Part-time as advisor or fractional Head of Sales or Business Development, focused on strategy and/or sales outreach only?

• Commercial Due Diligence to check your current state and see where improvements can be made?

• More full-time and longer term as Interim CCO / VP Sales?

• Or opening a new market, as for example, Interim Country Manager or Expansion Lead Netherlands, Nordics or Germany?

Check in with us to discuss how we can partner up and help you grow.

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⚡ Vondel Commercial is part of Vondel Venture Development, the one-stop shop & community for commercial, headhunting & capital solutions.

How to save loads of money & time on recruiting the right talent and help you accelerate growth along the way.

Dear Founder, VC, PE, or executive. Vondel Headhunting is here to help you recruit & hire faster, better, and yes cheaper. We listed the following points so you can see how we work and how to benefit from our senior setup, experience, price and execution speed.

• Boutique approach: Vondel Headhunting, is a part of Vondel Venture Development, a venture growth boutique & platform (Amsterdam, since 2014), with services like commercial leadership consulting, outbound sales, multidisciplinary fractional & interim community, access to capital, and of course: headhunting! Therefore we know a lot more about what’s & who’s needed to scale ventures & solve growth challenges than our recruiter-only friends. And along the way, we can advise and work hands-on with you on multiple other growth related topics, as a true long-term partner. We only take on few clients at the same time to guarantee results.

• Huge international network: we have a first degree network of +10.000 (commercial) people in venture, VC… marketplaces, saas, fintech & more across Europe (NL, Nordics, DACH, UK, ES FR) and beyond. And +200.000 globally if you combine our Vondel expert community. Talking about network effects;)

• 15 years sales & hiring experience: I personally have hired over 50 people across the globe (mainly Europe) in my past roles as a Sales Leader or Interim Managing Director so know who’s good or not.

• Low & fair price: Stop paying 20-25% and retainers etc. to recruiters (that let juniors do the work). You are overpaying massively. We offer our headhunting services for FTE’s at nearly half the cost of regular recruiters. Our fee is 15% of OTE or we agree on a low fixed fee, like min. of €7500,- per successful placement (depends on the role), no cure no pay, paid after the probation period is over. Having worked with recruiters myself from the other side of the table as a client, I always thought their pricing was too high, while pricing should always be fair.

• Free access to Freelancers: we connect you to interim, fractional and freelance leaders for free, since we have a special agreement with 100 of them that are part of our Vondel Fractional & Interim Community of independent Venture & VC leaders (we take a small 10% commission from the expert side only).

• Quick results: depending on role first candidates can be usually be interviewed within 24 hours to 1 week. Ask our clients!

• Personal senior service: searches are managed by our founder (Maurits Stuyver), no junior or medior people without enough real life or industry experience.

• Selected partner network: Sometimes Vondel is teaming up with our selected & senior independent headhunting partners to increase our reach, speed and performance, but maintain quality. Always for the low & fair Vondel price, and with our supernatural and Euro-wide execution speed!

Next step? Reach out to us or inquire on our website to get started!

🎥 How to build a replicable sales model? Leaders of Growth Podcast 🎙 x Vondel x Knight Capital

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qkSssYu1qrcFlQYqjrB2L?si=5ba99c14d9444362

In this insightful episode, we sit down with Maurits Stuyver, the founder of Vondel Venture Development.
Maurits has spent over a decade guiding tech companies to master international expansion and commercial acceleration. He brings his extensive experience working with diverse businesses, from B2B marketplaces to SaaS companies and technical software solutions.

Why founders, execs & VC/PE should pick freelance, interim or fractional experts to solve their challenges, and how Vondel.co is here to help

In the world of startups, VC, and PE many entrepreneurs are balancing several challenges at the same time. Challenges that can make or break a company’s success, fundraise or growth. In this article, I want to give 3 important examples of problems scaleup companies come across and how to leverage fractional, freelance or interim solutions that can bring innovation, efficiency and growth at lightning speed. Also I will explain how Vondel Venture Development can help with our platform & community.

A. 3 Challenges and Solutions

I. War on Talent -> Hire freelance pros that can start directly.

An ongoing thing in the world of startups in the relentless war on talent. It’s key to attract (and retain) skilled professionals but this is also a huge challenge. Building high performing teams, with limited resources asks for smart choices.

• By embracing the gig economy, startups & investors can tap into a pool of experts without the yearly cost and long-term commitment of a full-time hire.

• This way you can scale super fast and on a project basis, with exactly that expertise that you need, whenever you need it.

• Or let the freelancer fill the position while you are looking for the perfect full-time hire, and minimize the performance gap.

• As you hire top freelancers, and after you tested them, you can always negotiate a new deal to keep them connected to your company for longer term. Even though most freelancers like to remain independent, some are willing to stick around on the right terms.
  

II. Need for Expertise to create value and win a market -> Use high-level interim experts

So many different roles that need to contribute in the machine that is called startup. People are everything. Ok, AI can solve a few things and will get smarter, but still you need damn good people for sparring, strategizing, executing and managing. Sales, GTM, expansion, business development, AI, data, product, tech, ops, marketing, finance, fundraising, etc. Winners. Entrepreneurs. Calculated risk-takers. People that have done it before preferably, with the right startup mindset. They know how to create the value that you need for your business. Isn’t everyone looking for them? Where do you find them? But aren’t interim experts expensive?

• Interim leadership might be perceived as expensive. But making mistakes of entering new markets without the right research, strategy, or applying the wrong sales tactics or miss-hires are even more expensive…

• Interim experts can hit the ground running and bring super valuable experience, knowledge, best practices & network to speed up your growth.

• Think about the ROI. Calculate the 3–6 month cost of the interim and put it up against the expected returns and cost savings. Let’s say you hire a freelance expert: He/she helps you unburdening, lower your challenges & stress, takes leadership of a project, department or team, hires the right people in short time. No more need for a normal recruiter, faster results in sales & partnerships, smarter product development, accelerated growth. Sounds good? Give it a try!

III. Need for Cash: bootstrapping vs. growth -> Fractional experts are a flexible & targeted investment

Startups & scaleups are either cash restraint or time restraint. Sometimes both. Navigate your reserves and growth expectations the right way with the right people; usually you can make great deals with freelancers on projects so they fit your budget.

• How fractional experts can add value to your organization or portfolio. Use a super experienced professional for 1 day or few days per week on certain projects. One-off or ongoing. Tap in to growth knowledge now.

• Pay only for what you need. And quit your contract with the expert on a flexible basis when the job is done.

• Different compensation models are possible. Fixed fee, commission only, equity only, or a hybrid variant. Let’s discuss what fits. There are always possibilities to work together.

B. Why work with freelance expert communities like Vondel Venture Development?

I. Our venture expert communities & platform brings you success in several ways

• One-stop shop for advisory, freelance, fractional or interim talent, so don’t waste any time and grow your business now!

• Access freelancers with niche expertise, experience & high-level network from the best startups, VC, PE — across the globe.

• Access to broader FTE headhunting talent pool.

• Direct intro’s to investors.

• Acting a platform for your other commercial, hiring or fundraising related business needs.

II. The differentiator of Vondel compared to other scale-up consulting, sales agencies, recruitment firms or communities

• One-stop shop for ventures, it’s investors & talent: we have built an all-in-one community & platform, combining the direct power of freelance (commercial) consulting & interim; our talent pool & headhunting; front-row access to VC investors; and last but not least our opportunity marketplace, where our entrepreneurial fractional experts can wheel and deal with each other.

• Execution driven & industry-specific venture focus: our niche is hands-on (freelance) venture builders & capital experts. All SaaS, marketplace/platform, fintech, VC, PE professionals. People that have stood in the trenches and are walking the talk. No place for career consultants or career investors. We only work with real builders and offer you direct access to them. They will get sh*t done, not just “advise”.

• Commercial, international & leadership expertise as fractional or interim CCO, Head of Sales, Business Development, Expansion: we have a unique approach with our sales focus — backed by >15 years of international business development leadership experience. Growing your customer base, ARR or partnerships, opening new markets, hiring teams, is at our core.

• Freelance venture expert community with different fields of expertise like CFO, COO, CPO, Data, Legal, Fundraise: we provide you with access to other professional freelance experts with other fields of expertise! Currently we have nearly 60 people in our active network and we plan to grow to max. 100 to keep the oversight, trust and impact. We have experts in business development, simple and complex sales cycles, field sales, SDR/AE outbound sales, partnerships, marketing, data, AI, product, tech, ops, hiring, legal, finance & VC. Experts sign up here;).

• Curated excellence over quantity: a smaller community means a better connection, better collaboration, personal vetting and trust. Large scaleup communities can never deliver you the personal understanding, network, speed and trustworthiness that is needed in high-level projects for top startups or VC/PE portfolios. Most people in my community I have personally worked with before or are out of my direct network.

• Collaborative community culture: our opportunity & project marketplace allows for people to communicate directly with each to solve business, hiring or information needs.

• Holistic ecosystem: Vondel is not just a commercial consulting firm, not a VC, not a recruitment firm or just a community. We are a platform for talent, deals and capital. Combing fractional leadership like CFO’s or CCO’s and independent sales street fighters from the best startups out there, as well as freelance fundraisers and capital placement agents that can help you open doors and raise that capital. Also we have partnerships with other investment, commercial, recruitment, software development, financial or legal firms that can help you. Or we connect you to other communities.

• Free access to our freelance experts for companies: No hiring fees on freelancers for clients, as we take a match-making commission from the side of the expert. Companies request your expert here!

• Headhunting for FTEs: If you want us to start a search for full-time employees then we can deliver the right candidates within no-time, please contact us to discuss the options. Or add you profile to our database if you are looking for a new challenge (not for freelancers).

We will be your strategic partner, offering a unique blend of quality, specialization, and community support that goes beyond the capabilities of conventional independent consultants, agencies, (freelance) recruitment firms or (large-scale) communities.

Personally, I have worked for many top marketplaces, SaaS companies & investors. And members of the Vondel community come from diverse backgrounds, markets and companies. See our trackrecord below.

Interested to learn more or want to join us (work with us as company, member or talent)? Check out Vondel.co or send me a DM or mail at maurits@vondel.co!

How to become a successful fractional, interim or freelance consultant for startups, scaleups & investors?

I. Pick your niche

• Go for subjects that you have real experience in working for relevant companies

• Think about where people would call you for, i.e. you are that senior sales leader or international expansion guy, or data specialist woman

• Zoom in and select more specific skills that have strong need in the market where you focus on, see if you can build a framework or package your solutions

• Pick a market: startup, scaleup, corporate, government, VC, PE, other?

• Pick a geo: NL, Nordics, Europe, Singapore, Southeast Asia? Where is your network and experience?

• Write all this down on your website, both concise, as well explanatory, to show that you know

II. Brand building

• Decide if you want to work super independent or become part of communities or networks to strengthen your position in the market

• Make a website, pick a name & logo

• Write down your focus and USPs

• Use references, case studies & client logos to show off your good work

• Communicate this in your network via Linkedin, Email, Whatsapp, Website

III. Top tips to find clients:

• Reach out to your ICP to find opportunities that are hidden from the market

• Build network with other players in the ecosystem you are in

• Join a community like Vondel Venture Development

• Apply to jobs and ask if freelance/interim is possible

• Post regularly, but not too much and show you are open for business

• Email/whatsapp your network to inform them you are open for opportunities

• Ask for referrals

• Build a strong brand, on good results and good relations

• Keep pushing;)

IV. Value creation:

• Discuss clearly what needs to be done, and what has been tried, and what way to work together

• Be clear in goals for the client

• Communicate and check-in regularly

• Build dashboard to show your results and create transparency

• Make sure to come with some quick wins in first week(s), either from your framework & network or by putting in the hours to get the ball rolling

• More, more, more -> Calls, mails, Linkedin, level up your activity! And in case of sales: close those deals, or make the team you are managing more efficient!

• Work on bigger initiatives that drive value across multiple fields

• Start hiring (if needed) directly ASAP to hit the ground running!

V. Finally, stay close to your own skills that deliver most value, but keep on networking and learning and trying out new things:

• There is growth possible in multiple directions

• You will run into new business models, partnerships

• New opportunities will arise that are different from your consulting, you can get involved as investor, co-founder or simply by connecting people

• It’s people business, so stay nice, trustworthy and keep on having fun!

• Enjoy the (entrepreneurial) adventure!

Interested to learn more? Check out Vondel.co, mail me at maurits@vondel.co or send me a DM on Linkedin!