Taylor Costa

Top candidates don’t wait around. If you’re not moving, someone else is. The best AEs, CSMs, and leaders are in high demand — they’re fielding multiple offers, and their calendars move faster than your process. The #1 reason A-players drop out isn’t comp. It’s speed. Every extra day in your funnel is a chance for them to: Take another interview Accept another offer Lose trust in your ability to execute And here’s the kicker: When they walk, your shortlist doesn’t just get smaller. It gets weaker. You’re left with B-players and missed revenue. Hiring isn’t a beauty parade. It’s a race against time. Every day you delay, your pipeline slips, your team carries the weight, and your revenue gap gets bigger.

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Interesting post by Tushneem (below) on the hidden value of an HRBP. Thought I would run it through ChatGPT with a TA focus (this is a fictional TA person). We need to better communicate the value of TA as a revenue driver, not a cost center. My Senior Recruiter costs $228,000 fully loaded annually. -My top AE costs $240,000 fully loaded. -But that AE earns $340,000 in total comp after commissions and accelerators. Guess who unlocked an additional $2.3 million in revenue last year? -Not the AE. -The Recruiter. That $160,000 recruiter salary becomes $228,000 fully loaded. Meanwhile, my AE costs $240,000 fully loaded before commissions and gets paid well into the $300Ks when they hit quota. But the revenue jump didn’t come from closing deals. It came from Talent Acquisition rebuilding the front end of the revenue engine: -time-to-fill dropped from 62 to 28 days -hiring accuracy jumped 35% -SDR turnover dropped 30% -pipeline coverage stabilized because headcount stayed full -the recruiter rebuilt the IC > Manager feeder path, eliminating backfill delays -no more “start of quarter” hiring cliffs Those shifts alone generated $2.3M in incremental revenue. The asymmetry is wild: TA: $228,000 cost → $2.3M revenue unlocked AE: $340,000 total pay → revenue capped by whether TA keeps the org staffed and strong This isn’t AE-bashing — it’s misattribution. Talent Acquisition is the growth engine every founder underestimates. Companies obsess over quota, CAC, and pipeline. But they ignore the inputs TA controls: -headcount readiness -hiring velocity -hiring quality -offer acceptance -funnel health -candidate experience -manager alignment -forecast accuracy for staffing If those inputs fail, no AE hits quota, no SDR books meetings, and no CS team renews anything. The “cost” of TA is a myth: Head of TA: $260,000–$380,000 fully loaded Senior Recruiter: $228,000–$310,000 fully loaded Sourcer: $180,000–$240,000 fully loaded These aren’t expenses. They’re multipliers. The problem is the system that hides TA’s impact while over-celebrating whoever happens to close the deal. A $160,000 recruiter doesn’t cost $228,000. They compound it. Through headcount. Through speed. Through quality. Through the teams that actually generate revenue.

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We're entering an era where the top 1% of ICs all prefer to work with a trusted talent firm, similar to how exec search works today (i.e. AE, CSM, PMM, etc.) I'm seeing this first-hand at VibeScaling right now - top performers want companies that are pre-vetted, even before they agree to take the first call. Given the velocity of new companies incorporating daily, it's hard to cut through the noise these days. Partnering with a trusted firm helps shortcut a lot of the diligence process. The most common questions we're getting asked right now: -Does the company actually have real (and sustainable) traction? -You've been a VP/CRO/Advisor at multiple unicorns - would you join this company right now? -Where would you put these founder(s) in your stack-rank of the top people you've ever worked with? -What is the projected upside you'd give this company and why? -What are the risks / extraneous factors that could derail this business? -Why shouldn't I join this company? -Is the talent density here going to help me level-up? Things are going to look very different over the next 10 years 👀

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"Right Place. Right Time" -Me. Why you're getting, or not getting, the job 😳 Right Time? Easy. Now. 🔥 HOT MARKET 🔥 Right Place? THE HIRING HOT BEDS...aka companies that need SaaS Sales Reps YESTERDAY 👀 📍San Francisco 📍New York City 📍Austin 📍Seattle 📍Salt Lake City Hate to say it, but if you're not grandmothered into remote work (a la yours truly 💁🏻‍♀️) it is going to be REALLY hard to get in at a scaling AI SaaS org 🤷🏻‍♀️

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Hot take from the recruiting chair: your Salesforce or Adobe expertise isn't a liability in a Braze-first environment — it's a superpower. I've had candidates self-select out of our process because they didn't want to "start over" after years in the Salesforce or Adobe ecosystem. I get it. But here's what they're missing: Braze didn't replace those platforms by accident. It won because marketers — the same ones who mastered legacy clouds — demanded something better. If you've lived inside the complexity of SFMC or Adobe, you understand the problems Braze was built to solve better than almost anyone. You're not starting over. You're leveling up. The MarTech world is consolidating around platforms like Braze. The practitioners who cross that bridge early are the ones who'll be most valuable on the other side. If this resonates, let's talk. https://lnkd.in/gKJ47rsu

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In sales you are only as good as the questions you ask Yet when someone is interviewing (even the best sellers and execs) they over or under think it rules for questions in an interview 1️⃣ right questions, right persona 2️⃣ context matters - just because you think someone understands where you are coming from doesn't mean they do - questions without context of what you have done, what you think, what you learned from your champion can come off as "jr" 3️⃣ like sales, questions should be a continuation that loops together - how do the insights you get from recruiting, flow into the peer/manager and then c suite convos? phase 1 ✨ - give context - ask question - dig deep phase 2 ✨ - ask for specifics - give me a time, walk me through, can you describe - see how it feels in your gut/ chest - do you trust this? - any interviewer can give buzz words and generic responses - you can build off of the context they gave you to ask more qs and position yourself phase 1 & 2 recap 🎯 - context builds - if they trust they are talking to a peer/expert the "quality" and candid nature of their responses increases - qs show your disco/ sales process - your ability to uncover data points shows you know how to uncover need and qualify Phase 3 ✨ - validate - ask them to "show you" rather than tell you - offer to "show them" rather than tell in your follow up or agenda - give and get - how you use this, or build off of this idea or bring new ones ✅ Are you a #gtmfounder looking for an early stage hire that won't waste your time with lazy #salesinterview discovery? It is FREE to interview ✅ Are you a seller who wants to be intro'd to companies that are FULLY vetted so you can verify/qualify intentionally? Let's zoom and talk hope$, boundaries and ideas weeks, months, or years before you are ready to move #sales #gtmsales #salesheadhunter #gtmsales #foundingsales #foundingaccountexecutive #foundingsdr #firsttimesaleshire

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🚀 A "𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗢𝗽𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲" is officially here! As a GTM recruiter, the last few years have been all about scaling AEs, SDRs, and Sales Leadership roles. RevOps roles were few and far between. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱. The GTM team Hirewell currently has more RevOps reqs on our desk than we've seen in the last three years combined. Here is why I think the "engine room" is finally getting the investment it deserves again: 1. 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 > 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀: companies are no longer just want to "hire more bodies." They want a predictable engine. RevOps provides the math that makes growth sustainable. 2. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸: Sales tools have become complex. Companies need "Architects," not just Admins, to integrate AI agents and predictive data into the workflow. 3. 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀: The gap between Marketing, Sales, and CS is where revenue goes to die. RevOps acts as the glue that keeps the entire customer journey leak-proof. 4. 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: In a tighter market, you can't afford to guess. RevOps identifies the "winning" territories so sales teams can stop "spraying and praying." If you're a Founder or a GTM leader, what's the #1 RevOps challenge you’re trying to solve in 2026? Data hygiene, AI integration, or just getting Sales and Marketing to talk? 👇 Drop a comment below. #RevOps #GTM #SalesHiring #RevenueOperations #RecruitingTrends #GrowthStrategy

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I have never been this excited about a product release at Gainsight. CSMs sink a wild amount of time hunting for account information across siloed tools - CSP, CRM, spreadsheets, support tickets, Slack threads, and meeting notes from a QBR three months ago. I hear about this pain every single day. Your customers feel your pain too because they're getting on a meeting with a CSM who's exhausted from chasing data instead of showing up with full context and a plan. What if instead you could just ask Claude or GPT to: * Draft your QBR outline in seconds, not hours * Build a meeting agenda based on open support tickets, churn risks, stakeholder changes, and initiatives from your last exec call * Pull full account risk context with a single prompt MCPs + LLMs make this real. Not theoretical - actually real, right now - check the demo shared below. Are you experimenting with MCPs yet? Would love to hear what you're building.

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Recruiters: automate your sourcing with ZoomInfo Talent’s Saved Searches. Build your search once (role + similar titles + location + target companies), then layer on signals like Likely to Listen or Scoops like layoffs, M&A, exec moves, relocations. Save and subscribe to daily/weekly email alerts when new talent enters the criteria. Jump back to any Saved Search to act fast with verified contact data. Allie Obanion walks you through how to quickly and easily set up a saved search. Learn more about ZoomInfo Talent here: https://bit.ly/4j9isU1

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A lot of Enterprise SDRs are doing really good work and still feel stuck. Not because they’re bad at the job. But because… there’s no clear path forward. You grind, you hit numbers, you tell yourself it’ll make sense soon and then six months go by. Then a year. And you’re still not totally sure if this is actually leading to an AE seat or just more of the same. That uncertainty sneaks up on you. The role should move you somewhere. Not leave you guessing. #SDR #SalesCareers

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Day 2! If you’re aiming for your dream AE role, especially in tech, Alison Hufnagel shares great advice on how to think about telling your story. Strong LinkedIn profiles and resumes don’t just list responsibilities; they clearly show impact, growth, and results. Keep following along for a behind-the-scenes look into our actual playbook. #Salesforce #AI #Hiring

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Over the past few months, I've had HR Screening calls with 300+ AEs, BDRs, CSMs, and Sales Leaders. And honestly, the best ones felt less like interviews and more like catching up with an old friend who really knows their craft. Here's what I consistently see from top candidates, and a bit of advice to improve your interviews and job search in general: - They define their ICP - and in a job search context, I mean their ideal company profile. Instead of mass applying, they go after specific segments: AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, MarTech, HRTech, data governance. They know the culture, the motion, the trajectory - and genuinely know what they want. - They track their funnel like a quota-carrying AE. They know exactly how many intros, interviews, and offers are in play - and adjust their approach the same way they'd work on a pipeline! - They tell a story, not just numbers. Not just "I hit 120% last year." They give context - PLG vs outbound, net new vs expansion, where they ranked, and how they won their most important deal. - They're honest about what they don't know - and own their losses. Candidates who say, "I haven't done that, but here's how I'd approach it," build trust faster than anyone who oversells. Low ego is genuinely rare nowadays - and I can see how hiring managers are valuing it more and more. Job searching is genuinely hard. But treating it with the same structure and intention you'd bring to your actual sales role makes a real difference. If you're a high-performing AE, BDR/SDR, CSM, or Sales Leader and want to approach your next move more strategically - let's connect! And if you work in recruiting, what would be your advice to candidates to be better at interviews? 💜 #GTMRecruiting #SalesRecruiting #StartupJobs #SalesJobs

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Your AE closed the deal Friday at 4pm. Your CSM found out about it Tuesday morning via Slack notification. By the time the CSM reaches out, the customer's already confused. The AE promised them a "white glove onboarding experience." The CSM is scrambling to figure out what that even means. Twelve months later, they churn. And everyone acts surprised. Churn happens for a bunch of reasons, but a big one is because the post-sale experience straight up betrayed the pre-sale promises. The handoff from AE to CSM determines whether that customer renews. And most companies treat it like an afterthought. Here's what actually happens: - AE over-promises to close the deal. - CSM inherits those promises with zero documentation. - Customer realizes they were sold a vision, not a roadmap. - CSM spends 6 months firefighting instead of driving value. - Renewal comes up. Customer ghosts. The mistake is thinking the handoff is a "moment." It's not. It's a PROCESS that should start the second the deal hits Stage 4. Here's how to fix it: 1. Make AEs document the buying committee before close. Not just "VP of Sales signed the contract." You need: - Who was in the buying committee? - What role did each person play? - Who's going to be using the product day-to-day? - Who's going to judge success 90 days from now? If the AE can't name at least 3 people in the account, all they probably did was sold to one person who might not even be the user. 2. Require a documented handoff meeting within 48 hours. Not "I'll intro you via email." An actual meeting where: - AE walks through what was promised. - Customer shares what they expect in first 90 days. - CSM confirms the success plan. This meeting should happen BEFORE the contract is fully executed if possible. Get everyone aligned while the AE still has leverage. 3. Map renewal risk factors during the sale. AEs should be documenting renewal risk factors during the sales process: - Budget constraints that might impact Year 2. - Internal politics that could derail adoption. - Competing priorities that might take focus away from implementation. CSM should inherit a deal with a risk profile, not just a revenue number. 4. Tie AE comp to post-sale outcomes. If AEs get paid 100% at close and never think about that customer again, they'll over-promise every time. Try this: - 80% commission at close. - 20% commission when customer hits first success milestone (defined during handoff). 5. CSMs should ghost-write the close plan. In the final stages of the deal, the CSM should be helping the AE build the close plan. Why the CSM? Because they know what successful onboarding actually looks like. The AE-to-CSM handoff is the most important moment in the customer lifecycle. Because that 48-hour window determines the next 12 months. Get it wrong, and no amount of CSM hustle will save the renewal. Get it right, and you just turned a one-time deal into a long-term customer.

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I am back with more tips for applying to a HubSpot sales role! 🔁 5 Things I Look for in a Sales Resume As a recruiter, here’s what consistently stands out: 1️⃣ Metrics that matter - Quota, funnel, self-sourced pipeline, stack rank 2️⃣ Progression - Growth and consistent performance over time 3️⃣ Growth mindset - Always learning, evolving, and adopting new tools 4️⃣ Consultative approach - Selling solutions, not just features 5️⃣ Net new experience - Proven success with cold outreach + pipeline creation 📌 You don’t need a perfect resume, just one that tells the right story. #SalesCareers #ResumeTips #HubSpotLife #GrowGetter

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