[nobodysfool]

If you are at the point where you are so busy working on your backlog that you can't build up your backlog, it might be worth it to pay a 'technical sales' person to build your backlog for you, and set expectations with the clients.

[dworin]

This advice is backwards. If you're so busy with the backlog, you should hire someone to work on the backlog and supervise them. If you're running the business, your job is finding work, then managing the work, then executing the work, in that order. Anyone worth their salt at selling technical work for a small firm would be doing it themselves, why would they even need the job? Better to hire freelancers who you know are great workers, but aren't as good at attracting them business, and having them help work through the backlog.

[tocomment]

Would it be a full time employee? Where would you find such a person? How does a technical person who doesn't know much about sales evaluate potential hires?

[msellout]

I think the first step is to sell yourself to learn about sales. Then you'll know enough to hire someone. You find that person the same way you find clients.

[alexmarcy]

I'm in a similar boat to these guys as far as biz dev goes and don't personally have a great sales track record having come from a purely technical background.

It seems like Sales as a service exists at least with Elastic. Does anyone have experience with how that works as a replacement for a full-time technical sales person?

[RickDT]

If you have any recommendation on finding/using a part-time sales person, I'm all ears! Dedicated sales would be awesome, but it'll be a while before we can hire this as a F/T position.