Introduction to the current week of startup school, highlighting the importance of lectures and the mid-point feedback form.

• We are at the midpoint of startup school, a critical time for founders.
• There's an anticipation for talks by Tyler from Clever on sales and Harsh and Amin from Triplebyte on building engineering organizations.
• The speaker emphasizes the value of feedback for the startup school program.

The importance of selecting meaningful metrics and providing authentic updates to measure progress.

• Founders should think critically about the metrics they use to track progress.
• It's advised to avoid vanity metrics that don't measure the true road to success.
• Updates should be honest reflections of milestones towards the startup's goals.

Introduction of Tyler Bosmeny, CEO of Clever, who will share insights on sales.

• Tyler Bosmeny is introduced as the CEO of Clever, which is utilized by over half the schools in America.
• He is set to discuss the significance of mastering sales as a founder.

Tyler Bosmeny recounts his unexpected path to becoming proficient in sales.

• Tyler shares his background in math and statistics, and his initial disinterest in sales.
• He describes his first experience with sales while working on a college newspaper and later joining a startup.
• Tyler emphasizes the unexpected fulfillment found in the sales process and its importance.

Tyler discusses the reality of sales being a core responsibility for founders.

• The common misconception of sales being only for charming individuals is dispelled.
• Founders, with their passion and industry expertise, are uniquely positioned to be effective at sales.
• Tyler highlights the importance of founders taking an active role in sales, especially in the early stages of their startups.

Tyler outlines the sales funnel, from prospecting to closing the deal.

• The sales funnel includes finding prospects, having conversations, closing deals, and generating revenue.
• Prospecting requires reaching out to a significant number of potential leads to find interested buyers.
• Tyler shares the importance of persistence and following up throughout the sales process.

Discussing methods for identifying prospects and starting conversations.

• Prospecting methods include using personal networks, attending conferences, and sending cold emails.
• Tyler highlights the effectiveness of conferences in meeting potential customers and encourages thorough preparation.
• Cold emails should be concise, personalized, and aim to initiate a conversation.

Tyler emphasizes the importance of listening in sales conversations.

• Effective salespeople spend more time listening than talking during sales conversations.
• Asking the right questions and genuinely understanding customer problems is key to successful sales.
• Sales is about building relationships and providing solutions, not just pushing a product.

Tips for successfully closing deals and navigating potential pitfalls.

• Closing requires having a solid contract, managing negotiations efficiently, and being willing to compromise on non-critical terms.
• Tyler advises against building features for one-off requests, offering free trials, and highlights the need for commitment.
• Being persistent is key, but also knowing when to accept a 'no' can save time for other potential deals.

Final insights on sales strategies and hiring the right salespeople.

• Founders should consider the long-term sales motion and pricing model for their startups.
• The type of salesperson to hire (Renaissance vs. coin-operated) corresponds to the stage of the startup's journey.
• Tyler concludes by encouraging founders to enjoy the process and wishes them good luck.