Lessons Learned in B2B Sales

You may have read my post from 8 months about Starting From Scratch a Decade Later. I'd like to revisit that story - so full of optimism - and share the difficult, sad truth of what happened afterward. As a short recap, I left my job of nine years full of excitement and hope; eager for a new professional adventure. I was actively head-hunted by a British Audio Branding Agency - PHMG/ and the possibilities seemed endless. I spent two weeks at their Manchester, England Headquarters and was trained by a group of amazing people. I flew back to Chicago filled with passion and feeling prepared for the new challenges that awaited me. As I was responsible for supporting the brand launch in the USA by growing a large inside sales team and book of business, I expected the challenges to be finding the "right" people, onboarding, training, retention, motivation, KPIs, etc. Point being, I expected all of the standard challenges that come with opening a new sales office. Wha