Why Startup Founders Fail at Sales (And How to Fix It) | Sonya Meloff

In this episode of The Profit or Pivot Podcast, I sit down with Sonya Meloff, co-founder of one of Canada’s most successful sales recruitment agencies. She helped thousands of companies, from startups to enterprises, hire top-performing salespeople and scaled her business to 8-figure revenues before exiting.

If you're a founder hiring your first sales rep, scaling your go-to-market team, or just want to sharpen your sales skills, this is a masterclass.

We dive deep into:

• Sonya’s accidental entry into sales and how she became a natural closer
• Her time at Monster.com and what it taught her about digital disruption and sales culture
• The moment she walked away from a multi six-figure salary to start her own firm and landed her first client before leaving the office
• Her unique methodology for hiring top sales talent
• What every founder needs to know before hiring their first salesperson
• The #1 trait she looks for in every sales hire
• How to sell anything by asking the right questions and reframing the value
• Handling rejection, founder-led sales, and why everyone is in sales whether they know it or not

💡 Whether you’re a founder hiring your first SDR, a sales leader building a team, or just trying to sharpen your own sales skills, Sonya delivers real, battle-tested insight from the front lines.

Video version on YouTube

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ABOUT SONYA

Sonya Meloff is a Canadian entrepreneur and sales recruitment expert, best known for co-founding Sales Talent Agency Inc., a leading sales recruitment firm specializing in hiring sales professionals. Since founding the agency in 2007, she has helped thousands of companies, from early-stage startups to global enterprises, hire top-performing sales talent. In 2024, she sold her shares in the business to her co-founder and is now actively exploring new entrepreneurial endeavours.

Sonya holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Calgary. She began her career with Hays in London, England, before returning to Canada to take on leadership roles in sales. As Director of Enterprise Sales at Monster Canada, she helped grow the company’s revenue significantly and became the youngest and first female recipient of Monster’s Salesperson of the Year award.

In addition to co-founding The Great Canadian Sales Competition, which became Canada’s largest student competition, she also co-founded Salesclass, a leading global sales reskilling program that has successfully trained 500+ Sales Development Representatives. Sonya is a recognized mentor, speaker, and mother of three, known for balancing business leadership with a strong commitment to family and community.

CONNECT WITH SONYA 

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