Pune is noisy. The traffic in Hinjewadi is relentless. The coding talent in Baner is world-class. But inside many of the city’s most promising SaaS offices, there is a distinct, uncomfortable silence. It’s the sound of a sales team that isn’t closing.
You have built a product that works. Your code is clean. Your early adopters—mostly friends or warm intros—love it. But now? Revenue has flatlined. You are stuck in the “Founder-Led Sales” trap, trying to be the CEO, the product visionary, and the closer all at once.
It’s exhausting. And it’s not sustainable.
If this feels familiar, stop looking for a “rockstar” sales hire to save you. You don’t need a magician. You need a mechanic. You need a strategic Sales Consultant in Pune for a SaaS startup who can pop the hood, fix the engine, and hand you the keys to a machine that actually runs.
Here is the truth about why your sales process is broken and how Jayant Kelkar at Sales Fundas helps you fix it.
The Pune Engineer’s Dilemma
Pune is an engineering hub. We build things. We solve complex technical problems. But sales? That feels fuzzy. It feels unscientific.
Many founders here treat sales like a feature they can just code into existence. They think, “If the product is good, they will buy.”
They won’t.
The gap between “Zero to One” and “One to Ten” is where most local startups die. In the early days, you sold on passion. You sold on your personal reputation. But to scale, you need systems. You need a process that works when you aren’t in the room.
Why Hiring a “VP of Sales” Usually Fails
So, you raise a seed round. You have cash. You hire a shiny VP of Sales from a big MNC. You pay them a fortune. Six months later? You fire them.
Why? Because that VP knows how to drive a Ferrari, not how to build one. They expect a marketing team, a sales ops team, and a brand name. You have none of those.
This is where a Founder-Led Sales Consultant bridges the gap. We don’t just sit in the passenger seat; we get our hands dirty building the chassis.
What Sales Consulting Actually Looks Like (No Fluff)
Forget the image of a consultant in a suit giving a PowerPoint presentation. That’s useless. At Sales Fundas, consulting is operational. It is about the Three Ps: Process, People, and Platform.
1. Process: Engineering the Playbook
Your sales process is your product’s distribution engine. If it leaks, you lose money. We audit your current chaos and turn it into a science.
- Define the Stages: When does a lead become an opportunity? What are the exit criteria for a demo? (See: The Difference Between MQL and SQL Explained).
- Script the Hard Stuff: We write the objection handling scripts for when a prospect says, “Your price is too high” or “We are happy with your competitor.”
- Pipeline Hygiene: We stop you from lying to yourself about which deals will close.
2. People: Hiring Builders, Not Managers
Hiring is a minefield. In Pune, finding sales talent that understands global SaaS norms is tough. We help you draft the scorecard for the perfect hire.
Do you need a Hunter (SDR) to break down doors? Or a Closer (AE) to navigate complex contracts? We help you decide, and then we help you train them. Because training isn’t about motivation; it’s about equipping.
3. Platform: The Tech Stack Reality
Most startups have a CRM that looks like a digital graveyard. Contacts with no notes. Deals with no next steps.
A consultant ensures your technology works for you, not against you. Whether you are using HubSpot, Zoho, or Pipedrive, we configure it to track the metrics that matter. If you are bootstrapping, check out our guide on Free CRM Solutions Suitable for Startups in India.
And remember: Integrating your marketing tools with your CRM isn’t optional anymore. It’s survival.
Why Local Matters: The Pune Advantage
“Can’t I just hire a guy on Zoom from San Francisco?”
You could. But can he walk into your office in Koregaon Park and sit next to your struggling SDR for three hours? Can he sense the morale dip in the room when a big deal falls through?
Sales is energy. It is proximity. A Sales Consultant in Pune for a SaaS startup brings the context of the local ecosystem while enforcing global standards. We understand the specific cultural challenge of Indian teams selling to Western buyers—the hesitation to challenge a prospect, the tendency to say “yes” to every feature request.
We fix that mindset. We teach your team that sales is a peer-to-peer conversation, not a service request.
The Sales Fundas Approach: Your Fractional CSO
Jayant Kelkar isn’t just a trainer. He acts as your Fractional CSO (Chief Sales Officer). This is the smart play for startups that need C-level strategy but can’t afford a C-level salary.
You get the expertise. You get the roadmap. You save the equity.
The Math Check: A full-time VP of Sales costs ₹40L+ per year plus equity. A Fractional CSO costs a fraction of that and delivers the infrastructure you actually need right now. Read more on the Fractional CSO vs. Full-Time VP math here.
Is Your Startup Ready for Intervention?
Don’t call us if you don’t have a product people want. We can’t fix a bad product.
But call us if:
- You have happy customers but no predictable way to get more of them.
- Your sales cycle is dragging on for months with no clear reason why.
- You are terrified of what happens to your revenue if you take a vacation.
Stop Guessing. Start Scaling.
Building a company is hard enough. You shouldn’t have to guess how to sell it.
If you are serious about breaking through the revenue ceiling, you need a partner who has seen the movie before. You need a Sales Consultant in Pune who understands the SaaS startup grind.
Take the 30-Point Sales Process Health Check today. Or better yet, let’s talk.
Book a Discovery Call with Jayant Kelkar. No pitch. Just a conversation about where your sales funnel is leaking and how we plug it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a sales coach and a sales consultant?
A coach focuses on the individual skills of your reps, helping them speak better. A consultant focuses on the business, fixing the underlying processes, commission structures, and strategies that dictate success.
Do you help startups find clients directly?
No, we are not a lead generation agency. We build the engine so your team can find and close clients repeatedly and predictably.
How long is a typical consulting engagement?
Engagements usually last 3 to 6 months. This allows enough time to audit, rebuild the process, hire/train the team, and see the results of the new cycle.
Can you help us set up HubSpot or Salesforce?
Yes. We specialize in configuring CRMs to match your specific sales stages, ensuring you get clean data and automated workflows from day one.
Is it better to hire freshers or experienced sales reps in Pune?
For early-stage SaaS, hiring hungry freshers and training them well is often better than overpaying for experienced reps who may carry “big company” baggage. We help you train them.
What if we target US clients only?
We have extensive experience training Indian teams to sell into North America. This involves coaching on accent neutrality, cultural nuances, and timezone management.
How much does a Sales Consultant in Pune cost?
Costs vary based on scope, but a Fractional CSO model typically costs a monthly retainer that is significantly less than the salary of a full-time VP of Sales.
Can you audit our existing sales scripts?
Absolutely. We review your cold call scripts, email sequences, and demo flows to identify exactly where you are losing prospect interest.
