Building an eCommerce Team - Do it for reaching your business objectives

"How big should our eCommerce team be?"

I had this question earlier and it surprised me. This was from a leader at a very well known brand but it had limited geographical reach. At first, I wondered if the person asking had really understood what they were asking. Why were they capping their growth? Was there a reluctance to tap into broader markets and engage with a global audience?

We got into a fairly deep discussion about business and company objectives based off of my response. As we spent more time talking about those goals, it became clear to that leader that an in-house eCommerce (business and team) was not only about selling to existing customers, but it was the single greatest business expansion and growth opportunity available to them.

Indeed, in today's environment, not only is eCommerce a growth channel, but it is also perhaps the only universally available growth channel for most companies and brands.

The size of an eCommerce team is a crucial but only one consideration for any business looking to expand its online presence and reach a wider audience. Embracing eCommerce as a strategic cornerstone can unlock unparalleled opportunities for sustainable growth and enhanced market presence.

Go forward and build your eCommerce teams and business. You'll realize the business objectives in the near-term and set yourself up for long-term success.

Authenticity, with respect, is key to professional communication

'Be professional'. 'Sound and seem credible'. 'Proofread. Don't make silly typo or grammatical mistakes'.

We've all been given or have given such advise to someone at some point in our career. Well, take a look at the email below. Do you think the copywriter at this company ever got such advise?

Or is this company out to destroy Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook, New York Times Manual of Style and Usage etc?

Well, this company, operating in a highly regulated space, has seemingly differentiated itself with its authenticity. From the name to mascot. Typos? Meh. Not grammatically correct? Double Meh.

Many of us agonize over how to say something and not just say it. We edit and rewrite over and over, to the point where the message gets sanded down so much that no one can discern your objectives. Go ahead and state what you have to...the world doesn't have time for the sugar-coated sh*t sandwich. Be genuine, be respectful and dive right to the point.

The world needs more of it, not less.

Hire talent to fit your culture...not someone else's ideal

There is a tendency among Technology Engineering leadership to find a star engineer, aka 10x developer, to have on their team. This leads to inordinate amount of time spent hunting for that diamond. You can absolutely find such engineers, however, you should ask yourself whether the challenge you're putting in front of them is going to excite them.

Another way to build your team is to look for a team you can coach and grow organically. Its far easier to find such coachable talent. They're out there, and are willing to put in the time and effort when they see they're being mentored and are shown a direction. In time, you might find that you've developed one of those rockstar 10x engineer with this approach.

When recruiting for talent in a tight market, look for non-traditional places. It goes a long way to show up and be there for folks who don't have access, networks or connections.

Have a Hiring Thesis...and stick to it

Once I was hiring for a hard-to-fill position in a competitive environment. After interviewing multiple candidates didn't impress, one candidate stood out. Resume matched up with what I was hearing in the interview.

The candidate went through our interview process. The interview panel expressed a concern - which would need to be addressed before I made an offer. I didn't think it was much of an issue. I picked up the phone and called the candidate, intent on making an offer.

After letting the candidate know how the process was going, I asked about the concern the panel had raised. The candidate lost it, started yelling and hung up, without giving me a chance to make the offer. I was shocked, and our pipeline was empty.

The next day a better candidate showed up in our pipeline. I ended up hiring this new candidate. I've never regretted walking away from a red flag from the interview panels since. When your team that you trust says they've got a concern, it almost never works out, and its best to cut your losses and move on.