What an Account Executive at a SaaS Company Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the SaaS Industry
Sam, an Account Executive, wishes someone had emphasized the significant internal effort required to close deals, stating that "deals just don't happen overnight," and the substantial rejection inherent in the role, advising prospective candidates to be aware of the "amount of failure...on a daily basis."
Sales, B2B SaaS, Persistence, Rejection Handling, Product Passion
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sam Leahy
Account Executive
Leading B2B SaaS Company
University of Colorado at Boulder
N/A
Business Management & Admin
Technology
Sales and Client Management
None Applicable, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. The sales process is complex and involves a significant amount of internal collaboration to close deals.
2. Success requires passion for the product and a deep understanding of its value proposition.
3. Expect a high degree of rejection; resilience and persistence are crucial for success in sales.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
I would go back to the organizational piece. How much work it takes from the internal team to really drive a deal. Deals just don't happen overnight, and signatures don't just happen.
A customer doesn't just pick up the phone and decide they're going to buy Salesforce or use Indeed as their main job advertising engine. You really have to push for it and be passionate about the product you're selling. You really have to believe in the product.
That's something that takes a little while. You need to see it in action and see it succeed first, especially for me. But once you see that happen, it's kind of like learning a basketball move. Once you see how it can lead to a score, I think that's a big thing.
Then I would go back to the amount of effort it takes and the amount of failure. The amount of rejection you're going to get on a daily basis is something that is not for everybody. I think everybody should be weary of this if they choose this career path.