CadenceCombat profile picture
CadenceCombat profile picture

CadenceCombat

Account Executive

Tycoon
Arsonist
Politicker
+12

A literal gong

Curious if I’m the only person who thinks this is cringe af: a real, full blown gong for AEs to bang on the sales floor when a deal gets closed.


This is not a hypothetical. This is the situation with my most recent employer. Am I the only one who thinks this is an embarrassing cliché?

How do you feel about banging a gong when you close a deal as an AE?

Attached poll
*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.
🤷‍♂ Poll
27

37 comments

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Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
9
Sales Rep
Love hate relationship with a bell/gong. It’s awesome to celebrate a hard win, but on lay up deals I’m always thinking “why am I doing this”
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
9
Account Executive
I’m not saying my opinion is the correct one but i find it to be the most obnoxious shit and pretty juvenile. I’m in my 30s so maybe its an age thing but in what other context is banging a gong not terribly fucking annoying?

Maybe I’m cynical but I feel like its a symptom of pretending sales is a team sport as an individual contributor when that just isn’t the case.

In my experience, the only people that keep reinforcing that sales is a team sport are people that oversee sales teams and they typically only do that to serve their own individual interests.

thoughts?
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
4
Sales Rep
It can be fun and juvenile at the same time. And yes it’s usually the manager who likes it the most, but they kind of have to make it seem like a team sport or everyone will just be bitter when someone makes a deal.
coletrain
Politicker
2
Account Executive
Right there with you, it can be good if done right but "who does it right" is always the question.

People try then it typically ends cringe.
Pachacuti
Politicker
7
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
A little office fun is never an issue. Great way to celebrate a win for the company.
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
3
Account Executive
Is it though?!

What are we? 8 years old? “I did a thing so I get to go bang.”

Is that what we pass off as a winning culture?

I’ve had this argument before and a lot of people love it so I’d welcome having my mind changed on this.
GreenSide
Politicker
1
Sales manager
We’re all remote, but if we were in office I would support it for major accomplishments (hitting quota or absolutely massive deals).

Also it sounds like part of your issue is who actually bangs it. I would say the manager or a peer bangs it to celebrate someone else, that way nobody is like “hey, look I did a thing!”
1nbatopshotfan
Politicker
7
Sales
What’s the average deal size on hitting the gong? How often does it get smacked? If it’s once a week fine. If it’s 6 times a day throw it in the trash.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
6
🦊
Annoying AF
1nbatopshotfan
Politicker
3
Sales
Since our whole company works from home a gong in the office wouldn’t affect anyone haha
LordOfWar
Tycoon
7
Blow it up
Our CEO wanted to start this, I shut that shit down real quick.
bdiggidy
Opinionated
4
Account Executive Mid-Market
I’ve been at an Org like this- it was done in the morning for the deals closed yesterday and it was great as a young AE- great for exposure, encouragement, motivation, and learning. Never really heard much negativity about it unless people were not doing well - which naturally is gonna happen. I’m surprised there’s so much hate for celebrating wins, sales is hard and playing your song, high fiving the sales floor and hitting the gong to start the day I felt had a positive impact which outweighed the “cringe”
Avon
Politicker
4
Senior Account Executive
I think it should only be for milestone stuff. Like first deal for a new rep, giant whale of a deal, or something like that. Having worked somewhere with one, its extremely distracting for everyone else on the floor. Worth it for events to truly get hyped about, but not for just any close.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
3
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Years ago, we had a bell that would get rung 1 time for ea thousand on a PO. Since most of the group was really glorified order takers serving non-profits, it just seemed skeevy.

Mixed feelings here.
Fenderbaum
Politicker
3
Retired Choirboy🪕
I had to lay down on the floor yesterday to pick up one of my pills that I dropped, which ended up under my bed. The effort and time to get back up was worthy of a gong hit.

I have mixed feelings on the office gong. I understand the premise, but am too old to get excited about it. 😉
TennisandSales
Politicker
3
Head Of Sales
the worst thing was at a company i worked at that when an AE would close a deal they would go hit the gong, and then EVERYONE would have to stand up and give them a hug.

so fucking weird. and as the company grew and non sales ppl were in the same office, it was even worse hahah
Fenderbaum
Politicker
5
Retired Choirboy🪕
That's a little cringe with the hugs. 😳
TennisandSales
Politicker
2
Head Of Sales
hahah FOR SURE!
Sunbunny31
Politicker
2
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Yeah, that's bordering on an HR issue for sure.
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
4
Account Executive
Holy fucking shit. That’s insane.
NotCreativeEnough
Big Shot
3
Professional Day Ruiner
I worked at a company when I first got started in SaaS that was a very transaction sales cycle. Average deal size was a $300/month contract, young start up, and the whole sales team was early-mid 20's. In that environment it was fun. Now that I'm at an org with much larger deal sizes that are significantly longer and a more mature sales staff it seems kind of cringe. We're closing 6 figure deals does banging a gong after really fit the vibe? Maybe that's just me though.
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
0
Account Executive
I’m with you on this.
butwhy
Politicker
2
Solutions Engineer
I am a fan of the "Boom channel" in slack to replace this. Lots of cute emojis, and sometimes inside joke/GIFs. One startup I worked for used this fun baseball video and I still shout the phrase when one of my deals closes.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
2
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
We have a channel like this too. Every sale is celebrated there - and everyone involved is thanked publicly by the rep. Win/win. Everyone in the company is advised of new customers and upsells, and the reps and the sales teams get recognition. No gongs, no cringe.
BlueJays2591
Politicker
2
Federal Business Dev Director
My first sales job used a cowbell. I hated everyone that used it
RandyLahey
Politicker
2
Account Executive
Cult like garbage imo. Bush league
Justatitle
Big Shot
2
Account Executive
Had a gong in my last office pre-COVID. We had to hit it when a deal closed. Everyone would clap. It was almost humiliating
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
1
Account Executive
Right?!
ZVRK
Politicker
1
Enterprise Account Executive
Depends on the type of organization. Also, depends on the stage of life you are in right now. When you`re just starting as an AE might be fun - it was for me. Now, after 13 yrs in sales not so much. So mixed feelings on this one, i guess to right answer :)
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
1
Bravado's Resident Asshole
We have these silly little clappers in my office. My old job had a big bell to ring.
ChickenDinner
Politicker
1
Account Executive
haters gonna hate! it's so fun, sales people have too many lows to not really celebrate the highs, even in cheesy ways! I got one for my wife and I at home, yea thats right, say somethin
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
3
Account Executive
You do you. How and what you bang at home is none of my business.
TechSalesQueen
Executive
1
Sr. Enterprise Account Executive
☠️☠️☠️
TechSalesQueen
Executive
1
Sr. Enterprise Account Executive
Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Sounds like bro and hustle culture had a cocaine baby that wishes it were the wolf of Wall Street but it’s really a strip mall somewhere in the Midwest filled with mediocre easily manipulated white peoples
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
0
Account Executive
Yes. You 100% get it.
Landnexpand
Member
1
AE (Account Executive)
Our team used to do this, but it was loud and scared the programmers. They can be jumpy at times..

Anyway, switched to SF automatically notifying people via chat when big deals close in announcements
tweener
Executive
0
Sr. Account Executive
Why is everyone such a hater? I thought this was normal as part of a sales org? Most of my (when in person) orgs had this and it was fun.

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