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tinychihuahua

SAE (Senior Account Executive)

Valued Contributor
Fire Starter
Contributor

AEs: Do you self-source your leads?

I'm an AE at a MarTech platform. In our weekly meeting, my manager told us: "most AEs self-source 10-20% of their leads" in an effort to get us to do the work of the BDR team, too.

It used to be clear at my company that leads were qualified by BDRs and placed on AEs calendars for demos, nurturing and closing -- and only new-hire AEs did prospecting for a month or two while they were training until their calendars filled up. But the call volume from BDRs has slowed down in recent months.

Can anyone vouch for this 10-20%, or is it bs? 


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Pachacuti
Politicker
13
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
I have said it many times here and elsewhere - it’s YOUR job to fill you funnel.

That’s great of your company expends effort to help you in this but if you can’t fill it yourself you have no business being in sales.
FoodForSales
Politicker
1
AE
yep
Gasty
Notable Contributor
13
War Room Community Manager
You either die a top-performer, or live long enough to see yourself filling your own opportunity funnel.
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
11
Account Executive
yes. any AE that relies on inbound alone sounds too good to be true to me (assuming theres truly enough to fill your pipe on inbound alone).
mistamor
Opinionated
1
VP of Sales
it exists.. I know plenty of SaaS companies that get thousands of leads a month , and AEs are drowning in leads.
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
0
Account Executive
Where is this magical existence?
SaaSsy
Politicker
7
AE
10-20%? I would plan on 50%+. @Pachacutisaid it best, it’s your job to fill. Then hopefully you’ll be swimming in accelerator money bc your BDR team achieved what they promised.
TennisandSales
Politicker
4
Head Of Sales
yeah totally legit. i think the industry is moving more towards AEs doing more prospecting as a whole.

ive always had to do SOME of my own prospecting.
braintank
Politicker
3
Enterprise Account Executive
Depends on the company, but I typically like to do some of my own prospecting.
Diablo
Politicker
3
Sr. AE
Yes it’s common to do your own prospecting rather than fully dependent on the BdR team
Sunbunny31
Politicker
3
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
Absolutely you should be looking for your own accounts and leads. The alternative is to sit on your hands and complain about marketing. :)
GDO
Politicker
2
BDM
it s a group effort. You and your BDR are both responsible.
notdavemoss
Valued Contributor
2
CCBW
Let me be a contrarian here. In 2023, it is the job of the VP of Sales, VP of Marketing and the CRO to get good leads to AEs. Period. AEs should not be self sourcing, or dialing for dollars for leads. It is a waste of time and resources. The B2B sales cycle is so complex with so many moving parts, your sales process should look like this:

- Demand Gen (Marketing/Social Media)
- Lead Gen (Marketing)
- Qualification (SDR)
- Discovery/Diagnose (AE/SE)
- Demo (AE/SE)
- Trial (AE/SE/CS)
- Proposal (AE/SE/CS)
- Close Won (AE)
- Hand Off (AE/CS/AM)
- Customer Maint and Upsell (AM/CS/Marketing/Social Media)

In the 1990s as a sales rep I could do a lot of this myself as an IC. Today it's impossible. Not "its almost impossible" - it's literally impossible. The talent necessary to Discover/Diagnose, Demo, Trial, Present, and Close are DIFFERENT than Qualification and Lead/Demand Gen. It should be a different person if not a different department.

"Sales leaders" that are telling you AEs that it's all "on you" are either stupid or greedy or incompetent - probably all three.

Now mind you - this is a SHOULD, not a "this is the way it is." I understand AEs have to eat and if you're working for an idiotic and incompetent sales leaders than you're going to have to create your own leads to eat.

But you shouldn't have to - not only because it's better for you (because it is) but it's better for the bottom line. I readJustin Roff-Marsh's "The Machine" a few years back and got an audience with him. The division of labor in the sales process is the only way it can scale. But some "sales leaders" cheat and pretend to do this - but at the end of the month or quarter heap it all on the AE to "get it done."

As an AE if you're creating or sourcing your own leads, your leadership is whistling past the graveyard. Again, that's IMHO - your mileage may vary. :)
Sunbunny31
Politicker
4
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
In an ideal world, you're exactly right.

Facing a mediocre pipeline, which happens in the vast majority of companies, the AE has got to not be an idealist and wait for magic to happen. I'd rather being doing something to positively affect my pipeline than be getting frustrated waiting for something to happen.
notdavemoss
Valued Contributor
0
CCBW
Or, and hear me out, work for a company that does that. They are out there - but you have to get past the CEOs and founders who try enticing you with the magical unicorn of Equity! ;)
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
1
Bravado's Resident Asshole
100% on me. IF there is anything else that comes my way, it is not expected and is just called "extra"
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
1
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
Yes.
I wasn't sourcing my own leads earlier, but now I am. I can't put my salary and pay on someone else's hands. They won't work as hard.
Space_Ghost20
Valued Contributor
1
Account Executive
I've never worked at a place and not sourced at least 75-80% of my own deals. I think a lot of SDRs/BDRs get very little training for the most part and as a result I either have gotten nothing from them, or a bunch of no-shows or poorly qualified opportunities. I've tried in the past to do some coaching to help out (which in turn would help me get better deals referred to me) but I honestly don't have the time to do that and my own job.
SaaSniper
Tycoon
1
Enterprise Account Executive
I've been selling tech for 8 years or so and had a mentor early in my career tell me to grind to hit my number on my own, let BDR's and marketing supplement that. Even if you fall short, you still fall ahead of most others on your team. Advice that has served me well fwiw.
Beans
Big Shot
1
Enterprise Account Executive
Bout 50/50 self and BD.

Never ever stop filling your own funnel, cause your internal competition won't.
ChickenWings
Opinionated
1
Tom Callahan's Son
I have yet to work at a company that has an effective enough BDR/SDR org to rely solely on the above. You would need to be in a true "inbound business".

Even still, a consistent self-sourced process is present in the best AEs regardless of the resources available to them. More than 10-20%.
Justatitle
Big Shot
1
Account Executive
I would estimate that 60-70% of sales organizations tell AEs that sourcing leads will account for 20-30% of their pipeline with the rest being sourced by the BDR/Marketing/Inbound teams.
bendandsnack
Politicker
1
Account Exec
If I miss quota I’ll get fired, not the BDR team/marketing, therefore I will forever fill my own pipeline
CuriousFox
WR Officer
0
🦊
Yup
kittychachas
Valued Contributor
0
VP/Director of Sales
Y’all are getting leads?
SportsSalesGuy
Tycoon
0
Enterprise Account Executive
I do everything myself. Marketing seems to be almost non existent and the BDRs only work with AE's that have "easy accounts" to get meetings with. Terrible system. Haven't had an inbound lead in over a year and have had one BDR call setup in a year and it was piss poor too.
CastleIsland
Tycoon
0
Associate Account Director
Sounds like an entitled attitude to me dude. Always source your own stuff. The rest is gravy. If you are lucky enough to have inbounds, enjoy it, take advantage of it, but never expect/get used to it. Signing off.
celestine
0
accountant
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cap
Opinionated
0
Enterprise Sales
As an ent ae, I self source 70-80% of my leads
countingmyinterest
Politicker
0
Account Executive
we self source a fair amount of leads, but also have some SDR's book leads
PhlipOut
Politicker
0
Account Executive
LOL. i sell source about 80% of my pipeline. sadly
FarfromPar
Contributor
0
AE (Account Executive)
I think AEs should be attacking their top prospects. Focus on a small list of perfect fits. Otherwise, it’s important the company prioritizes your time for higher value assignments. SDRs are usually a lot cheaper. You don’t want part time AEs part time SDRs.

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