KermitdaFrog

Account Executive

Valued Contributor

Who Else is Feeling This?

Is it actually this bad across all SaaS Startups right now? I choose not to believe it

my quota is $1 million.

My company has one rep that may hit quota this year. otherwise the next closest is 70%... there are only 14 reps too so not a crowded sales org. 7 covering all orgs above $250M in revenue (plenty of biz)

70% of my number is anticipated by inbound and BDR leads on a one million dollar quota. I've received $150k in pipeline this year from those sources.

I cover 30% of my attainment. where I've generated $900k in pipeline.

closed $325k this year so I've over achieved my number. but have no more opps this year...

is every tech sales org like this right now where you're just not receiving any help from other channels?

tbh I don't want to wait around for this org to figure there shit out. even though they keep saying things will get better. it ain't true lol

I don't think everyone is struggling this hard. what's the state of other sales orgs? what type of tech orgs are the best ones to join for the next few years? would love to hear thoughts y'all 💭

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16

28 comments

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SaaSsy

Politicker

4

AE

Yes, received a grand total of 2 inbound leads this year, that’s why tech was hit so hard, AEs forgot how to do real, solid, outbound pipe generation on their own. May the odds be ever in your favor…

jefe

Arsonist

2

🍁

That well is drier than any of us want, unfortunately.

KermitdaFrog

Opinionated

1

Account Executive

Tbh though you can’t expect to do that all on your own unless quota is setup in your favor to do so or you are receiving the expected support you were given. Ya know what I mean?

SaaSsy

Politicker

3

AE

Of course! I laughed when my quota was handed to me this year because it’s a number that no rep in 7 years has ever hit. Ever. 10% hit 1 quarterly quota this year - it’s a joke.

KermitdaFrog

Opinionated

1

Account Executive

Disgusting… what’s your next play?

SaaSsy

Politicker

1

AE

Looking for my next adventure…

CuriousFox

WR Officer

1

🦊

You and me both

SaaSsy

Politicker

1

AE

Oh no 🦊, you too?! Godspeed

CuriousFox

WR Officer

1

🦊

On the down low. I'm cranky today.

Space_Ghost20

Valued Contributor

2

Account Executive

Our org is struggling. Team I'm on is doing particularly bad. I was looking at the last 3 months (we have monthly quotas measured in MRR not ARR/ACV) for the US teams (team I'm on and the other two), and only 30% of the AEs hit quota June-August. If everyone at or pacing hits their monthly number for September, it'll be 21% this month.

My company is technically a "startup" though it's been in business for over 20 years (supposedly will be profitable in 2025 and go public sometime after). The difference with this company is that AEs are not to do any outbound cold prospecting whatsoever. Instead we get handed free trialers (between 5-7 each day) and are tasked with converting them into paying customers. About once or twice a week, we get an additional lead from the SDRs (they have an outbound and inbound team). The setup sounds nice on the surface, but the vast majority of the free trial signups are junk: not real businesses, scammer, bots, university students doing a project, people who don't remember signing up and accuse me of fraud or harassment, etc. And the SDR leads vary in quality depending on which SDR did the qualification.

I don't know what their plan is if this keeps going on. On the plus side (for them) they don't pay AEs very much (my base is $50k and my OTE is $75k).But even so, I can't imagine they can keep going like this, and I know my manager looks particularly stressed out. I'm currently on a PIP and only at 20% with not enough in the pipe to get anywhere close to quota, so I don't figure to be here long enough to find out. Curious to see how other orgs are doing though.

KermitdaFrog

Opinionated

0

Account Executive

Tough to hear. That’s really tough. Sorry to hear that, man. Hoping you find your next play. Thanks for the transparency

Juancallclose

Catalyst

2

Director

My team has quite a few inbounds, a great reputation and product market fit. We're doing great but leadership does not move fast enough for us. I know, first world problems.

KermitdaFrog

Opinionated

0

Account Executive

What industry are you in?

KermitdaFrog

Opinionated

0

Account Executive

Like are you an essential SaaS product?

Juancallclose

Catalyst

0

Director

IMO we are, yes. SAAS company

KermitdaFrog

Opinionated

0

Account Executive

Are you SMB, MM, EAE?

Sunbunny31

Politicker

1

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

You mentioned that you've been in tech sales for 7 years. Have those all been with the same company, or is this company new to you?

KermitdaFrog

Opinionated

1

Account Executive

No this company is new to me this year

I’ve been at a few different companies where I’ve made multiple 6 figures for the last 2 years. I am now still above the multiple 6 figures mark this year, but overall I am making about 60% of what I made last year which is what is frustrating for me.

I’m seeking what others are seeing or feeling right now. Does that help? Thanks for your response

Sunbunny31

Politicker

1

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Oh, no worries, I was wondering about what you're experiencing this year in relationship to your previous years. Being in a new role with a new company explains some of it.
Do you think you'll be able to break out next year, or is it looking bleak?

And for some perspective, I jumped from a big tech company over two years ago, mainly because I wasn't earning what I felt I could elsewhere. New company has worked out very well for me, and I've done better y/o/y. Is this year slow? Seems that way - but I'm also Enterprise, which for me means I'm working fewer deals, but they are larger. I'm not scraping by on volume, where this would be a big problem. Of course the flip side is when a couple of those deals fall out; that can blow up your whole year.

Do I think things will improve? Yes, for many viable companies selling solutions and services that provide value for their customers and aren't nice-to-haves. Those are gone for the time being.

SalesBeast

Politicker

1

Sales Leader

It has been a tough year. Inbounds are at all time low the last 6 months. Friends in tech I talk to are not getting many leads and sales across the board in tech have slowed down in the last year for a ton of companies.

Pachacuti

Politicker

0

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

I can tell from this and your other post you are quite frustrated with your job. You probably thought selling Tech (whatever it is you sell) was some magical portal into fame and wealth. It isn't. Its not much different than any other type of sales niche.

KermitdaFrog

Opinionated

1

Account Executive

I’ve been in it for 7 years and it’s been really good to me. I made over the 3 hundred last year which was unbelievable and over 200 the year prior. So have continued to go up. This year I’ve pulled my weight and am not getting help from Other channels of my business

No magical portal into game and wealth. Just it seems it’s becoming less lucrative than it used to be which is what is frightening to me

KermitdaFrog

Opinionated

1

Account Executive

ps made a second post to break up my questions. Have alot I want to talk about and learn from other people’s perspectives

GDO

Politicker

0

BDM

Inbound will dry up because the companies are more conservative and there is less free money. However with a great fit outbound will still be succeed with a good ROI and urgency

0

Global Account Manager

Sounds like you are working for Riverbed...if so, sorry to hear that.

StringerBell

Politicker

0

Account Executive

My numbers are worse than that so maybe I should give up. Closed something like 225k on 850k quota. I do seem to have a massive q4 potential though if things land right

Beans

Big Shot

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Struggling across the org here too.

TheColdestColdCall

Executive

0

Enterprise Account Executive

This, Everyone in our segment has a 850k quota outside of our customer team, I'm 3rd top rep at 39% for the year, we have an offset FY so I still have 3 months from Nov-Jan to hit number, and 1 deal left for this quarter that will put me to 55%.... Barely anyone is going to make club this year except a handful of AEs in the other segments.

The world is a dumpster fire and so is the economy and no money flowing through VCs and the Banking industry.

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