CorporateSis

Account Executive

Who is having fun in sales right now?

Being extremely negative myself about my strategic enterprise AE role right now (and being absolutely HAUNTED by management), being surrounded by only other AE colleagues that are negative, and hearing from lots of other AEs in other (tech) companies about their current distress, I have one question: who is having fun and is happy right now in their AE role?

Feel free to comment to cheer me up, cuz sis is having a really hard time staying above water. I think the main reason is extreme micromanagement and mistrust though, more so than the lack of ACV.

Edit: Sales Are Dope Never Ever Stop Selling! I hecking loved my job for the last 6 years and I am passionate about sales in general.

Are you having fun and are you happy in your AE role right now?

Attached poll

Yup that's me Still selling but not enjoying On the border of a burnout

*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.

🙏 Mental Wellness

☁️ Software Tech

🤓 Sales Tech

13

36 comments

Sort by:

Pachacuti

Politicker

6

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Sales is a job but not a passion. It funds my passions better than most other jobs, which is why I do it.

CorporateSis

Contributor

1

Account Executive

Yup I get that. I did have fun for a good while though, I just feel there's a lot of nervousness rn. But it surely pays the bills.

Filth

Politicker

5

Live Filthy or Die Clean

As I moved to AM and continue to work deeper and deeper with implementations I think I'm going to look at project management or something more coordination/deadline focused rather than the quota coaster...of course as soon as I hit another big sale I'll forget all this and sleep on a bed of benjamins and forget my issues for a quarter. As per tradition.

CorporateSis

Contributor

1

Account Executive

Arh, the good ol' ups and downs! Do you think you'll ever find your bed of benjamins in those other roles you describe?

Filth

Politicker

1

Live Filthy or Die Clean

I think I'd have a more consistent work load & lifestyle that would offset the benjy bed...that being said, I believe that doing anything well enough can give you a path to the good money, but it wouldn't be as instantly as ink on a deal.

It's deciding work/life versus cash/risk and without hard skills (outside of whatever I've learned from a process standpoint in sales, which is a good amount, just no certifications or anything).

Sunbunny31

Politicker

3

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Sales settle executives down. In an economy where belts are tightened, execs start to micromanage, which frustrates reps.

Get those contracts in the door...it is amazing how there's more peace of mind.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

1

🦊

💯

Gyro25

Notorious Answer

2

Account Executive

Things aren't great, but dwelling on it won't help either. Do your best and try and detach from the outcome, it's easier said than done, but that's one of the ways I've been able to salvage my mental health after layoffs, missed quotas and bullshit recruiters taking a piss.

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

Thank you. Dwelling indeed doesn't help and that's not my purpose. But I haven't heard anything positive from anyone lately, so just checking the temperature. My manager who's feeling that I might be leaving the company after ±6 years (because of them) says that in every other company it's equally shite rn.

Gyro25

Notorious Answer

0

Account Executive

Tbh, it's unlikely you will. It's not to say there aren't reps/companies out there blowing through their quota/revenue expectations, but that's few and far in between rn. Manager isn't exactly wrong, market contraction is a real thing.

The positive here is that it's all temporary. The ups, the downs, the inbetweens. Booms come with bust and vice versa. We're just in a bad spot right now, but it's temporary.

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

I love that. It will get better!

HappyGilmore

Politicker

1

Account Executive

Slight recency bias since I just joined a new org last month, enjoying it but also seeing plenty of gaps for improvement internally along with knowing its a tough time to sell. Just trying to focus on the day to day at this point.

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

There's always place for improvement! Trying to participate in a positive movement to make things better did work for me at some moments.

Diablo

Politicker

1

Sr. AE

I am enjoying my role but company is restructuring every now and then due to this many people are getting laid off as well!

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

Yup, it's not very comforting seeing so many good colleagues being fired.

Space_Ghost20

Valued Contributor

1

Account Executive

I just spent 45 minutes doing a demo for a deal that's now going to be taken from me because the channel partnership team feels it belongs to them. Would have been worth 40% of my monthly quota. Of course, they waited to say this until after the demo was done and after it looked like a legit deal to say anything. My manager is refusing to fight for it, and is falling back on the old corporate playbook. Waiting for him to thank me for being a team player, because I'm probably going to say something smart in response.

So no, I'm not having any fun right now. Maybe if I made more than $50k base salary I'd have a brighter outlook on things.

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

Ah gosh I am sorry to hear that. Are there no clear rules on this? Is a split a possibility?

Space_Ghost20

Valued Contributor

0

Account Executive

New team, so the rules are up in the air at the moment. My manager is supposed to talk to the other manager this afternoon, so we'll see if they come up with a compromise or something. I very much want to quit at this point. I just don't have anything else lined up and I'm not really good enough to get something else. Being stuck really sucks.

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

You did a demo for a deal that might close, that would tell something about your ability. Don't think you are not good enough.
Just don't give in in such a situation; I am currently fighting with another team who is stealing a deal I worked for 3 years but they recently merged with another company in their territory (but still pay for themselves). This is indeed not the time to play nice and say "okay then".

Justatitle

Big Shot

1

Account Executive

Is sales ever "fun" even when you are selling and crushing numbers there's still stress from deals sold going properly and all that, I guess my point is I don't try to have fun with sales because then I go on a roller coaster, instead I'm the same if I close won a deal or close lost it.

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

I think it can be fun if you have cool customers and cool colleagues, regardless. And if the base salary is high enough. But yeah, I get you. Good mentality though - I feel like I am becoming a bit more stoic too, but it's a learning curve.

oldcloser

Arsonist

0

💀

Nothing bonds a group more than 1 common enemy. And you just asked for everyone to jump on the shit bandwagon.

As a seller, I’d avoid you like the plague. You’re trying to bring me into your point of view. There is no way this is helpful for anyone.

As a manager, I’d call you to the carpet face to face. You ain’t gonna sink my ship by trying to solicit team buy in to this kind of sentiment.

Get hungry again, if you ever were. Revenue cures all.

CorporateSis

Contributor

1

Account Executive

Lol what is wrong with you?

I love sales, I just feel down and I notice that 99% of all the AEs I know are feeling down too. As a means to get OUT of this feeling, I am trying to see if others are feeling better, aka if there is hope for things to improve on a short term.

You have absolutely no clue how my manager behaves. If there's anyone calling someone face to face to the carpet, it's me, so I can show the rest of our leadership how one person can be responsible for the failing mental health of a whole (otherwise successful) team.

oldcloser

Arsonist

0

💀

Even assuming your manger is Satan, which they may well be, you’re so problem focused you can’t get out of your own way. You’re not new at this. So, you know the value of healthy pipeline. You probably get that dopamine hit when you move a deal forward. You have to know what closing a deal feels like.

Look there with blinders and lift yourself out of it. Nobody else gonna do it.

CorporateSis

Contributor

-2

Account Executive

Oh so asking a question because I am sad makes me a problematic person to be avoided like the plague? Go yell at someone else, I feel you're just like that.

oldcloser

Arsonist

1

💀

You’re mad because I’m not telling you it sucks out there and you’re right to be miserable? Ok. Good luck.

CorporateSis

Contributor

-2

Account Executive

I'm mad because you're mean. I want to hear that it doesn't suck out there, but you basically say that I suck lol. Anyways, enough of this useless discussion.

oldcloser

Arsonist

2

💀

Ok, it doesn't suck out there. You put the rest together yourself. This isn't a place for hugs.

Maximas

Tycoon

0

Senior Sales Executive

I believe that the only perk available in Sales is just the payday when it's time to cash in your fat check, otherwise normally it's crazy like hell:)
Perhaps, what I consider as a second perk is having a nice manager and THAT'S IT✋😄

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

Payday is only 5 days away... 😄
Do you never feel that in (tech) sales another perk is that there's a very important flexibility and a way to do things your own way (unless, manager...), compared to other jobs?

SaaSguy

Tycoon

0

Account Executive

Have fun outside of work. At work do work.

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

I don't know it pays. My current company realizes it is shit and appreciate me being there. And I try my best. I wish it was fun but it is what I can control and what I cannot control. Control the controlables

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

I think the mere realisation that it sucks and that they appreciate you for it is worth a lot!

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Exactly!

CorporateSis

Contributor

0

Account Executive

Happy to see that the majority is still doing relatively well and even a lot of people are having "fun"!! I wish I could all ask you what thriving companies you work for or have heard of that are doing well :-)

Armageddon

Opinionated

0

Enterprise Account Executive

Sales has highs and low. I’ve come to peace with that

Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.

Products

The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U

Company

About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty

Contact

© 2024 Bravado Inc. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy Legal and Privacy Center Sales Jobs

If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.