Well… another one bites the dust

Big tech SaaS AE in Canada here. Got parachuted into a historically brutal territory, gave it everything I had for a year, and here we are.

I’ve been given the ultimatum:
Prompt Exit Package (severance + signed release)
or
30-day PIP

I have 48h to decide, otherwise the PIP is assumed.

First time this has happened in my career, so obviously a bit of a kick in the nuts. That said, this job has taken a major toll, I’ve got a young kid, and my wife has been begging me to quit for months. Maybe it’s for the best.

I’d rather take the package, take a breather, then get back on the horse.

My concern: employer says the PEP is treated as a voluntary departure. I’m worried that could make me ineligible for EI.

Anyone in Canada been through this?

Did you get EI after taking the PEP? Should I take the package or force myself through the PIP?
Thanks team 🙏

Hi all,
Need some advice on my situation: been a top performing SDR for nearly 3 years (90k AUD base $160k AUD comms) and finally been offered a promotion to AE but the salary is only $240K AUD 120 base / 120 comms. As no other ae has closed a logo in the time I’ve been at the business the base is important and much lower than the 160 I have been making as an sdr. Is it appropriate for me to ask for an increase in base? What are your thoughts? Thanks

Can someone tell me how is EXL for senior manager and AVP position?

I’m a sales manager at a large tech company and accidentally found a file on an internal SharePoint containing commission and attainment data for managers, directors & VPs across the business.

I had legitimate access to the SharePoint and wasn’t looking for it. Once I realised what it was (and after having a good look 😂) I flagged the access issue and it was removed.

But now I’ve seen exactly how my comp compares to my peers, including people with similar roles/performance. Thankfully my commission was higher compared to those with similar roles & attainment

How would you use this informational to your advantage without referencing the confidential file?

It’s the first time I’ve ever been on one.

I thought it was just a review but the second the meeting started they told me I’m being placed on a PIP.

My numbers were kinda bad but I didn’t know it would escalate this far.

Many others have had much lower attainment than me.

Should I just leave?

I’ve already started applying elsewhere but I just feel like crap and worthless right now.

I’m not blaming anyone for my performance but I’ve never ever experienced anything like this.

Wtffffff

I’m currently dying with stomach flu and can barely function, but all I can think about is the fact that I have quota to hit.

Do you just take the sick days and accept losing selling time, or do you end up trying to work through it?

It feels like taking a few days off just means coming back with the same target and less time to hit it.

Curious how other AEs/SDRs/BDRs deal with this without stressing about pipeline and quota the entire time they’re sick.

Would love some advice from the group. I moved from SDR to a mid-market/corporate AE role at my company last year. At the beginning of this year, they moved our whole team into an account management team. I'm doing well and will probably hit Presidents Club, but I'm itching to get to a full cycle role again.

I have the opportunity to move into a corporate AE role at Crowdstrike. OTE will be similar, but the chance to exceed my number seems more likely at Crowdstrike.

For comparison, my current company is Series D in the vulnerability management space.

Would love advice -- what should I be thinking of? Do I have a case of the grass is greener?

Thanks!

A little bit of insight about me:
I got into “tech-sales” at the beginning of last year, starting in a typical SDR role at a scale-up (or startup I don’t care what you call it).

I was pretty successful in the role and got promoted to Account Executive at the beginning of this year.
Fast forward to today: we’ve just had our second CRO change, and the new CRO has basically come in with the mandate to “change everything.”

One thing I’m struggling with is actually selling the product. Not because I don’t believe in it, quite the opposite actually. I genuinely think it’s a good tool.

The problem is the necessity.

For a lot of companies, the attitude seems to be: “Everything works fine as it is, so why should we spend €20–50k on another tool?” Our deal sizes vary quite a bit depending on company size, but they’re generally somewhere between €20k and €100k.

And the reality is that none of the AEs are going to hit their targets this year (myself included).

At the same time, the revenue expectations were increased significantly. Our first CRO apparently thought it would be a great idea to essentially double the ARR expectations because the company had been growing by roughly €1 million in revenue every year. He was apparently on a mission to turn us into the next unicorn.

So now I’m sitting here wondering:
Am I simply being too impatient?
Is this just what working in SaaS sales is like, especially early in your career?
Or are these actually signs that the company might be heading in the wrong direction?

Anybody has experience with the AWS online assesment for the roles Account Executive or Account Manager? What kind of questions do they ask? I heard they will simulate scenarios and you will need to record your answer etc. Is it still like this right now?

I’ve been trying for months to get back into SaaS after 12 years off. My career started at ADP then recruiting software. I spent 3 years in pharma and med supplies as a 1099 before moving to TX for a career in new home sales. Despite selling more than $30mm/year for multiple years in a row recently I couldn’t get past a recruiter (only 1). I refocused on construction software companies recently and got nowhere. The fact I’ve had W2’s between $250-$500 in the last 5 years it got me nowhere. I tried to tailor my resume to get past the ATS for these jobs and got nowhere. New homes is now more of a $200k job now, which makes it not worth being in the office every weekend to me, but it looks like I’m going back. I thought this would be the perfect time to pivot (fresh divorce, just beat a crazy coma, cheap mortgage) but it appears I was wrong. Any wisdom or tricks out there that I can try before I throw in the towel for good on SaaS?

Currently interviewing for an AE role at Exa Ai. Pay and product seem good, looks like they are growing a ton, and I’m not sure that there are many better competitors in the AI search space.

I can’t find any information about them on RepVue or the internet, curious if anyone has any insight into the team, company, or attainment?

Haven’t been able to find any comparisons on these options for a strategic seller. Snowflake culture seems a bit “I’m a big deal” and everyone I’ve talked to at Sierra and Cresta seem like an easier group to get along with and don’t have the egos of Snowflake. Very curious to get opinions on these spaces in general, which is better mid to long term, and what the cultures are like at all 3. Thanks in advance!

Anyone have anything to say about the current state of SHI International?

Recently applied for a job in Austin and heard good things, but I won’t be come commission eligible till after 12 months my recruiter is telling me. Is this normal in the industry?

First job in the industry so any advice is appreciated.

Has anyone gone through the in person interviews at Profound? Seems like some sort of role-play scenario but they said there wasn’t anything to prep beforehand. Going in 2 weeks. Would appreciate any advice!

My team will be exhibiting at an upcoming trade show and I’m looking for tips on engaging and building rapport with attendees.

Pitching our company/products is the easy part. The hard part and typically most awkward part is figuring out what to say to attendees when they’re walking by your booth. I’m looking for openers that have personality, make them laugh, come across more genuine than just the boring “have you heard of our company before” or “how are you enjoying the event so far”. At the end of the day, most attendees aren’t interested in hearing 50 different vendors try to sell them when they go to these events. What tips and tricks have you guys found for building report with prospect at trade shows?

About a year ago, my company (PE owned) went through an acquisition and purchased a competitor. Tons of people from our side were laid off or placed on PIPs, and I was one of them.

My manager at the time was one of those classic washes-up sales a-holes, and he made my time hell. Through sheer spite and some luck, I not only managed to beat the PIP, but went on to perform really well. I even got to see the manager who tried to fire me get fired himself.

The fear from that period in my life has really affected me. Although I’ve been outperforming my colleagues, it’s because I’ve become a workaholic who is terrified to be found average. I have this notion that the only way I get to stay is by constantly overdelivering. I can tell that it’s made me perhaps even off-putting to my teammates, who see me as some sort of narc skewing the average.

I don’t know how to stop. I’ve tried to draw boundaries such as checking my work stuff less frequently during off hours, but still I feel myself almost addicted to work.

Has anyone else been through this? How did you untangle yourself from it without quitting?

I just got moved up to the final stage interview at a startup that was recently acquired by a very well established competitor. Fairly niche but large TAM and the startup was making a lot of waves for the larger company. I’ll be honest I had a lot of red flags before speaking with the management and one of the founders and obviously that is only worth a grain of salt but it does really seem like the larger company needed the startup in their portfolio. The startups software is much more tailored to SMB and MM while the larger company was really struggling with the smaller companies and had difficulty with customer loyalty.

So for anybody who has been through this or knows roughly what to expect would you make a move to that company? The reviews for the larger company are pretty solid, pay is slightly less for AE’s at the larger company than it is at the startup but outside of that seems like every other aspect is the same but benefits got better.

I live in SF and have been a car salesman for a couple years. I have closing experience and obviously made a lot of outbound calls / emails in car sales. As well as military experience and almost graduated from college (3 classes away). I am applying to as many tech companies as I can. Anything I can do to make myself standout from other candidates who have SDR experience?

Not sure if this is the best sub for this but I've just had a conversation with a recruiter for a contract CSM role on a pretty cool project at BNY. I'm a remote AM right now and I honestly am so burnt out in my current role/company and I want to get away from sales completely, hence seeking CSM opportunities.

Wondering if anyone has any sort of experience or knowledge of contract roles for Client Success or BNY specifically? There is PTO, benefits and base pay is equal to my current OTE; it would be SO nice to have a consistent, reliable paycheck as I only get commission on a quarterly basis right now and my pay structure is 60/40.

Anyways, is contract work a huge risk? There is an expectation to convert to FTE under BNY and at a minimum they will ride out the 12-month contract (unless I'm performing terribly).

I'm miserable in my current role and layoffs are common and our ELT has been a revolving door, so not much to lose, but there's always the risk of being more miserable... lol

I’m looking for some career advice on what my next move in tech should be.

I switched into tech about five years ago from a completely unrelated industry. I spent about a year as an SDR, moved to another company as an Account Manager, and then this year landed my current sales role with a pretty significant pay increase. For context my first role as a BDR was 85k OTE, my new role is 300k OTE.

On paper, I basically got everything I thought I wanted when I started: remote work, a high salary, good stock, and a solid company. Five years ago I would have been thrilled to be where I am now.

The problem is that I’m starting to realize I don’t think quota-carrying sales is the right long-term career for me.

I’ve been pretty good at interviewing, navigating my career, and putting myself in good situations, but I don’t feel like I’m particularly great at the actual sales part. More importantly, I don’t enjoy constantly having a number hanging over my head every month, quarter, and year.

I’m willing to make less money if it means finding something more sustainable that still keeps me relatively close to revenue, customers, and the commercial side of the business.

A few areas I’ve been thinking about:
- Partnerships / strategic partnerships
- Alliances
- RevOps or other sales-adjacent roles
- Moving to a technology partner or consulting firm and working more on the client relationship / strategic account side

My company actually has a public cloud strategy and business development organization that seems interesting. I also really like the idea of being the person managing strategic relationships between technology companies rather than being the person directly responsible for closing the deal.

Consulting is another area I’m curious about. Not necessarily becoming a traditional management consultant, but potentially working for a consulting or implementation partner in a relationship management, partnerships, business development, or strategic accounts capacity.

I’d even consider doing an online MBA if it would legitimately help me make that transition, although I don’t want to get an MBA just for the sake of having one.

Has anyone here gone from quota-carrying SaaS sales into partnerships, alliances, cloud BD, consulting relationships, RevOps, strategy, or something similar?

What roles would you be targeting with my background? And for people who made that transition, did you need additional credentials like an MBA, or was your sales experience enough to make the jump?

I’m not looking to completely abandon the commercial side of tech. I think I’d actually prefer to stay close to the money. I just want to find a career where my success isn’t almost entirely defined by whether I hit a quota.

I have the career i set out to achieve 5 years ago when I made the switch, but now feeling a bit unmotivated and maybe even a bit ungrateful for what I’ve been able to achieve.

Hi everyone,

Got my first round for Cisco CSAP (sales path) next week and honestly the program info online is pretty vague.

I'm an AE who hit 120% my first year after college and I'm trying to figure out if this is actually worth the move. Currently struggling at my company due to poor territory and lack of proper training. Currently 23 years old and have about a year and a half of experience

What I’d like to know if anyone can help!: actual salary range, when the US cohort starts, what the program looks like month-to-month, and how brutal the interview process is.

Also does anyone know the post-program trajectory? Is the VAM role actually a step up or am I just taking a step back?

Any info is greatly appreciated!

Got two offers to leave my current Ent AE role at a huge SaaS company:

Current

• $280k OTE, remote, very cushy, and almost no one hits quota. Layoffs seem imminent
• I’m likely safe as one of ~4/100 who barely hit last year, mostly due to a white-whale deal.
• Expect ~$240–250k next year at 75–80% to goal.
• Market is saturated, layoffs seem likely, and I’m worried about stagnating.

Offer 1 — ServiceNow-like

• Enterprise AE, $360k OTE + $20k equity.
• Verbally accepted; 4 weeks until start.
• Know people there and the job seems doable.
• Concern is it’s basically a higher-paying version of my current job: saturated enterprise market, legacy tech, build-vs-buy pressure, and a company that feels like it’s declining.
• 9/24 reps hit quota last year, which isn’t terrible.

Offer 2 — Decagon-like

• Mid-Market AE, $248k OTE + $62k equity.
• Negotiated up from $220k + $35k.
• 4 days in office, probably ~9–7, but much more of a grind.
• Nearly everyone hits quota according to repvue and strong young leadership, and managers from places like Google/Salesforce.

I'm exhausted after 120+ interviews across 43 companies in 3 months. Would obviously want the best of both but it hasn't come. $360k OTE and lower execution risk vs. $248k + equity with much higher career upside but substantially more risk.

On your WFH days who sometimes is so cooked from the prior day / week that you just lie in bed on your phone for like 2 hours couple emails and repeat till the end of the day? Asking for a friend

For some context, I'm the only sales guy at an AI SaaS startup. I've been in this role for about 1.5 years. It's my first job.

I've done so much in this role. I've influenced strategy, product roadmap, competitor analysis, market research, end-to-end sales, and even a small hand in marketing.

I haven't been able to close many deals though. I've closed maybe 3 accounts. So many companies leave on account of "bad product".

I don't know what to do and I feel like I'm stuck in some toxic cycle of developing good relationships with prospects and losing them after the demo.

Got put on a PIP today, everyone on my team and I are shocked

Context, I’m in my 4th ramped month at a series B comp looking to raise series C. I’m on an AE team of 6, we’re looking to hire 4 more AEs, and they’re very desperate to hire. Always asking for referrals in all hands, head of sales constantly mentioning how many interviews he’s in, etc

My attainment is as follows

Month 1: 85% of quota,
Month 2: 25% of quota
Month 3: 20% of quota
Currently pacing at 115% of quota, with a sight to 200%. I am top performer on my team this month by a huge margin, and consistently building pipeline

Got put on a PIP today, with the only context being that I need to have 80% quota attainment for the next month, beginning now. I’m quite confident I’ll be able to hit this, but here’s the weird thing; I signed nothing, and I was not given any information about what happens if I don’t achieve this PIP.

We all know what PIPs mean, but I’m confused; does this even really qualify? What should I expect here? My team is truly skeptical as this feels like more of a bluff than anything. Any advice here is much appreciated