The need for talented professionals to fill SaaS sales positions is rapidly growing. Employers have to up their game to secure the best sales talent. This is especially true when it comes to hiring Account Executives (AEs) specializing in enterprise deals. After all, not every Account Executive resume is the same. While less experienced AEs – those who were promoted from SDR positions or who are younger external hires looking to cut their teeth in SaaS sales – may crush it at closing small to mid-sized deals, it usually takes someone more seasoned to close the bigger deals that take your company to the next level.
These enterprise AEs, with their established networks and their demonstrated experience meeting and exceeding quotas to close large deals, are worth their weight in gold – and they know it. As a result, they can afford to be picky with their offers. Successful hiring managers and sales leaders are those that put a good amount of thought into how they can stand out from the other companies competing to attract talented enterprise AEs.
After working with SaaS companies to hire countless Enterprise Account Executives, Betts Recruiting has prepared these tips to help you land the candidate of your dreams, even in this increasingly competitive environment.
1. Flex your success: Enterprise Account Executives are often risk-averse
There’s little difference in the responsibilities of Account Executives at different Saas companies. In the competitive market to recruit to SaaS sales talent, companies need to set themselves apart from their competition by creating job postings that not only talk about what candidates will do but that describe company culture and benefits as well. The best companies tell stories that demonstrate the stability of their company to entice risk-averse Enterprise AEs. Compelling stories about the beginning of your sales team and how its growth helped the company evolve, or mentioning long-standing client accounts, will also paint a picture of stability that will appeal to candidates.
2. Put a lot of thought into your sales commission structure
The competitive nature of natural-born sellers means that they’ll frequently work harder for the chance to earn a reward than they will after receiving one. This means that creating a sales commission structure that feeds this competitive nature and attracts top talent is essential. The best sales commission structure is one that will continually challenge Enterprise Account Executives to close bigger deals by creating a tiered commission structure.
In talking with many of the top performing Enterprise AEs that Betts Recruiting has placed over the years, we’re able to confirm that experienced candidates prefer compensation systems that offer larger sales commissions as opposed to a larger base salary, as this structure allows them the opportunity to earn more money – after all, enterprise deals carry much larger potential commissions than smaller ones. Having said that, they also prefer quotas by half-years rather than quarters because sales cycles for these larger deals are longer and may take six months to a year to close. This type of system is also helpful in creating a challenging and innovative culture that attracts top-performing SaaS sales talent who thrive on competition and challenges.
3. Avoid unnecessary education standards for Account Executives – or any SaaS sales role
Natural-born sellers are competitive and driven professionals; most are incentivized by money and their desire to be the best. Many of the top performing Enterprise Account Executives Betts has placed over the years agree that lessons learned on the job are far more valuable than those learned in the classroom. Don’t miss an opportunity to hire the AE of your dreams by imposing an educational requirement that excludes candidates without an advanced degree – a Bachelor’s degree requirement is usually sufficient.
SaaS companies are fiercely competing to land the very best Enterprise Account Executives, as these talented professionals are responsible for closing the big deals that sustain business and improve reputations. Keep these tips in mind when crafting job descriptions and offers to make sure your company is able to entice and land top sales talent. Reach out to Betts to see how we can help you land the Enterprise AE of your dreams.