Hire account executives.
A closer who only ever finished short calls will miss a four-month deal. Post the AE seat free, hear how they talk through a cycle, then hire the person whose week looks like yours.
Written by Sales Agent Hire. These guides are checked against the roles posted on this site.
The resume says AE. The week might have been inbound demos at a small ticket. You find that out after they have already missed the first forecast.
Which stages they own, and when you get involved, tells the hire. If the work is one phone close on a booked demo, use the closer page. If they have to find the account, run the sale, and forecast, stay here. Typical deal size in money, not only in letters like ACV. An AE who lived on inbound demos is a different hire than an AE who had to open every account. People who can do this work will not apply if those lines are missing.
Quota and how long you give them to ramp belong next to the mix. If they also have to prospect, say so. If a setter or SDR feeds them, say so. Territory or segment belongs with the deal size. Hide the number and you will spend interviews explaining it anyway.
Stage definitions in week one, on paper, before they take a live deal. If you want a mutual plan, say so. If travel is part of the week, say how often. Remote AEs still need hours for live demos.
When a deal can move stages, what a next step looks like, and which CRM fields you will look at. Do not wait until the first forecast call to invent that. Ask for a win and a loss at your deal size before you hand them a number.
- Has closed deals of a similar size and cycle to yours
- Comfortable when more than one person has to say yes
- Will forecast what they can defend, not what they hope
- Can run demos and commercial conversations
- Can walk a recent win with the people involved, and a loss
Hiring an AE for long, multi-person deals when they have only closed small, fast tickets sets everyone up to miss. Match cycle length and deal size to the work they have already done. A closer title on the resume is not the same job. Hear them walk a cycle before you hand them yours.
Post the AE seat with cycle length, deal size, and quota. Hear the voice introduction, ask them to walk one win and one loss at that level, and reach out when you want them on live deals.
How do I stop hiring the wrong cycle?
You listen before you pay for contacts, then you ask for a win and a loss at your deal size, with the people who were in the deal. Choose the person whose week looks like yours.
Do I need to publish quota?
Yes if you want people who can actually carry it. Applicants who have done this work will ask. If you hide the number, you will spend interviews explaining it anyway.
Can they work from home?
Yes. Put travel, if any, and the hours they must cover for live demos. A remote AE who cannot make demo hours is unavailable.