TechRecruiter: Q2 2019

TECHRE RUITER MAY - JUL 2019

YOUR INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER INSIDE: Myth-busting: can a SaaS salesperson really make $1m+?

Interview with Dsco.io's Stephen Baird The secret to prepare yourself for a Sales Interview Most obscure reasons for turning down a job!

Work with Adaptive PLUS: The hottest jobs on the market across the globe

WELCOME TO THE LATEST

TECHRE RUITER Welcome back to TechRecruiter, Brought to you

by Adaptive Tech. A newsletter focused on the topics of career development and recruitment in the industry, both from the employer and employee perspective.

enough to work with some of the most exciting companies in fast growth IT markets such as MarTech, AdTech and FinTech.

It gives our candidates access to some awesome (and lucrative) job opportunities selling ground-breaking SaaS products, but the selection process is also intensely

Published quarterly, this

competitive. The rate of growth

publication aims to become

within the Tech market is truly

your new trusted forum for

astounding and we are so

news, issues and hot topics.

pleased to be a part of it.

At Adaptive Tech we’re luckyÂ

David James David James CEO Adaptive Business Group

ADAPTIVE TECH'S TOP

LONDON JOBS

Business Development Executive (French speaking) - London - £50K + commission Business Development Manager RegTech - London - £50K + double OTE Sales Development Representative - London - £25K + commission Business Development Manager - Social Listening (MarTech) - £50,000 + Double OTE Publisher Development Manager - In-app Monetisation (AdTech) - £60,000 + £30,000 OTE

Enterprise Account Executive - Search & Discovery (MarTech) - £90,000 + Double OTE

To explore job opportunities, visit our website or get in touch with our recruitment team: info@adaptivetech.io

MYTH BUSTING: CAN SAAS SALES REPS REALLY MAKE $1M?

Most people know that the earning potential in the SaaS sales space can be phenomenal – but do some reps really take home over $1 million in a year… and what’s their secret?

You’ve probably heard the rumours - almost everyone working in software sales has at some point heard the legend of the rep who hit it out of the park and netted seven-figures.

Does it actually happen?

people in top tech companies will have personal

Yes, for sure.

experiences of someone who put it all together and hit $1m

Some people reading this

in personal earnings.

article may know someone who actually managed it.

What are the factors?

Part of our work as recruiters

A seasoned pro who

Maybe someone reading this

is understanding the stories

masterminded a monster deal

actually did it themselves.

behind SaaS sales

that re-wrote the record books

It happens, but it’s a rare

professionals’ results and

and made them more in

achievement that maybe 1-2%

earnings.

personal earnings than many

of sales reps accomplish when

ambitious start-ups turn over in

a lot of very important factors

Here’s how top paychecks

sales in their early years.

line up just right.

typically come together:

It may not be in your current

With an average industry

company – perhaps it was the

Adaptive Tech works with

commission somewhere in

friend of a friend who used to

plenty of sales candidates who

the 5-15% range and

work at Company XYZ before

earn in the $250-500k range…

allowing for accelerator

the IPO, or before they sold to

Above $500k and we’re getting

plans, most reps need to

ABC Inc.

into the upper tiers, and $1m is

generate between $5 and

certainly not the norm.

$10m of net new revenue to

A lot of stars have to align, but

reach $1m+ in earnings, once

yes – it happens – and plenty of

base salary is added in.

So, fact or fiction?

Deal structure is key – in most cases, high value multi-year deals are what lead to quotacrushing numbers.

A 3-year client commitment at $1m or $2m a year can push sales bookings into the required range to trigger the commissions payout.

Company size is also an important component – closing $10m in an early-stage company with annual revenue of under $100m can be challenging, while organizations with some scale may be better positioned to pitch and support larger deals.

Market position is the other crucial factor – Fortune 500 customers are the most likely to

Adaptive Tech wrote previously

Leading sales professionals

be shelling out the necessary

on some of the key components

in any discipline understand

millions on a solution, so it’s

of top producers in an article

that a significant purchase

vital that the sales rep be tied

focused on the habits of

will need support from a

to a company that has the right

Presidents Club achievers, but

variety of key people within

focus and resources to win

when it comes to looking at the

an organization, and they

enterprise business.

$1m+ elite there are two factors

take the time not only to map

that really stand out.

out who may influence a

How do they do it?

potential deal but to build an

There are a lot of factors that

Neither is unique to those

individualized approach for

need to come together

earning at the top level (they’re

each of them.

perfectly – product, demand,

the foundation of all enterprise

territory, deal size and cycle,

sales), but they are the obvious

This is several levels beyond

sales support and solutions

commonalties among those

prospect > lead > follow-up

team.

who consistently achieve

> close.

bookings large enough to bank But it’s not all circumstance -

major paychecks.

$1m+ earners are the top tier of

It’s a strategic approach to learning the role that

salespeople not just in luck, but

"They engage multiple

everyone involved in a deal

in skill and work ethic.

stakeholders with a unique plan

will play, (Sales, Marketing,

for each."

Customer Service, IT,

Finance…) and engaging each stakeholder based on the value the product will provide to their specific business issues and objectives.

They sell a solution to a critical business problem.

Understanding this approach and designing all sales activity around it is nonnegotiable for sales reps hoping to be in with a chance of landing a major payday.

Ultimately, sales reps have to position their offering as a foundational aspect of the future success of their target customer.

Once a sales proposition is perceived as a nice-to-have, there’s no route to riches ahead.

Jason Lemkin, co-founder of

automates the process of

EchoSign (sold to Adobe)

creating, signing, routing, and

wrote a great article on the

managing millions of contracts

topic here, which separates

made up of thousands of

Adaptive Tech works with top-

the concepts of selling a

dynamic documents automating

performing SaaS sales

solution and selling a tool.

hundreds of business processes

professionals across North

for an entire enterprise.

America and Europe, connecting

He uses EchoSign as an example:

“ EchoSign’s both a tool that

***

them with new opportunities

Same core set of functionality,

across hundreds of growing

but a very different set of edge

software companies.

features and support.

lets you sign a contract on

For full list of Adaptive Tech’s

the internet. And it’s also sold

The first is worth about $15 a

sales vacancies, click here or

as a very sophisticated

month. The latter may be worth

reach out to a member of our

solution that completely

$1,000,000 a year.”

team.

ADAPTIVE TECH'S

HOT EUR JOBS

Senior Account Executive - Spain - €100,000 base + €200,000 OTE Publisher Sales - Berlin - €55,000 base + €65,000 OTE Senior Enterprise Account Executive - Munich - €80,000 base + €160,000 OTE Sales Development Representative - Berlin - €35,000 base + €50,000 OTE Account Executive - Berlin - €63,000 base + €90,000 OTE Account Executive DACH M&A SaaS - Frankfurt - €70,000 base +€140,000 OTE Senior Account Executive - Remote - €120,000 base + €240,000 OTE Business Development Manager - Frankfurt/Munich - €70,000 base + €100,000 OTE

To explore job opportunities, visit our website or get in touch with our recruitment team: info@adaptivetech.io

&

HOW DO RESOURCES AND PROCESSES COMPARE IN LARGE COMPANIES VS THE STARTUPS? Adaptive Tech's Senior Recruiter, Vanessa Hinkle, caught up with Stephen Baird, Director of Sales Engineering at Dsco.io - who has been in the industry for more than 10 years.

HOW DO RESOURCES DIFFER?

LARGE COMPANIES VS STARTUPS Despite being the 'world’s most powerful Distributed Inventory Platform', Dsco is still considered a Startup company. Recently Stephen Baird made the leap from a more household name to taking the role of Director of Sales Engineering at the Utah based company. To find out how it compares, we sat down and spoke with him to learn what he thought the key differences are.

VH: Stephen, great to see you again, you recently joined Dsco from a company whose parent company is a household name - what have you found to be the biggest differences so far in being at a startup?

SB: The obvious answers to this question would be along the lines of “less red tape to cut through” and/or “the speed in which decisions can be made is expedited.” Both of these statements are true.

However, the biggest difference (benefit) that I

Stephen Baird (above)

would note is the visibility and close proximity to the company’s vision and focus.

yourself into (appropriate) meetings, and dialogues with customers to learn from each

In a 'smaller company', you immediately become a

unique scenario. With this knowledge in place,

critical component to the overarching purpose of

you can then build something that will resonate,

every single team and effort of the company. It’s

motivate, and influence growth.

that visibility that enhances the purpose of each day, and each task.

VH: What would you say are your favorite aspects about being apart of a smaller team?

VH: What is your first port of call now that you’re through with onboarding?

SB: In a startup, your level of trust and reliance on each other is magnified.

SB: Learn, learn, and learn some more!

It’s not just a matter of “everyone has to carry In a 'smaller company' you become incredibly

their own weight” but goes far beyond that.

motivated to come up to speed quickly, in order to contribute as much as possible, quickly.

You move together. Your successes are shared.

Utilize onboarding to get learn your way around.

Your failures are shared.

But, once this is complete, don’t stop digging.

In that light, you grow as one.

Initiating conversations with the right people, insert

VH: How do resources and processes compare in large companies vs. the smaller startups?

SB: With a large company, you enjoy the benefit of a deep well of resources- this may mean more personnel, more marketing, more technology, more of everything!

However, with a staff of thousands, this also comes at a cost of more restrictions to access said resources. It’s not to say that at a smaller company there aren't restrictions, there absolutely are.

However, it ties back to everyone moving forward together, towards the same goal and vision. The resources may be fewer, but everyone is incentivized to put them to the

Dsco is promoting a way for

You will then find a side of

people and businesses to work

yourself that you may have never

more harmoniously together, as

discovered if you had not have

partnerships, to help them sell

chosen to take the leap.

more perfectly.

best use. A “no waste” type mentality.

You want to operate at a higher efficiency, which means that each use is optimized.

To leave the comfort and This concept can easily be lost

convenience that comes with a

in the world of B2B

large corporation, and leaping

interactions. However, at Dsco,

isn’t for everyone.

it is the center of everything we do.

There will be days where you wonder why “this” isn’t in place,

VH: What are you most excited about in regards to the future at Dsco?

VH: Anything else you’d like to

or why can’t I find “that” specific

share about this new journey or

policy… This just means you get

your transition in general?

to be a part of creating it. So get to work!

SB: Dsco is a disruptor.

SB: It can be scary to take a leap. When you start to feel

We are taking an industry that is ripe for new technology, and offering a solution that will launch it into the future.

that way, let that be a motivator, not a detractor. Get to work. Create. Build.

Contribute to the vision.

***

REJECT JOB OFFER

8 OF THE STRANGEST REASONS FOR REJECTING A JOB As recruiters we sometimes are faced with bizarre reasons for candidates not to accept a role, most of the time it's a push-back on the normal bits and bobs (salary, location, commute time, etc.) but every now and then we see an excuse which raises an eyebrow or two...

ADAPTIVE TOP 8 REASONS FOR REJECTING A JOB

8 "Seems too fun..."

One candidate once got to the final stages, going through two interviews in the office and meeting the team, but that's when they decided the role wasn't for them. They said the company culture was too friendly, and the team seemed like they had a bit too much fun...

7

"I thought I saw a rat"

in an interview and claimed that

6 "It's too cold"

the company had a rodent issue!

Are you one of those people who is

Fairly self explanatory, they were

ALWAYS cold? Or do you hate office politics regarding the A/C? This candidate was, they were a little chilly during the interview.

5 "The office is haunted..."

Some people see the supernatural, and a client once told us that they'd been rejected because of an alleged ghost amongst the sales floor. No further reports of spooky goings-on have been made.

4

"I had a bad dream about taking the job"

Superstitious? Apparently this potential candidate said they had a bit of a nightmare (literally) surrounding taking the job, so they thought that was reason enough to decline a second interview.

3

"My family told me not to"

The relocation was too far away from this person's family, and they said they were going to miss them too much...

2 1

"I didn't like the smell" Sometimes it can get a bit potent if everyone's using the microwave and eating at their desks!

"I saw my ex nearby, can't risk it!"

Our favourite. Apparently on the way back from the interview a candidate saw their ex-partner strolling by, and they decided that an awkward encounter was too risky.

Have you heard a better one? Perhaps you have an idea for our next Top 10!

Let us know: marketing@adaptivebusinessgroup.com

THE SECRETS OF OUTSTANDING SALES INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Adaptive Tech’s sales team coaches hundreds of SaaS sales professionals each month on interview preparation and technique across the tech sector. Here are our tips to getting your prep work spot on.

At Adaptive Tech we’re lucky enough to work with some of the most exciting companies in fastgrowth IT markets such as MarTech, AdTech and FinTech.

It gives our candidates access to some awesome (and lucrative) job opportunities selling ground-

BE SMART WITH YOUR RESEARCH

the core mission guiding the business?

breaking SaaS products, but the selection process is also intensely

Most hiring managers will tell you

Sales team’s LinkedIn profiles –

competitive.

that an unprepared candidate is

get a feel for who’s already on

among the biggest interview

board, what their backgrounds

Our team is often asked for ideas

turn-offs of all time, and even the

are, how they describe

by SDRs and Account Executives

world’s best salesperson will face

themselves and what they claim

for ways that they can improve

a tough challenge interviewing if

to do for their customers

their interview preparation to

they’re not comfortable with the

give themselves an edge.

core profile of the organization

News & PR – don’t just scan the

they’re applying to.

company’s own ‘news’ section, run some searches and see what

All good candidates will have read the company site and be

With that said, every half-decent

kind of press releases and

familiar with the product.

candidate will have familiarized

stories you uncover.

themselves with the company’s They’ll all have a solid grasp of

website, so just skimming over

Why does detailed research

their sales numbers, deal history

basic pages definitely won’t set

matter?

and KPIs.

you apart.

Because top-performing

So what to add to the mix?

To add some depth to your

Account Executives aren’t just

research, think about:

salespeople – they’re businesspeople with broad

Great question.

Company origin story – who

commercial acumen who solve

Here’s what we tell candidates –

founded the company, under

real problems for their clients.

we hope it helps!

what circumstances, and what's Showing that you can research

a company through a wider lens than just the ‘sales job’ can show

GET READY TO ASK GREAT QUESTIONS

you belong among the high-

Think about asking:

How does management make

achievers and not the also-rans.

salespeople here successful?

"What questions do you have

UNDERSTAND THE VALUE PROPOSITION What the product does and how

for us?"

over-achievers?

When it rolls around, you need to be ready.

it helps the customer are two different things.

approach interview preparation from a product functionality

obstacles sales reps face?

interviewer as much (if not

than the answers you give.

to understand the fine details of

This line of inquiry helps move

job?” territory and is more in synch with a proven quota-

Because true top performers ask markedly different

Hiring managers don’t expect you

join the team?

you out of “have I got the Why?

handicapping your interview performance.

Why is now the right time to

more) about your candidacy

angle you’re going to finish up limiting your perspective and

What are the biggest

The questions you choose to ask at interview can tell the

They’re both important, but if you

What happens to consistent

questions from the rest of the pack.

crusher looking for the next opportunity to work their magic.

how a product works before you’ve joined the team.

They’re not chasing the job, they’re vetting the opportunity.

They do, however, want to see that you understand the big picture value of the solution, and can visualize presenting it to customers with pain points.

tutorials until your eyes glaze

questions about a company’s

blog post entries – these can give you key insight into how the company positions its solution and the types of customer issues their technology solves.

getting ready for a big interview.

5-year plan, why the interviewer took the job (and

They do, and they can create

Do your homework, seek out the right insight and get ready to shine.

some good insight.

over, have a look at case studies, content marketing content and

hopefully some food for thought for any sales reps

That doesn’t mean that

other classics) hold no value.

So instead of watching product

So there you have it –

Good luck!

But if you head into a sales interview and don’t probe on what the realistic chances are for you to be super successful, a seasoned VP looking for superstar talent will raise an eyebrow.

*** A full list of Adaptive Tech’s sales roles across MarTech, AdTech, FinTech, HRTech and more is available here.

ADAPTIVE TECH'S

HOT US JOBS

Product Marketing Manager - Chicago - $110,000 OTE Senior Sales Engineer - Mountain View, CA - $170,000 OTE Senior Solutions Engineer - Sommerville - $90,000 base + stock options Solutions Consultant - New York - $130,000-$150,000 base + bonus Solutions Consultant - Atlanta - $260,000 OTE Account-Based Marketing SaaS - San Francisco - $250,000 OTE

To explore job opportunities, visit our website or get in touch with our recruitment team: info@adaptivetech.io

ADAPTIVE BUSINESS GROUP

WE'RE HIRING!

Our team is growing - check out some of our exciting roles across the globe!

ADAPTIVE DIGITAL Recruitment Executive

Specialising in Digital Marketing recruitment.

1x role in Tunbridge Wells, UK & 2x in Berlin, DE

Recruitment Executive Recruitment Consultant Senior Consultant

Depending on experience: Specialising in Digital Marketing recruitment: New York, US

ADAPTIVE GLOBALIZATION Recruitment Executive

Depending on experience: Specialising in Translation & Localization recruitment New York, US

ADAPTIVE TECH Recruitment Executive

Specialising in Software Sales recruitment across different verticals in Berlin, Germany

Recruitment Executive Recruitment Consultant Senior Consultant

Depending on experience: Specialising in Software Sales recruitment across different verticals New York, US

Recruitment Executive Recruitment Consultant Senior Consultant

Depending on experience: Specialising in Software Sales recruitment across different verticals San Diego, US

If you're interested in any of these roles please contact: geraldine.persand@adaptivebusinessgroup.com (EUR) emily.schnieder@adaptivebusinessgroup.com (US)

GET IN TOUCH:

OUR OFFICES Adaptive can provide you with a range of packages, if you are interested in discussing your business needs, or for specific information, please do not hesitate to contact your Adaptive Globalization team at one of our global locations.

UK

DE

Kenwood House 1 Upper Grosvenor Road Tunbridge Wells TN1 2EL +44 (0) 208 123 0036

OberwallstraĂ&#x;e 9, 10117 Berlin +49 (0) 30 71 57 8990

NY

SD

171 Madison Ave Rm 1107 New York NY 10016 +1 (646) 583 1507

512 Via De La Valle #303 Solana Beach, CA 92075 +44 (0) 208 123 0295