Sales Development Representative
Cognism · London, UK
- Base
- Not disclosed
- OTE
- Not disclosed
- Quota attainment
- Not disclosed
- Posted
- 4mo ago
Why it matters: OTE tells you what you could earn. Attainment tells you how realistic it is.
Ask: “What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?”
Still open · checked 3h agoon Cognism's careers page
What Cognism sells
Finds the right business buyers to call
Salespeople often waste time guessing who to call at a company. This company gives sales teams contact details for the people who make buying decisions at European businesses. Sellers can reach the right people faster and close more deals.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell us
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Proceed with cautionA few things here deserve a hard look before you spend time on it.
- Pay
- No pay listed at all.
- Transparency
- Says nothing about quota, attainment, deal size, territory or sales cycle.
- Pipeline
- Mostly self-sourced. Great if you like outbound, rough if you don't.
- Time on market
- Open 143 days. Ask why it's been hard to fill.
- Company hiring
- This is their only open sales role.
Red flags
None spotted.
Worth asking about
- Open 90+ days. This role has been posted for three months or more. Ask why it's been hard to fill, and whether anyone left it.
Green flags
None spotted.
Based only on what the posting says. Flags are a starting point for your first call, not a final judgment.
Questions to ask on the first call
Built from what this posting leaves out. How they answer tells you as much as what they say.
- 1.
This role has been open a while. What's made it hard to fill?
The answer tells you what candidates saw that made them walk.
- 2.
What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?
OTE is what you could earn. This is how likely you are to earn it.
- 3.
What percentage of reps on the team have been here more than 18 months?
Tenure shows whether people stay long enough to get paid.
- 4.
Has the comp plan changed in the last 12 to 18 months? What changed?
A plan that changes every year means the goalposts keep moving.
- 5.
Who sits with reps and reviews calls each week?
Coaching is often what's behind a good or bad attainment number.
- 6.
Why is this role open? Did someone leave, or is it new?
New headcount is growth. A replacement means someone left. Ask why.
When the offer comes
Save these for later. They land better once they've said yes to you.
- 1.
Can I see the full comp plan in writing, including clawbacks and accelerators?
What's in writing is what gets paid. Read it before you sign.
- 2.
Can I see the actual comp distribution for the team last year, not just the OTE?
The spread shows what most reps really take home. OTE is just the target.
- 3.
I'd be walking away from earned commission to join. Is there room for a sign-on bonus to help cover that?
Leaving money behind is a fair reason to ask. The worst answer is no.
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The role
You'll book outbound meetings with C-suite and Director-level prospects via cold calls, email, social outreach, and research, then hand qualified leads to BDMs. The product is Cognism's European B2B data platform.
New Logo · Outbound
Selling motion
Who you're selling to
- Buyer:
- Not stated in the posting.Ask: “Who's the economic buyer, and who else is in the deal?”
Pipeline expectations
Compensation
What is not disclosed
This posting doesn't tell you:
- Base salary
- OTE
- Quota size
- Quota attainment
- Average deal size
- Territory
- Sales cycle length
The questions above cover the big ones.