Braun Board

Strategic Account Executive - Motors & Drives (Houston)

ESR Motor Systems · Remote · US

Base
Not disclosed
OTE
Not disclosed
Quota attainment
Not disclosed
Posted
2mo 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 2h agoon ESR Motor Systems's careers page

The job

What you'd do
Sell electric motors, VFDs, gearboxes and critical spares to Houston-area refinery and petrochemical plants. You win new accounts and displace incumbents, with ESR's inventory and inside-sales support.
Who you'd sell to
Still reading the posting. Check back within the hour.
Where deals come from
Mostly you. Expect a lot of outbound: cold calls, emails and LinkedIn.

The Braun Read

Proceed with caution

A few things here deserve a hard look before you spend time on it.

Pay
No pay listed at all.
Transparency
Shares 1 of 5: quota, attainment, deal size, territory, sales cycle.
Time on market
Open 60 days. Ask why it's been hard to fill.
Company hiring
6 sales roles open, hiring at a steady pace.

Red lights

  • "Unlimited earnings," no numbers. It sells uncapped or unlimited earnings but never says what anyone actually earns.

Green lights

  • Pays accelerators. Higher commission rates once you pass quota. Overperformance actually pays.

Based only on what the posting says. Lights 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. 1.

    What did the median rep and the top rep actually earn last year?

    "Unlimited" is a ceiling, not a number. You need the median.

  2. 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. 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. 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. 5.

    Who sits with reps and reviews calls each week?

    Coaching is often what's behind a good or bad attainment number.

  6. 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. 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. 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. 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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Full posting
The Opportunity ESR Motor Systems is conducting a confidential search for a proven industrial electric motor and drive sales producer with active, trusted relationships at refineries and petrochemical facilities throughout Greater Houston and along the Houston Ship Channel. This is not a developmental territory. We are looking for an established hunter who has personally opened and grown major accounts, can begin producing profitable business quickly, and can build a multi-million-dollar annual sales run rate for ESR within 18 months. You already know the market and the customers. ESR provides the product lines, inventory, technical resources, inside-sales support, and decision-making speed to help you win more of their business. This home-based, field-sales position is supported by ESR’s Houston-area stocking operation and national network of inventory locations. The long-term opportunity is to build one of ESR’s largest and most strategically important sales territories. Why Join ESR? - Individually structured compensation with a guaranteed first-year minimum and uncapped earning potential - A broad lineup of leading electric motor and drive brands - Strong local inventory backed by ESR’s national stocking network - Fast, experienced inside-sales, quoting, and technical support - Direct access to company leadership and responsive decision-making - High autonomy and ownership of strategic customer relationships Responsibilities - Develop and execute a focused strategy for acquiring and growing refinery and petrochemical accounts throughout the assigned market. - Turn established relationships and market knowledge into near-term opportunities and profitable, recurring business. - Build relationships across maintenance, reliability, engineering, operations, procurement, and plant leadership. - Spend meaningful time inside customer facilities understanding critical equipment, planned outages, recurring failures, maintenance practices, and reliability objectives. - Develop opportunities involving electric motors, variable frequency drives, gearboxes, critical spares, equipment standardization, emergency requirements, and related industrial solutions. - Navigate vendor approvals, displace incumbent suppliers, prepare solution-based proposals, negotiate commercial terms, and close profitable business. - Coordinate ESR’s inside-sales team, technical resources, manufacturer partners, and leadership while remaining personally accountable for the customer experience. - Maintain an accurate CRM pipeline and provide reliable activity reporting, forecasts, and follow-up. Requirements Required Qualifications - Five or more years of successful industrial outside-sales experience, including substantial experience selling electric motors, variable frequency drives, or closely related rotating-equipment products to refineries and petrochemical facilities. - Active, trusted relationships with decision-makers across multiple Greater Houston and Houston Ship Channel facilities. - Demonstrated personal responsibility for opening, building, and managing a multi-million-dollar book of profitable industrial business, including experience displacing incumbent suppliers. - A credible ability to begin producing business quickly and build a multi-million-dollar annual sales run rate for ESR within 18 months. - A strong sense of urgency, personal accountability, responsiveness, and follow-through, supported by effective communication, negotiation, CRM, and forecasting skills. - Greater Houston residency, a valid driver’s license, and the ability to travel regularly throughout the assigned market. - Ability to pursue business for ESR without violating existing contractual or confidentiality obligations. Preferred Qualifications - Experience with severe-duty, hazardous-location, large-horsepower, or medium-voltage motors and drives. - Experience with plant vendor approvals, planned outages, emergency replacements, critical-spares programs, equipment standardization, and reliability-driven selling. - Strong relationships with relevant electric motor and drive manufacturers. Finalists should be prepared to discuss their previous sales and gross-profit production, the portion of their business they personally originated, and a high-level 18-month market-development plan. Candidates will not be asked to disclose confidential customer information. Benefits - 100% employer-paid employee-only medical and dental premiums - Choice of an HSA medical plan or a traditional copay plan, with employer-funded HRA support - Voluntary vision coverage - Company-paid life insurance with voluntary supplemental coverage available - 401(k) plan with employer matching and profit-sharing contributions - Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays Compensation and Earning Potential The compensation package will include: - A competitive, individually negotiated base salary - Guaranteed minimum total compensation for the first 12 months - Uncapped commission based primarily on gross profit - Performance bonuses and commission accelerators - Full reimbursement of reasonable business expenses - A company-provided phone and laptop - An individually determined company-vehicle or mileage arrangement ESR is prepared to offer compensation above traditional territory-development ranges for a candidate whose relationships and performance history justify it. Total annual compensation of $200,000 or more is achievable with corresponding production, with no cap on upside. If you are a proven Houston refinery and petrochemical sales professional with the motor and drive expertise, relationships, credibility, and drive to produce substantial business, we would welcome a confidential conversation. ESR Motor Systems is an equal opportunity employer.
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