Strategic Account Executive
GitLab · Remote · Germany
- Base
- Not disclosed
- OTE
- Not disclosed
- Quota attainment
- Not disclosed
- Posted
- 1mo 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 1h agoon GitLab's careers page
The job
- What you'd do
- Sell software tools to the biggest companies in Germany, winning new customers and selling more to existing ones. You'll run each sale from first call until customers are using the product, and you'll find many of your own new customers.
- What you'd sell
Software for developers to build, test, and secure code
When a software team has to ship new code, there are many steps to build it, test it, and check it for security. The problem is, every step can slow the team down, and a gap in one step can let a security problem slip through. GitLab puts those steps together in one place, so developers can ship better, more secure software faster.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell me · More Developer & IT tools companies →
- 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
Ask hard questionsToo much is left unsaid. Make them answer before you invest.
- Pay
- No pay listed at all.
- Transparency
- Shares 1 of 5: quota, attainment, deal size, territory, sales cycle.
- Time on market
- Open 30 days. Normal, but not fresh.
- Company hiring
- Ramping up: posted 17 sales roles in the last 30 days. That many open roles can also mean churn. Ask how many reps are still there from last year.
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.
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.
- 2.
What percentage of reps on the team have been here more than 18 months?
Tenure shows whether people stay long enough to get paid.
- 3.
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.
- 4.
Who sits with reps and reviews calls each week?
Coaching is often what's behind a good or bad attainment number.
- 5.
What are the base and the OTE for this role?
No point investing hours before you know the 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.
Josh's top five questions for any sales interview →
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