Account Executive, Commercial
Illumio · Remote · Germany
- Base
- Not disclosed
- OTE
- €132K–€164K
- Quota attainment
- Not disclosed
- Posted
- 11d 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 Illumio's careers page
The job
- What you'd do
- Sell cybersecurity software to medium-size companies, remotely, in a territory you plan yourself. Marketing and inside sales help find leads, and you also grow existing customers.
- What you'd sell
Software that stops cyberattacks from spreading across company networks
When a company gets hit by ransomware, it has to stop the attack from spreading to the rest of its systems. The problem is, one infected computer can reach other machines and servers before anyone notices. Illumio finds threats across cloud and on-site systems and stops them from spreading, so an attack stays in one place instead of becoming a disaster.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell me · More Security companies →
- Who you'd sell to
- Not stated in the posting.Ask: “Who's the economic buyer, and who else is in the deal?”
- Where deals come from
- A mix. Some leads come to you, some you find yourself.
The Braun Read
Worth a lookSolid on the basics. Use the first call to fill in the gaps.
- Pay
- OTE is listed. Ask what the base is.
- Transparency
- Says nothing about quota, attainment, deal size, territory or sales cycle.
- Time on market
- Open 11 days.
- Company hiring
- 2 sales roles open, hiring at a steady pace.
Red lights
None spotted.
Green lights
- Publishes OTE. It tells you the on-target earnings up front. Most postings don't.
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's the base, and how is the rest paid out?
OTE without a base doesn't tell you what you can count on.
- 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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