Enterprise Account Executive - Texas
Kong · Remote · US
Open 1 day
New Business + Account Growth: you win new customers and grow existing ones.
- Pay (base or OTE?)
- $320K–$400K
- OTE
- Not disclosed
- Quota attainment
- Not disclosed
- Posted
- 2d 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 Kong's careers page
The job
- What you'd do
- Find and win new customers at very big companies in Texas, from first call to signed contract, and grow existing customers too. You'll do your own prospecting.
- What you'd sell
Helps companies connect and secure their apps and AI tools
When a big company links its apps to AI tools, it usually wires each connection up by hand. The problem is, every hand-wired link has to be checked and locked down, and one weak link lets strangers in. Kong routes all that traffic through one checkpoint, so the company can secure it without fixing each link alone.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell me · More Developer & IT tools 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
- Mostly you. Expect a lot of outbound: cold calls, emails and LinkedIn.
The Braun Read
Worth a lookSolid on the basics. Use the first call to fill in the gaps.
- Pay
- Base is listed but not OTE. Ask what the variable is and how many people hit it.
- Transparency
- Shares 1 of 5. Mentions territory. Ask about quota, attainment, deal size and sales cycle.
- Time on market
- Brand new.
- Company hiring
- Ramping up: posted 19 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.
Red lights
None spotted.
Yellow lights
- Base or OTE? Ask. They posted a number but didn't say if it's base salary or total pay with commission. It's high for a base, so ask which it is.
- Same job posted many times. The company has 8 or more open postings with this exact title. Could be a big build-out, could be a revolving door. Ask how many reps they hired last year and how many are still there.
Green lights
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.
How many reps are you hiring for this, and how many from last year's class are still here?
Hiring a lot can mean growth, or people leaving.
- 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.
Before You Apply
Find out where you fit, and where you don't, before you hit submit.
Why I built it this way ↓
Most résumé tools try to make you look like a match. I'd rather help you find out if you are one.
Nothing made up.
Nothing goes on your résumé that you didn't do. If a line would need a number you didn't give me, I ask. I don't guess. On Braun Board it's checked in code, not just promised.
Curiosity before conclusions.
If the job wants something your résumé doesn't show, I ask before I assume. Plenty of sellers have done the thing and just never wrote it down.
Sorting, not selling.
Some jobs won't line up with what you've done. Finding that out before you apply isn't a loss. It's an hour back, spent on a job that fits.
No score.
A match score tells you how well you copied their words. It doesn't tell you whether you'd be good at the job, or happy there.
It's the same way I teach selling. We don't control who says yes. We do control where we spend our time, and whether everything we say is true.
Josh
More on this1 Is the job worth it?
Worth a look. Solid on the basics. Use the first call to fill in the gaps.
No red lights. 2 things the posting doesn't say, worth asking on the first call.
See the full Braun Read2 Where you fit
Upload once, see where you fit on any job.
Sign in and add your résumé. I'll show you where you line up, ask before I assume, and never add anything you didn't do.
Sign in →What people say about working at Kong ↓
Got an offer from Kong? Not sure about it?Ask me. I read every message myself. · JoshAsk Josh
Rather talk it through? Call or text me: 954-695-0844 (text)
Full posting
Are you ready to unlock intelligence?
If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.
About the role:
We are seeking a committed Enterprise Sales Executive with a successful background in sales and account management, ideally within open source or similar enterprise software environments. In this role, you will be a key driver of our growth strategy, directly impacting the stability and expansion of our recurring revenue. This position is ideal for a sales professional who has experience in landing new clients, retaining existing customers, and driving account expansion for early-stage enterprise products in a dynamic, entrepreneurial setting.
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Develop and execute sales strategies to target enterprise customers, focusing on building and maintaining a robust pipeline that drives long-term growth.
- Own the entire sales cycle, from prospecting and initial outreach to contract negotiations and closing deals, while consistently meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
- Collaborate with internal teams, including product, marketing, and customer success, to ensure a seamless sales experience and alignment on customer needs.
- Identify customer pain points and align our solutions to address these, delivering customized product demos and presentations tailored to their specific business needs.
- Build and nurture relationships with C-level executives and key decision-makers within target accounts, establishing yourself as a trusted advisor and ensuring customer satisfaction and retention.
- Lead account planning efforts by researching potential customers, understanding industry trends, and developing strategies to win new business and grow existing accounts.
- Monitor and manage sales activities and results, accurately forecasting opportunities and keeping detailed records of interactions and progress in CRM systems.
- Stay updated on industry trends, competitor offerings, and market changes to position our product effectively and maintain a competitive edge.
- Contribute to business growth initiatives, providing feedback to product and marketing teams to influence product development and go-to-market strategies.
- Represent Kong with professionalism, acting as a brand ambassador at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings.
What You’ll Bring:
- 7+ years of experience in enterprise sales (>1k employees), with a proven track record of closing complex deals in a SaaS, cloud, or enterprise software environment.
- Demonstrated success in selling to large enterprises, particularly to senior-level executives and across multiple departments.
- Strong consultative selling skills, with the ability to understand customer needs and present compelling solutions that drive business outcomes.
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills, capable of managing high-stakes conversations and building lasting relationships with stakeholders.
- A results-driven mindset, with a passion for meeting and exceeding sales goals and revenue targets.
- Experience working with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce) and leveraging data to forecast accurately and track sales metrics.
- Knowledge of open-source software, APIs, or infrastructure software is highly advantageous.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, taking ownership of your sales territory and adapting to changing market dynamics.
- Analytical and strategic thinking, with a knack for identifying business growth opportunities and devising plans to capitalize on them.
Why Top Sellers Join Us
- Clear category winner: Gartner Leader with top-tier adoption metrics and continuous product momentum.
- Uncapped upside: Highly competitive base/variable structure, accelerators, and equity.
- Recognition & Rewards: Top performers earn a spot in our annual President’s Club.
- Culture of execution: Autonomous, fast-moving, and low on bureaucracy. Built for builders and closers.
- Award-Winning Culture: 4x Great Place To Work Certified™ (95% employee satisfaction).
- Comprehensive Benefits: Health, wellness, retirement, parental leave, and generous time-off programs tailored by region.
About Kong:
Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic — on any model, any cloud. For more information, visit www.konghq.com http://www.konghq.com.