Account Executive - Austin, TX

Cars.com; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Cars Commerce is seeking a driven Account Executive to own customer relationships, drive retention and growth, and sell products to existing clients with regular in-person visits within a defined territory.

You will demonstrate the DRIVE profile—Disciplined, Results-Proven, Interconnected Solution Seller, Voraciously Hungry, and Earning-Motivated—while managing Salesforce, forecasting, and pipeline with discipline.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in B2B sales with a structured, repeatable selling methodology.
• Ability to conduct in-depth sales presentations highlighting ROI and solution value.
• Strong persuasion and negotiation skills to re-engage stalled deals.
• Experience in automotive space or digital marketplace is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary contact for Cars Commerce customers, focusing on retention and growth.
• Sell products/services to existing customers and maintain relationships through in-person visits.
• Execute sales strategy, identify upsell opportunities, and deliver measurable value insights.
• Manage pipeline with Salesforce hygiene, forecast accurately, and follow structured steps.
• Travel 75% of the time within the assigned territory for face-to-face engagements.
• Collaborate with selling and servicing teams to maximize customer value.

Skills

Account Executive experience

Sandler selling

Forecasting & pipeline

Salesforce / CRM use

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Be essential at Cars Commerce

At Cars Commerce, we're fanatical about simplifying everything about car buying and selling. We do right by our customers and consumers to better connect the industry with simplified and tierless technology to enhance, measure and drive local automotive retail. Whether through our No.1 most recognized marketplace, Cars.com, our industry-leading digital experience, Dealer Inspire, our trade and appraisal technology, AccuTrade, our reputation-based digital wholesale auction marketplace, Dealerclub, or our new Cars Commerce Media Network, Cars Commerce is essential for success in the automotive industry.

No one ever travels alone here: at its core, Cars Commerce is collaboration. In fact, it's built into the very fabric of our shared values. We like to say we Rise Together - putting people at the center of what we do, from consumer to customer to community. Life at Cars Commerce makes it easy when we share the ethos to be Open to All, encouraging open-minded communication because we know diverse thinking yields better outcomes. But critical to our success is Caring to Challenge and Taking Ownership, fueling a competitive spirit in a respectful environment where we think about tomorrow but act today. At our foundation, we have integrity, Doing the Right Thing, even when it's hard. It's our shared commitment to these values that makes Cars Commerce a place where growth becomes not only possible, but downright unavoidable.

But don't take our word for it. We are proud to be named one of Built In's 2026 Best Places to Work in Chicago and across the U.S. Ready to make your mark? Join a team that's driving real change in the automotive industry.

Cars Commerce is looking for a driven, disciplined Account Executive who embodies our DRIVE values: Disciplined, Results-Proven, an Interconnected Solution Seller, Voraciously Hungry, and Earning-Motivated. This is a field-based, quota-carrying role for a seasoned seller who runs their book like a business and is unapologetically motivated to win and earn.

Candidates must reside within the assigned territory (Greater Austin / Central Texas: Austin, Round Rock, Killeen, Waco) and be able to travel by car for face-to-face visits with existing and prospective customers.

About the Role

• Act as the primary point of contact for Cars Commerce customers, focusing on ongoing customer success, retention, and growth.
• Sell products and services to existing customers. Maintain relationships through regular in-person visits within an assigned geographic territory. Respond to client inquiries and recommend appropriate products and services.
• Execute sales strategy, identify and close upsell opportunities. Prepare reports and deliver insights that communicate measurable value to customers. Demonstrate expertise in Cars Commerce products, services, and the digital automotive marketplace.
• Manage pipeline with discipline - maintain daily Salesforce hygiene, track pipeline coverage ratios, forecast accurately, and apply a structured sales methodology at every stage.
• Travel (primarily driving but occasional flights) at least 75% of the time within the assigned territory for face-to-face customer engagement.
• Partner across selling and servicing roles at Cars Commerce to ensure customers receive maximum value from the Cars Commerce Platform.

What We're Looking For: The DRIVE Profile

Every successful Cars Commerce AE embodies all five dimensions of DRIVE:

D

Disciplined

Pipeline rigor, Salesforce hygiene, forecasting accuracy, and use of structured sales methodology

R

Results-Proven

Consistent, multi-year quota attainment - backed by specific numbers, deal sizes, and rankings

I

Interconnected Solution Seller

Media/digital advertising or SaaS background; comfortable owning SMB and mid-market accounts

V

Voraciously Hungry

Grit, tenacity, and fire - personal ownership of outcomes, self-driven activity beyond what's required

E

Earning-Motivated

Financial drive is the engine - unapologetically money-motivated with a preference for uncapped commission

Qualifications

• Excellent planning and solutions-selling experience with a structured, repeatable methodology - Sandler, Challenger, SPIN, or Consultative Selling.
• Motivated and comfortable working remotely from a home office as well as from the road and field.
• Ability to conduct in-depth sales presentations including product demonstrations that highlight key benefits, ROI, and the value of our solutions.
• Proven persuasion and negotiation skills, with the tenacity to re-engage stalled deals and push through friction.
• Experience in the automotive space or digital marketplace strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and customer relationship-building skills.
• Strong business acumen - knows their pipeline coverage ratio, conversion rates by stage, and forecast accuracy.

Requirements

5+ years of progressive B2B sales experience with a media, digital advertising, marketing SaaS, or automotive solutions backgro