Account Executive - Local Travel Only

Kong; Illinois; Sur place; USD 120 000 - 180 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Kong is seeking a Commercial Sales Executive to drive growth across enterprise accounts in the US. The role focuses on landing new customers, expanding existing relationships, and delivering tailored demonstrations of Kong's API and AI platform.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in sales, proven ability to close deals independently, and a consultative, data-driven approach. You will collaborate with product, marketing, and customer success to exceed revenue targets.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in sales and account management.
• 2+ years closing deals independently, preferably in Commercial & Mid-Market.
• Experience with CRM platforms and data-driven forecasting.

Responsabilités

• Develop and execute sales strategies to target commercial customers and build a robust pipeline.
• Own the entire sales cycle from prospecting to contract negotiations and closing deals.
• Collaborate with product, marketing, and customer success to ensure a seamless sales experience.
• Identify customer pain points and tailor demos and presentations to their business needs.
• Build relationships with C-level executives and key decision-makers.
• Lead account planning and research industry trends to grow existing accounts.
• Forecast opportunities and maintain CRM records.
• Represent Kong at industry events and customer meetings.

Connaissances

Sales experience

Deal closing

Consultative selling

Negotiation skills

CRM experience (Salesforce)

Open-source knowledge / APIs

Outils

Salesforce CRM

Description du poste

Are you ready to unlock intelligence? We are seeking a committed Commercial Sales Executive with a successful background in sales and account management, ideally within open source or similar enterprise software environments.

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.

Develop and execute sales strategies to target commercial 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.

Represent Kong with professionalism, acting as a brand ambassador at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in sales (
• 2+ years closing deals independently, preferably in Commercial & Mid-Market.
• 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.

#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.