Commerical Account Executive

Kong; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kong is seeking a Commercial Sales Executive to drive growth of our enterprise/API platform in the US market. You will own the full sales cycle, from prospecting through closing, while aligning our solutions with customer needs.

You will build pipelines, engage C-level executives, and collaborate with product, marketing, and customer success teams to deliver tailored demos and drive expansion in early-stage enterprise accounts.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of sales experience in enterprise or open-source software environments.
• 2+ years closing deals independently, preferably in Commercial & Mid-Market.
• Strong consultative selling skills with ability to map business needs to solutions.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills for high-stakes conversations.
• Experience with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce) and forecasting sales metrics.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sales strategies to target commercial customers and build a robust pipeline.
• Own the full sales cycle from prospecting to closing and contract negotiations.
• Collaborate with product, marketing, and customer success teams to ensure alignment on customer needs.
• Deliver customized product demos and presentations tailored to senior decision-makers.
• Build and nurture relationships with C-level executives and key stakeholders in target accounts.
• Lead account planning and research potential customers and industry trends to grow revenue.
• Forecast opportunities and maintain detailed CRM records of interactions and progress.
• Stay informed on industry trends and competitive offerings to maintain a competitive edge.
• Provide feedback to product and marketing teams to influence go-to-market strategies.
• Represent Kong professionally at events, conferences, and customer meetings.

Skills

Sales experience

Closing deals

Consultative selling

Communication skills

Negotiation

CRM (Salesforce)

Open-source knowledge

Entrepreneurial mindset

Territory ownership

Enterprise/Mid-market

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

About the Role:

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. 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 Do:

• 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.
• 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:

• 5+ years of experience in sales (
• 2+ years closing deals independently, preferably in Commercial & Mid-Market.
• Demonstrated success in selling to small to medium 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.#LI-JW1

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.