Inside the Commercial Sales Team at Hootsuite

Hootsuite’s Commercial Sales team works with leads sourced by our marketing team and sells into all organizations with revenue under $1B. In less than three years, the team has already grown to more than 70 reps around the globe.

We sat down with Kirk Thomas and Karam Virk — two of the 20+ Commercial Account Executives working in Hootsuite’s Toronto office — to learn more about what it’s like to work in commercial sales here at Hootsuite.

Kirk Thomas (left) and Karam Virk (right)

Give us a brief overview of the Commercial Account Executive role.

Kirk: As a member of the CAE team, you are representing one of the most exciting spaces in the organization. Social media management and its extensions can help nearly every organization and industry in some capacity. We have a brand that is renowned among most digital marketers and have an exceptional opportunity to speak to a large number of teams such as marketing, communications, compliance, IT, and sales. With a large software stack, strong leadership, and a commitment to enabling each and every rep, we feel confident and well supported to run a full sales cycle — even remotely.

Karam: The Commercial Account Executive role is a sales position where we get to work with a wide variety of organizations within North America. It’s a unique position where we work with inbound leads generated by the Hootsuite marketing team along with our partner network. As CAEs, we are responsible for focusing on new business and managing a full sales cycle. It’s a great role for individuals who enjoy being in control of their success and income, while being set up for success by a wide variety of resources that Hootsuite offers.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a Commercial Account Executive?

Karam: The biggest challenge is the rapidly changing landscape of the social world we live in. As leaders in the space, our clients turn to us for advice and strategy on the ever-changing features, trends, and world events in social. It’s our job to be knowledgeable in what is happening with our solution, competitors, and partner network. Although this is a challenge, it keeps each day interesting; it’s exciting to be a part of something that is constantly innovating.

One of Hootsuite’s values is “leading with humility.” How would you say this ties into the culture of the sales team?

Kirk: #LeadingwithHumility is an important Hootsuite value for the Commercial team. I’ve witnessed the growth of the team over the past two years, and I’m proud of the environment and culture the leadership team has created. Egos are checked at the door, and sales becomes a team sport. Our top performers are those who approach each deal with openness and a willingness to learn. Keeping humble and offering advice doesn’t go unnoticed on this team!

Karam: Whether you have years of software sales experience or you’re an intern for the summer, everyone on this team works together to make sure we’re all successful. It’s a true testament to the team culture within Hootsuite and how we all learn together. The sales floor is a hub of open questions and shared knowledge that helps us succeed. No question is a bad question; you’ll learn quickly here!

What are three things that would make a successful Commercial Account Executive?

Kirk: Ask for help where you need it. Understanding our sales process, the ins and outs of the various software platforms, and even executing on a deal can all be overwhelming at first. Asking lots of questions and seeing how tenured reps have found success will take you farther more quickly than trying to do it all on your own.

Stay curious. This may seem like table stakes in any sales job, but what we offer is a service that can impact various levels of an organization. It’s up to you to remain curious enough about a business to connect the dots between our social solution and your prospect’s business goals.

Bring your whole self to work. The team will like you for who you genuinely are! Those that are excited to come in to see the team and are open to sharing who they are outside of work will find appreciation in the hard work we put in every day. We are a team in the office and a team once the clock hits five p.m.!

Tell us about the tools you use as a Commercial Account Executive and how they contribute to your success?

Kirk and Karam: We’re fortunate to have an abundance of resources that make it easy for us to execute our roles. Here’s a list of some we use on a daily basis:

• Salesforce. The first meeting of the day could be a forecast call with your manager or team to go over your pipeline in Salesforce. This is where you would bring them up to speed on any key deals and challenges you are facing.
• Salesloft. Typically, you have a scheduled discovery call with a prospect where you phone them over Salesloft. This is where you ask all the questions necessary to understand their needs and build a solution.
• Gong. A great tool that allows you to listen to the recording of a call and take notes before uploading them to Salesforce. This is an effective way to get feedback from your leader or peers and a way to keep improving your sales skills.
• Highspot. Last but not least, we have access to Hootsuite’s high-quality resource library where we are able to access tons of resources created by other employees in the company. For example, Highspot allows us to manage content such as sales resources, documents, case studies, and presentations.

What is unique about the Commercial Account Executive role?

Kirk: As much as we are dedicated to achieving individual success, we are supported in going above and beyond in ways outside of our role. For example, colleagues have taken on initiatives to present at networking events, run small webinars alongside our marketing teams, and even develop new roles to help advance the Commercial team. If you have a good idea, your voice is heard, and leadership has a vested interest in helping you achieve your goals. It is definitely one of my favourite things about Hootsuite!

Karam: The CAE role at Hootsuite is unique because we get the opportunity to constantly collaborate with teams outside of our own. We work with teams such as customer success, business value analysts, and solutions consultants, along with our large partner network. The support and encouragement we have across departments is incredible. This is something about Hootsuite that is really special.

Are you ready to jump in and start your career on Hootsuite’s Commercial Sales Team? Check out our open roles here!