How competitive is the product and solution set?
AWS’s product set is top of the line. It consistently ranks at the top of Gartner’s cloud rankings and is well known throughout the industry as the top cloud provider. You can consistently win greenfield customers, grow existing accounts, and close multi-million dollar deals.
InfoTech, IDC, and Forrester compete in the syndicated research space.
Gartner also competes with the big consulting companies such as Accenture, KPMG, and McKinsey.
Example: “When I was in college, I had a hard time balancing my schoolwork with my internship. This led me to fall behind on some of my assignments. My professor gave me two options—either complete all of my work or take a semester off from school. I chose to stay in school and worked hard to catch up on my assignments. It was challenging, but I managed to get everything done.”
This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the skills and abilities to succeed in this role. Account executives are responsible for developing relationships with clients, so it’s important that they’re able to communicate effectively and build trust. When answering this question, think about what makes an account executive successful and relate those traits to your own experience.
Example: “I once had an opportunity to present my research findings at a conference, but I was nervous and forgot some of the information I planned on sharing. I felt embarrassed, but I took notes during the presentation so I could review them later and make sure I didn’t forget anything else. I practiced my speech several times before the next conference, and I received positive feedback from the audience.”
Example: “I have used Salesforce.com in my previous job as an IT consultant. I helped companies implement this software so they could manage their sales processes more efficiently. The system has many features that allow users to create reports, collaborate with other team members and track leads. It also allows them to access information from anywhere.”
Example: “I believe that effective leadership comes from being an active listener. I make sure to ask questions and actively listen to my team members’ responses so I can understand what they need and how I can best support them. In my last role, I noticed that some of my team members were having trouble collaborating on projects together. I scheduled weekly meetings where we discussed our progress and any challenges we faced. This helped me learn more about each person’s strengths and weaknesses, which allowed me to assign tasks based on who was most qualified for them.”
What type of work experience do you need for this role?
For the SMB/Mid-Size Enterprise account executive role, as an outside hire, you need 1-2 years B2B sales experience, ideally in technology sales. You can also enter into this role right out of college into their ‘sales academy’ program with no sales experience.
For the large enterprise account executive role, you need 5 to 15 years B2B sales experience, ideally in technology sales.
For the global accounts account executive role, you need 15 or more years B2B sales experience, ideally in technology sales.
For the business developer role, you need 2 to 3 years B2B sales experience.
Which Gartner offices do salespeople work at?
Gartner large and global enterprise sales reps are work from home technically, as they are located where their territory is.
The SMB Reps are located in the Dallas and Fort Myers offices.