A Day In the Life of a BambooHR Account Executive – BambooHR Blog

Job descriptions can sometimes be a little…boring? The intent is (or should be) to provide a snapshot of what it’s like to hold that position in the company. Wouldn’t it be more effective if you could just ask someone who has the position how to write a job description? We think so. So that’s what we did. Hopefully it will help account executive applicants decide if we would be a good fit for them.

Introducing: BambooHR’s Account Executives

Featuring the one and only Emmanuel Nnah.

Ever sat down to chat with someone and suddenly twenty minutes have gone by? No awkward pauses. You didn’t have to force the conversation. And you end up wishing you could just sit and chat with that person about life or work or really anything for at least another hour? That’s Emmanuel.

He’s one of 38 account executives here and has a pretty good idea of what it’s like to sell BambooHR. Here’s what he says:  

What’s the best part about being an account executive at BambooHR?

Knowing you have a team of people behind you who want you to be successful. A lot of sales positions are more about being the lone survivor—the lone wolf. The attitude of “It’s all about me and all I’m doing is trying to make money.” At BambooHR, you also have a manager there helping you to set and meet goals, hopping on your calls to see if they can help you be more successful. I’ve had other sales jobs and know that’s very unique and different. That doesn’t mean there’s a manager constantly holding your hand because it’s not like that. But if you’re willing to put in the work, there’s enough support that you will see your efforts come to fruition.

What’s the most challenging part about being an account executive at BambooHR?

Every job has its unique challenges. Because it’s so transparent here and such a helpful, friendly environment, the challenges are different here than you’ll see other places. I’m challenging myself to get better. I’m able to focus on making myself better so I can be more successful. That is very unique. I’ve had many sales jobs, but the hardest part of my job is learning the process. This is a very different sale. You have to learn how to talk with an HR person, care about what they care about, which is very different than talking to an IT person or to a CEO. There are different vantage points you have to be able to talk to.

What do you think makes account executives successful at BambooHR?

One of the things that really stands out to me is that salespeople can be very ego-driven. The cool thing to see at Bamboo is the willingness to share and see each other succeed. When an account executive comes to a senior account executive and asks, “What would you do in this situation?” or “What emails work well for you?” or “What perspective do you have?” or “Have you ever had a client with this specific situation?” there is a genuine desire to help that person. It’s not just about selling the most. Of course there’s a sense of pride when you do well, but it’s very team-oriented. A rising tide lifts all boats. It’s not cutthroat. You’ve got to be able to realize we’re all here to help—not to beat each other. If I have a good email that helps me, I’m happy to share it. It goes vice versa too. Senior account executives go to account executives to ask their perspective too. Just because I’m a senior doesn’t mean I’m better. Account executives here have to be team players but still have an individual drive to succeed.

What’s the career path like here?

The process is so transparent. Let’s say you’re a training or junior account executive. They’ll tell you where your milestones are and the level you should be performing at. All you have to do is use the resources given to you, talk to and surround yourself with people who are doing well, and hit your milestones. That’s how you’ll become an account executive. There’s no subjectivity to it. And then as an account executive, you’ll get the same path for becoming a senior account executive—meet the milestones and you’ll be a senior account executive. When you get to be a senior account executive, management spots open up (which there will a lot of because we’re growing so fast). There’s room to move up and grow. There’s also a new training program where account executives are learning new Challenger Sale techniques and understanding sales processes. We get a lot of training on the software and how it works.

How do people react to what you’re selling?

A lot of times when you sell something expensive, people get buyers’ remorse. Like after I bought my Apple Watch, I was kind of depressed. Geez, it was so expensive! And now I love it and it’s no big deal. People don’t really get that buyers’ remorse here. I was working with a lady who said she had been looking for an HR software since she started her company and had vetted almost 50 different softwares, but none of them were what she needed. After working with us, she was so incredibly grateful to find what she needed. I felt like a king! She made me feel so good for just doing my job. I think when customers see the software and it’s exactly what they need, they just have an “aha!” moment. It literally changes their lives. Before Bamboo, HR professionals are spending 20 hours a week on reports and we give them a way to do it in just a few minutes. That’s cool. It’s cool to know that this product works, and I can believe in what I’m selling. If I ever start a company, this would be the first thing I’d have to buy. I’d just have to have it.

How long does that sales cycle take?

You’ll get to a point where some companies realize right away they have to have BambooHR. I’ve also had them take up to six months before to make sure it’s just right for their company. But on average, I’d say it takes about two to three weeks.

What else should people know before applying to the job?

In sales, you want to be given the tools to succeed, but you don’t want to feel like you’re being babysat. If you want to succeed, you have to be self motivated because no one is going to hold your hand. You have to be willing to work. At the same time, you don’t want to feel like you can’t leave for five minutes without fire alarms going off. This job is the perfect balance. You  absolutely have the tools to succeed, and the responsibility is yours to learn as much as you can and dive deep into the resources you’re given. But you’re not treated like a child. This is a big-kid job. This is a grown up’s job and it’s cool to be treated like a grown-up—especially in sales. That’s one of the reasons Bamboo is one of the top places to work. You get to come in, do your work, then go home and do your home stuff.

There you have it. Interested in knowing more details about being an account executive at BambooHR? We’re growing quickly and need people who know they love to sell. If you’ve got a little sales experience and want a better work environment, check out our job postings!