Enterprise Account Executive - DACH (f/m/d) - job 1 of 2

As the Enterprise Account Executive - DACH at Contentful, your primary responsibilities include managing the end-to-end sales process, identifying potential customers, negotiating contracts, and driving customer enablement initiatives. You'll work collaboratively with teams across the company to create strategies that lead to new business opportunities and foster relationships with both new and existing customers.

To be a successful candidate for the Enterprise Account Executive - DACH role at Contentful, you should have at least 4 years of experience in selling technical platforms, strong knowledge of SaaS/PaaS environments, and a proven track record of meeting sales quotas in the DACH region. Additionally, fluency in German and an understanding of API-first cloud technologies are highly desirable.

The Enterprise Account Executive - DACH plays a vital role in Contentful's growth by spearheading sales efforts in the DACH region. By driving net new revenue and uncovering upsell opportunities, you ensure a sustainable customer base while also enhancing the overall reputation and market presence of Contentful.

The sales approach for the Enterprise Account Executive - DACH at Contentful revolves around a consultative sales process. This means engaging with potential customers to understand their challenges and aligning the capabilities of Contentful to solve their specific needs, effectively positioning our solutions as valuable tools for their business success.

As an Enterprise Account Executive - DACH at Contentful, you can expect comprehensive onboarding, ongoing training programs, and access to a supportive network of colleagues and resources to help you excel in your role. This investment in your growth, paired with your proactive attitude, will ensure you succeed in driving customer success.

In your response, highlight specific experiences where you successfully sold SaaS or PaaS solutions in the DACH region. Discuss your understanding of the market, key challenges faced by customers, and how your approach helped overcome those hurdles.

When answering, emphasize your consultative selling skills and your approach to understanding client needs. Mention strategies like regular touchpoints, offering valuable insights, and being a reliable source of information to develop trust and rapport.

Discuss the importance of active listening and empathy in handling objections. Explain methods you use to address concerns, such as providing evidence of success or offering tailored solutions that directly tackle the customer's challenges.

Share examples of how you’ve successfully implemented land-and-expand strategies to grow existing accounts. Focus on key accounts you’ve enhanced, how you identified opportunities, and the impact of those efforts.

Describe your organizational skills and the tools you use to track leads and customer engagements. Mention the importance of CRM systems in your process and how they assist in maintaining information and follow-ups.

Outline specific techniques for qualifying leads, including market research, leveraging networking opportunities, and using customer feedback to determine suitability and readiness for your product.

Prepare a narrative that details the context of the presentation, the client’s needs, the solution you presented, and the positive outcome for both the customer and yourself, showcasing your presentation skills and understanding of the client's needs.

Discuss the importance of collaboration across departments, such as working with marketing for lead generation strategies or partnering with solution engineers to address technical issues. Provide examples where teamwork resulted in successful sales outcomes.

In your response, talk about specific market dynamics or behaviors you have observed in the DACH region. Mention any cultural factors, competitive pressures, or regulatory issues that may influence sales strategies.

Articulate your passion for working at Contentful, perhaps by mentioning specific aspects of the company culture, the innovative products they offer, or how your goals align with theirs. This shows you've researched Contentful and are genuinely interested.