Suggested rewrite: Led a cross-functional initiative that improved [business outcome] by [measurable result], demonstrating experience relevant to this role...
Enterprise Territory Account Executive, Southeast
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The role, at a glance.
Kong is hiring an Enterprise Territory Account Executive to grow and retain strategic enterprise accounts across the Southeast. The role owns the full sales cycle, including prospecting, executive discovery, tailored demonstrations, negotiation, forecasting, and closing. Candidates need at least seven years of enterprise software sales experience, particularly with companies of more than 5,000 employees. Success depends on consultative selling, C-level relationship management, Salesforce discipline, and the ability to position API, cloud, or infrastructure software. This is a high-impact, quota-carrying role in a fast-paced company with uncapped commissions and equity.
Role DNA
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Pace & Pressure
5/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
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Core skills
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Sample interview questions
I segment the territory by ideal customer profile, technology environment, business priorities, and buying potential. I then create account plans for priority targets, map stakeholders, run targeted multichannel outreach, and review pipeline coverage and conversion weekly to adjust activity.
I established a mutual success plan early, identified executive sponsors and technical evaluators, and tied the solution to measurable business outcomes. I coordinated internal specialists, addressed security and procurement concerns proactively, and maintained a clear close plan with agreed decision dates.
I begin with the executive's priorities, such as accelerating digital delivery, improving security and governance, reducing operational risk, or enabling AI initiatives. I translate technical capabilities into financial and operational outcomes, supported by relevant customer examples and a quantified value hypothesis.
I use objective exit criteria for each stage, validate access to the economic buyer, confirm the business problem and decision process, and document next steps in the CRM. I distinguish committed opportunities from upside based on evidence rather than optimism and communicate risks early.
I begin with adoption, outcomes, and stakeholder satisfaction rather than immediately pursuing an upsell. Through regular account reviews, I identify new use cases, organizational priorities, and gaps where additional capabilities can create measurable value, then build a joint expansion plan with the customer.
About this role.
Are you ready to unlock intelligence?
If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box – we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.
About the Role:
We are seeking a committed Enterprise 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.
At Kong, we offer UNCAPPED COMMISSIONS with MASSIVE UPSIDE, competitive benefits, and equity in a company with huge growth potential.
What You’ll Do:
Develop and execute sales strategies to target enterprise 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:
7+ years of experience in enterprise sales (>5k employees), with a proven track record of closing complex deals in a SaaS, cloud, or enterprise software environment.
Demonstrated success in selling to large 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-TM1
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.
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