Account Executive - Account Executive WordStream Employee Review

Working here was one of the biggest mistakes I have made for my career, but a great learning experience. I clearly did not do my due diligence prior to taking the job, and that is a mistake I will not make again. Company Culture: You get into the office, sit in a dingy cubicle and call terrible leads all day. You eat lunch at your desk and clock in/clock out. Sometimes there are events after work- for instance the softball team that none of the new reps were invited to. There are also "happy hours" where you sit in your cube and drink beer while looking at your computer. The "work hard, play hard" culture that they sell simply doesn't exist. The Leads/Quota: They called them "Sales Qualified Leads," which to a salesperson who is used to cold calling sounds amazing- warmed up leads! Instead these are just people who have visited the website once and are considered hot leads. The quota is also completely absurd. They have multiplied their salesforce by at least 3x and have not increased the amount of leads that are coming in... and yet, they still operate with the same quota system. While I was there, only 2 or 3 (very senior) members of the team hit their goal. No one else was paid commission. Management: there is no training, guidance or encouragement. When I started I sat down in my cube and was told to read a pamphlet about AdWords. We talked a lot about trainings that would be helpful... and then never did them. My manager was discouraging, selfish, rude, and consumed with his own issues. He contradicted himself daily, set new expectations hourly, and showed up late to meetings. Managers should be there to foster the growth of their employees, not worry about their own quota and blame their reps when things aren't going right. It is a tough job and is certainly not for everyone- so don't promote one of your best reps just because there is no where else for him/her to move.