Account Executive, Axial for Owners

Account Executive, Axial for Owners

About Axial

Axial is the largest online M&A platform for small & mid-sized businesses (SMBs) in North America. Our mission is to unleash the potential of private capital markets for the benefit of all entrepreneurs. To pursue this mission, we have built a pioneering digital transaction platform that radically improves the speed, confidentiality and success by which small businesses hire M&A advisors and achieve successful exits. 

In 2024, over 10,000 SMBs pursued M&A via the platform, leading to over 1 million+ platform connections, 75,000+ signed NDAs, and hundreds of millions of dollars in successfully closed transactions (https://www.axial.net/closed-deals/).

About Axial for Owners

Axial for Owners is the division within Axial that works with business owners as they prepare to exit (sell their company). The primary way we support owners is via Advisor Finder, the industry’s leading solution helping business owners find and hire the best investment bank to represent them in their transaction. 

Advisor Finder is uniquely positioned to own this market. It leverages the Axial deal platform’s network of over 2,500 investment bank and 15 years worth of firms’ transaction data to provide an unparalleled ability to find the investment banks with the most relevant experience and track record for any business owner.  

Advisor Finder is the first solution of its kind, and is scaling quickly. The division saw an annual growth rate of 50% in 2024, and is on track to grow 300% - 400% in 2025. 

What will you be doing?

Advisor Finder is a white glove, technology-enabled service. Account Executives serve as Exit Consultants, supporting owners through the process of finding, interviewing, evaluating, and ultimately hiring an investment bank. Your core objective will be to grow the number of business owners that are hiring investment banks via the offering.

The Advisor Finder Account Executive is a unique role, where you’ll be working directly with founders, owners, and CEOs of U.S. companies valued between $5M and $100M across a wide variety of industries - technology, healthcare, consumer, manufacturing, and business services to name a few.  

The path to outperformance in this role is unlocked by developing a deep understanding of the M&A process, owners’ psychology as they approach an exit, and the right consultative approach to help owners navigate this process. You’ll master the talk tracks that effectively communicate the value of an investment banker and the value of Axial’s advisor finder offering, and consistently execute the right account outreach, connected call, and follow-up motions. You’ll also have the opportunity to work closely with the internal marketing, data, strategy, and business operations professionals that support this function. 

Responsibilities:

• Master the talk tracks and sales strategies that build trust with business owners who are evaluating the Advisor Finder offering.
• Become a credible “Exit Consultant” by building a foundational understanding of M&A processes, the role of investment bankers, and the details of what business owners need to do to prepare for an M&A transaction.
• Collaborate with Axial’s research and account management teams to curate a roster of 3-5 investment banks for each business owner, incorporating each owner’s objectives, business characteristics, and preferences.
• Support owners via debrief calls and feedback sessions as they narrow in on their decision of who to hire. Provide evaluation methodologies, guidance on how to prepare for each call, and proprietary data to help them benchmark. 
• Manage the inbound lead and sales opportunity funnels, with expedient and persistent follow up cadences & disciplined utilization of Salesforce. 
• Complement the inbound lead funnel with several hours / week of prospecting, where the prospecting universe is predominantly luke-warm marketing leads. 
• Selectively identify and attend events & conferences to connect with business owners & potential referral partners.  
• Be a consistent and thoughtful voice delivering owner insights and feedback to help drive marketing initiatives or improvements to the Advisor Finder experience.

Qualifications:

• 5 -10 years of quota-carrying experience in sales / business development roles
• Deep experience selling into the C-suite or into Managing Directors in Professional / Financial Services
• Demonstrated autonomy and competency executing professional sales cycles
• Exceptionally strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong track record of achieving increasing levels of excellence in personal or professional settings
• Prior exposure and sales experience in or around the private capital market / M&A economy is a strong plus
• Industry backgrounds of focus include, but are not limited to: Software/Technology, Financial Services, Wealth Management, Executive Recruiting

Working at Axial:

We are a small, tight-knit, and mission-aligned team (currently 50+ employees with an average tenure of 3.5+ years). You’ll have the opportunity to have a direct impact on the growth of the company.

We subscribe to the following 5 character traits that every employee upholds: positivity, grit, humility, discernment, and accountability for results. We’re a group of interesting, intellectually curious individuals that like to collaborate, work hard, and grow the business while growing personally and professionally in the pursuit of our mission.

We have a comfortable and fully functional office in Manhattan on 30th and Park and NYC-based employees are in the office at least 3 days a week (Tues, Wed, Thur). The atmosphere is collegial, and the office is open, inviting, and full of accommodations (kitchen, snacks, coffee, adult beverages, relaxing spaces, games galore, and an upright piano). 

At Axial you will also enjoy:

• Working with a great team of smart, motivated people 
• Robust medical, dental and vision insurance, paid for by Axial at nearly 100% 
• 401k program
• Flexible vacation policy (we urge employees to take a minimum of 15 days)
• Paid Parental Leave Policy
• Monthly Health & Wellness stipend
• Pre-tax commuter program

Axial Values:

• Expect and Deliver Excellence - you do high-quality work consistently, and you expect it from your colleagues as well
• Be an Owner - you have the personal maturity and accountability to take ownership for your work, to operate with transparency, and to focus on delivering results
• Obsess over Member Trust - you work in a way that helps Axial consistently earn, grow and keep member trust
• Communication Matters - you deliberately focus on being an excellent communicator and collaborator with your teammates and with members
• Invent and Simplify - you are creative and curious, always looking for better ways to materially improve the quality and scalability of the member experience

Compensation:

The posted salary range represents the total On-Target Earnings (OTE) for this role, which includes both base salary and target incentive compensation. A candidate's final compensation package will be determined based on several factors, including the candidate’s primary work location, skills, years of experience, market conditions, and internal parity. 

Your Career Path at Axial (and Beyond)

Successful members of the GTM team have gone on to pursue a variety of professional opportunities both internally and externally. Internally, they’ve gone on to roles in sales leadership, customer success leadership, product management, and business operations and people operations. Outside of Axial, they have started companies, launched search funds, taken on roles in private equity and investment banking, or pursued sales and leadership opportunities at other high-growth private companies.