About Backstory
Backstory (formerly People.ai) is the leading AI answers platform for sales teams. With more than a decade of training AI models on billions of sales interactions, Backstory enables modern sales teams to ask questions and get the right answer in the moment directly within their existing AI workflows. Sales leaders from companies like Red Hat, Five9, Palo Alto Networks, Iron Mountain, TransUnion, Randstad and others rely on Backstory to get trusted answers wrapped in real business context helping them orchestrate deals more effectively and drive revenue.
By connecting every signal to the right accounts and opportunities, Backstory shows teams exactly what is happening and what to do next. Customers across industries including enterprise, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and defense use Backstory to drive trillions in pipeline and revenue.
Recognized by Gartner and Forrester, the Inc. 5000, Y Combinator Top Companies, and the Forbes AI 50, Backstory is based in San Francisco and backed by ICONIQ Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Akkadian Ventures and Mubadala Capital.
The Role
As a Key Account Executive, you will partner with Fortune 500 executives to solve complex go-to-market challenges, leading strategic sales cycles from discovery through close. You'll collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams to deliver value-based solutions, navigate sophisticated buying committees, and drive predictable revenue growth. As a key member of a high-performing team, you'll help shape sales strategy, build lasting executive relationships, and contribute to the continued growth of a fast-moving, high-growth company.
Responsibilities:
- Proven track record of closing high seven- to eight-figure enterprise deals with C-suite executives.
- Expertise in navigating complex customer buying journeys using CoMessage and CoBuyer methodologies.
- Skilled at selling cross-functionally, building consensus across Marketing, Sales, Finance, Operations, and other executive stakeholders.
- Demonstrated success with value-based selling, disciplined opportunity qualification, and consistent execution of a structured sales process.
- Builds predictable pipeline through rigorous sales methodology, strong qualification, and accurate forecasting.
- Excels in team selling, partnering effectively across internal functions to drive complex enterprise deals to close.
- Maintains a high level of activity, persistence, and urgency while demonstrating strong executive presence and disciplined business management.
Requirements:
- 10+ years of enterprise sales experience within a software (preferably SaaS) company, management consultancy (e.g., Deloitte, Accenture, KPMG), or related technology organization.
- Proven success selling into Fortune 500 enterprises, navigating complex organizations with multiple stakeholders across business functions.
- Strong technical aptitude, exceptional communication skills, intellectual curiosity, and keen attention to detail.
- Outstanding relationship-building skills with the ability to establish credibility and serve as a trusted advisor to executive buyers.
- Experience partnering with or selling to Sales and Marketing Operations teams is strongly preferred.
- Familiarity with modern Sales and Marketing technology stacks (CRM, RevOps, Marketing Automation, etc.) is preferred.
- Thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment, demonstrating adaptability, ownership, and comfort with ambiguity.
Skills Required
- 10+ years of enterprise sales experience within a software (preferably SaaS) company, management consultancy, or related technology organization.
- Proven track record of closing high seven- to eight-figure enterprise deals with C-suite executives.
- Proven success selling into Fortune 500 enterprises, navigating complex organizations with multiple stakeholders.
- Expertise in navigating complex customer buying journeys using CoMessage and CoBuyer methodologies.
- Skilled at selling cross-functionally, building consensus across Marketing, Sales, Finance, Operations, and other executive stakeholders.
- Demonstrated success with value-based selling, disciplined opportunity qualification, and consistent execution of a structured sales process.
- Builds predictable pipeline through rigorous sales methodology, strong qualification, and accurate forecasting.
- Excels in team selling, partnering effectively across internal functions to drive complex enterprise deals to close.
- Maintains a high level of activity, persistence, and urgency while demonstrating strong executive presence and disciplined business management.
- Strong technical aptitude, exceptional communication skills, intellectual curiosity, and keen attention to detail.
- Outstanding relationship-building skills with the ability to establish credibility and serve as a trusted advisor to executive buyers.
- Experience partnering with or selling to Sales and Marketing Operations teams.
- Familiarity with modern Sales and Marketing technology stacks (CRM, RevOps, Marketing Automation, etc.).
- Thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment, demonstrating adaptability, ownership, and comfort with ambiguity.
What We Do
People.ai delivers the industry’s leading ROI (Revenue Operations and Intelligence) platform. Using patented AI technology, it transforms business activity data into recommendations that increase the impact of Sales, Marketing, and Operations. Companies such as Zoom, New Relic and PTC rely on People.ai to increase marketing ROI and grow revenue. People.ai automatically captures and analyzes business activity data including email, contacts, and meetings from GTM teams, auto-populating CRM and systems of record. With People.ai's data platform, sales, marketing, and revenue operation teams gain unprecedented visibility into the health of their business with AI-generated insights that increase rep productivity, drive strategic coaching sessions, and deliver predictable growth quarter after quarter.
Why Work With Us
Taking care of our people enables us to serve our customers. We believe each of our customers’ problems has a data-driven solution. Through end-to-end ownership, we aim to find creative and ambitious solutions to those problems.
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