How To Land A Sales Job At KnowBe4

Working in sales at KnowBe4 is a coveted position. Not only for its uncapped commissions and generous company-wide bonuses but also for its personal and career development growth opportunities. Have you ever wondered what it takes to work in sales at KnowBe4? In today’s post, we’re sharing top tips from our recruitment team and leadership to help guide you in your sales career journey!

Identify If You're Coachable

Our Expansion team works hard to find the perfect culture fit when searching for new sales talent. Val, Team Expansion Specialist, says, “I’m looking for someone that enjoys constructive feedback since we roleplay and drill constantly. I don’t want someone who comes off like a stereotypical cars salesman.” 

Christian, SVP SMB Sales, also says coachability is important when applying for a sales role. "You must be willing to apply the coaching you receive with no pride or ego slowing you down. Many salespeople will focus on what they did in the past and what results generated for them. I always encourage people to focus on what they are doing now and what they are willing to do in the future to regain those past successes. Keep an open mind to coaching but also realize that it takes time to perfect something.”

Strive For Continuous Growth

KnowBe4 encourages employees to spend an hour of their day learning a new skill. We even provide bonuses for anyone who would like to get industry certifications related to their position and we will cover all of the costs associated with the certification. KnowBe4 offers sales reps the tools and support to help them advance their careers and continue to grow, both personally and professionally, but work ethic is a must! We develop our employees internally through management skills courses. Val says she looks for someone who has a passion for continued growth and education. She says, “our sales reps are constantly improving themselves and that's why they stay successful!”

Christian says, “Constant effort is required to be successful in sales and this effort creates growth. Being able to push through the tougher days and remain focused on your mission will allow you the chance to impact those potential clients that really need what you are offering.” 

Good work ethic certainly pays off at KnowBe4. Our sales reps earn base pay with uncapped commissions, plus generous company-wide monthly bonuses. Last year, over 60% of our SMB reps made over $100,000 before bonuses. In fact, our top SMB rep made over $160,000, and our top enterprise rep made over $500,000. On-target earnings for SMB sales reps in their first year is $85,000 - $100,000, though many of our brand new sales reps outperform this and earn much more.

Be Persistent, Determined, and Practice Extreme Ownership

When applying for a sales role at KnowBe4, persistence and determination are key. "Can you make 40 to 50 calls a day, hear 'no' repeatedly, and still stay motivated to keep dialing? Soft skills are the things you can't teach people and it's what we look for outside of just experience. Our training is amazing and we can teach almost anyone to sell but need those soft skills to be a unicorn.", says Val. 

To help reps exceed their on-target earnings as much as possible, leadership motivates employees with games and rewards to incentivize reps to outperform. During the Jedi Master game, sales reps who perform well in this game move up the tiers of Jedi rankings and earn colored lightsabers to mark their ranking. The highest performers every month can also earn special championship sales belts like WWE championships belts; this creates a fun comradery among sales employees.

Another practice that is fundamental within the KnowBe4 culture is Extreme Ownership; taking responsibility not just for tasks that you directly control, but for all those that affect whether or not your mission, or project, is successful. Christian says, "When salespeople start looking for other variables to blame for missing a target or losing a sale, they become a victim of circumstances.  This can be a death sentence for a salesperson as loss of control leads to loss of confidence. By executing Extreme Ownership in every situation, you remain in the driver’s seat of your own destiny!"

Whether you're looking to work in a sales role, or a student applying for our Sales Career Accelerator Program, we hope you find these tips useful. Christian says, "Being successful in sales has created so much value in my life. I feel the impact of my efforts daily not only from the clients we help to support but also from the team I work with and the careers I have seen each and every one of my team create for themselves here at KnowBe4. If this journey sounds like something you are excited to start...come join our team where we will invest in your growth and success each and every day!"