I Spent an Hour with a Salesforce AE Who Closed $100M in Sales – Here’s What I Learned

Breaking into the world of enterprise sales is like entering a high-stakes poker game where the stakes are enormous, and the competition is fierce. Ian Koniak , a master of enterprise sales with a staggering $100M in sales at Salesforce, has cracked the code. Here’s what he has to say about how you can transform your sales game and start closing those elusive eight-figure deals.

The Power of Executive-Level Targeting

One of the biggest takeaways from Koniak’s approach is the critical importance of getting to the executive level in your sales process. When you don’t target an executive-level decision-maker in an enterprise deal, your win rate drops by a staggering 230%. Why? Because these are the people who have the authority, the vision, and the appetite for transformational change within their organizations.

But how do you get in front of these high-powered individuals, especially CEOs of Fortune 500 companies? Koniak emphasizes that deep, personalized research is key. It’s not about blasting out emails or making cold calls without a plan. It’s about understanding their business inside out before you even think about making contact. This often means spending weeks dissecting their 10Ks, understanding their risks, their goals, and the pressure points in their organizations.

Quality Over Quantity: The Path to Winning Big Deals

Many sales reps fall into the trap of focusing on volume, thinking that more activity will lead to more results. Koniak disagrees. For him, it’s about spending more time on fewer, high-quality opportunities. This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s this deep focus that allows you to tailor your pitch to resonate at the highest levels of an organization.

Take the example of an eight-figure deal that Koniak closed. Before even getting a signature, his team invested $250K and five months of work. Why? Because they knew that trust, partnership, and understanding the true needs of the business were the keys to winning. And win they did.

Building Trust and Long-Term Partnerships

Enterprise sales aren’t just about closing a deal; they’re about building long-term relationships. Executives are looking for partners they can trust, not just vendors. They want to know that you’re there for the long haul and that you’ll always do the right thing, even if it means walking away from a deal. Koniak’s approach to sales is rooted in integrity and a genuine desire to help his clients succeed, which in turn, builds a strong foundation for future business.

The Importance of a Unique Point of View

Koniak also stresses the importance of developing a unique point of view (POV) before you even step into the room with an executive. This POV should be based on a deep understanding of their business and should clearly articulate why they need to make a change, why now is the time, and why you are the right partner to help them.

Without this, you’re just another salesperson trying to sell a product. With it, you become a trusted advisor, someone who can help them navigate the complexities of their business and achieve their most critical goals.

Metrics and Routines: The Backbone of Success

Success in enterprise sales isn’t just about talent; it’s about discipline. Koniak tracks his performance rigorously, asking himself weekly, “What am I working on this week?” He also dedicates at least two hours every day to prospecting, mapping out the executive landscape, and creating personalized outreach strategies.

For Koniak, the magic number for outreach is ten. Ten touches across three different channels, whether it’s LinkedIn, email, or phone. Each interaction isn’t just a checkmark on a to-do list but an opportunity to provide value and reinforce his unique point of view.

The Role of Trust in Driving Transformation

At the end of the day, Koniak’s success in enterprise sales boils down to one thing: trust. Executives need to trust that you are the person who can drive the transformation they’re looking for. This trust is built through every interaction, every piece of research, and every commitment to doing the right thing, even when it’s not easy.

In the world of enterprise sales, where deals can take months or even years to close, and the stakes are incredibly high, these lessons from Ian Koniak aren’t just valuable—they’re essential. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to elevate your game, the principles of executive-level targeting, deep research, long-term relationship building, and a unique point of view will set you apart and help you win those game-changing deals.