Life At Samsara

Calling All Sales Leaders: Grow Your Career & Make a Real-World Impact at Samsara

December 20, 2021

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By Amit Vyas and Clint Nelson

Last week, Samsara became a public company. Our IPO was an incredibly exciting milestone, but we’re just getting started on our mission to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy.

To meet the many opportunities Samsara has ahead, we’re looking to grow our sales teams fast. Instead of telling you why we think you should join Samsara, we asked our team to share why they’re here. Read on to hear directly from a few people across our sales teams on why they joined Samsara, what the culture is like, and the tremendous opportunities ahead.

Courtney McGowan Hamner, Regional Sales Director

Courtney McGowan Hamner, Regional Sales Director

Q: When did you join Samsara? How have you grown your career here?

I joined Samsara back in 2016. One thing that’s unique about Samsara is that there are always opportunities to grow. When we opened our European headquarters, I had the opportunity to move abroad as the Inside Sales Director for London. Since then, I’ve come back to the U.S. and have been covering enterprise for the last year and a half. My passion is building sales playbooks from scratch, and then scaling a repeatable model. It's been amazing to grow into that leadership role at Samsara.

Q: What about Samsara makes it a great place to grow your career?

A huge benefit of being in a hyper-growth company is that if you seize the opportunity, the arc of your career can match that of the company’s. At a hyper-growth company, there are always going to be lots of opportunities, so it's just about making sure that you're doing the right work and putting your hat in the ring for that next new challenge. Even though Samsara has had so much explosive growth, there's still a long way to go. In a lot of ways, this is just the beginning.

Q: What is the sales culture like at Samsara?

We have a highly collaborative group of people. Top performers share their best practices, and I think that's part of the reason why new reps can ramp up so quickly and why so many salespeople are successful long-term here. I always tell people, “This is going to be one of the best decisions you make professionally.” If you want to be a part of a company that is mission-driven, has an awesome sales culture, and is solving real world problems, Samsara is a great next step for your career. 

Joey Canale, Senior Account Executive

Joey Canale, Senior Account Executive

Q: What is the sales culture like at Samsara? 

There are a few unique factors here. One is really good tools and processes that set up reps for success. Another is really solid management. Samsara has promoted a lot of successful reps into manager positions, so managers really understand the core of what we’re doing. It’s a culture of high performance and high rewards. If you’re willing to put the work in, there’s a lot to be gained.

Q: What is the most rewarding part about working at Samsara?

The career growth I’ve experienced over the course of just three years has been incredibly rewarding. Just three years ago, I was doing channel marketing—and now I’m closing deals $100,000 and above. It’s pretty unique to work at a place that offers you the opportunities to grow your career so quickly and effectively. The goal for me is to see if I can run the gamut from ADR to enterprise AE, and I think there’s plenty of opportunity to do that at Samsara.

Taka Yamada, Major Account Executive

Taka Yamada, Major Account Executive

Q: When did you join Samsara? What compelled you about the company’s mission?

I joined in May of this year, 2021. One thing that really drives me—and I think drives a lot of sales professionals—is selling a platform that makes a real-world impact. For me, the potential that Samsara has to improve safety at such a large scale means you're actually making a difference in the world. Even before I joined, from everything I read and from talking to customers, I knew it was the real deal.

Q: What stood out to you about Samsara shortly after joining?

Firstly, what stood out to me is how great the product really is. For any sales professional looking to join a company, it can be difficult to tell what the product will be like before you join. But at Samsara, the platform is 100% the way it's been described—and the pace of innovation is incredible. Secondly, the people. I can't remember meeting someone at Samsara who didn't possess that vibrant energy and drive. Everyone is on the same mission and wants to help each other.

Setahrae Javanbakht, Inside Sales Manager

Setahrae Javanbakht, Inside Sales Manager

Q: When and why did you join Samsara? What made you confident in your decision?

I was really fortunate to work at Meraki (the company Sanjit and John founded before Samsara) right out of college. What stuck with me about my time there was the quality of the leadership team. I told myself that if Sanjit and John ever started another company, I would have to work there. I decided sales was the path for me, got some experience, and joined Samsara in March 2017.

Q: What is the sales culture like at Samsara?

People say “iron sharpens iron,” and that is definitely true at Samsara. We’re all about celebrating wins and learning from each other’s successes. And then of course, we like to have fun together! Whether it’s a team outing or a happy hour hosted by one of our employee resource groups (ERGs), there’s always something going on to connect with people and have fun.

Q: More than four years after joining, what still excites you about Samsara?

Joining Samsara was the best move I could have made for my career. I feel like I buckled my seatbelt on a rocketship headed straight to the stars. Plus, I know I’m selling a platform that is truly helping businesses improve their operations—from safety to efficiency to sustainability. We’re not just selling technology; we’re making a real impact on the world. We’re reducing fuel emissions, helping companies go carbon neutral, and even saving lives by reducing accidents. That’s amazing! It still gets me excited every day that we get to have that level of impact through our customers.

Alex McCall, Senior Account Executive & Team Lead

Alex McCall, Senior Account Executive & Team Lead

Q: What has made it possible for you to crush your goal so consistently at Samsara? 

It’s a very supportive team. Even when working remotely, it’s super energizing because it's competitive but not cutthroat. There is plenty of business for sales to keep closing at Samsara, and you’re really set up for success here. One thing I think is really unique is that if you give feedback, it will be heard. People genuinely care about your success. A lot of intention goes into every decision here, and the team is unparalleled in terms of grit and talent. 

Q: What are the biggest perks to working at Samsara?

Before joining, I saw that Samsara was ranked highly on LinkedIn’s Top Startups list. I’ve definitely felt like that rings true. The compensation package is very competitive here. And going back to the theme of intentional leadership—the time, thought, and input from employees that has informed the benefits package is nothing to overlook because it's really incredible. The health benefits are the best that I've ever had. Even more importantly, there are a ton of opportunities on the horizon as the company continues to grow.

Bobby Boyle, Major Account Executive

Bobby Boyle, Major Account Executive

Q: When and why did you join Samsara? What made you confident in your decision?

I joined Samsara in September 2017 as a mid-market AE and have since been promoted to a major AE. At my last job, I was making a high base salary but nobody was hitting their quota. I had heard about overachievement across the sales organization at Samsara, and during the interview process, I sensed that most reps were hitting their number—which is I think the exception, not the rule, in Silicon Valley. That was a big factor in why I felt confident joining.

Q: What has made it possible for you to crush your goal so consistently at Samsara?

I always tell people that Samsara is the land of opportunity. If you’re prepared to do something with that opportunity, you will succeed here. Four years after joining, I'm fortunate to work with some of the largest companies in the U.S. on projects that can transform their businesses. When I look around, a lot of the people I started with have moved up and are crushing their goals as well. Watching my peers grow and make the most of this unbelievable opportunity has been very rewarding.

Q: What excites you about selling Samsara?

Our products have a material impact on society. For example, every AI Dash Cam we sell has the potential to save someone's life on the road, and every Vehicle Gateway can help our customers lower their carbon emissions. I think of Samsara as this rocket ship doing amazing things for the world, and I'm helping propel it. By maximizing my impact at Samsara, I really do feel like I'm maximizing my positive impact on the planet. 

Danielle Boyce, Inside Sales Director

Danielle Boyce, Inside Sales Director

Q: What is the sales culture like at Samsara?

It's a performance-driven culture where delivering results leads to high rewards. For so many employees, Samsara has made it possible to fast-track achieving their goals—whether that’s moving up in their career, paying off debt, buying a house, or even starting a family. It’s rare to find a company where the path for your growth is laid out so clearly. On top of that, we have such a fun group of people that care about you inside and outside of work. It’s part of the culture to join an ERG, go for a wine tasting with coworkers, and celebrate life events—to have meaningful experiences beyond just your job.

Q: What is the biggest misconception about working in sales at Samsara?

From the outside looking in, it’s easy to see photos of trucks on our website and think this is a  male-dominated industry where men will be the most successful—but that’s not the case. We have many women who are leading their teams and on incredible career paths.

Q: What advice would you give to someone considering joining Samsara?

There’s a list of things most high-performing sales professionals ask themselves before taking a new job. For example, “How much money am I going to make? Am I going to hit my quota? Is this company going to develop me as a person? Is the product making a positive impact on the world?” Most companies can give you one or two of those things. Samsara really checks all the boxes.

Grow your career & make a lasting impact at Samsara

Samsara is hiring across the board. We’re looking for performance-driven sales professionals who want to have a meaningful, real-world impact. Interested in helping us transform the operations that power the global economy? Check out our open roles and apply today.

View open roles

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