A week in the life of an Account Executive

Meet one of TheyDo's Account Executives, Alexander Shafiq, and learn about what he does in a typical week.

Welcome to another edition of 'A week in the life,' where we take you inside the professional lives of our incredible team members. In this interview, we introduce Alexander Shafiq, a former hotelier and restauranteur who fostered his entrepreneurial dreams in France before joining the TheyDo team. He now puts his passion and business experience to work as an account executive, expounding the joys of Journey Management. Here’s his story:

What were you doing before you joined TheyDo? 

I had about 16 years of experience in enterprise sales before taking the plunge, moving to France, and buying a hotel and restaurant, which I ran successfully for five years. Given my varied experience, I was searching for the next big challenge—and it had to be a startup with a remote-first setup.

Why TheyDo? 

After researching many startups, I was really drawn to TheyDo. At the time, the company had just secured Series A funding of €12 million and had many Fortune 500 logos. I was really impressed! I had no experience with Journey Management, but I could immediately see the value and business impact of a product that could be adopted by any industry sector globally.

After more research, I saw that the potential market share by 2032 was about $48.5 billion globally, and of course, I was extremely excited to learn more. I could see that our co-founders were building something really special—not only an exceptional product but also a highly talented team with a brilliant culture underpinned by values I, too, wanted to live and work by—a cloaks-off policy that promotes trust, honesty, and transparency. So, all these elements were key to my decision to join TheyDo.

What do you do in a typical week as an Account Executive?

The role of an AE is extremely fast-paced. No week is the same. Sometimes, I might have ten calls booked, and in other weeks, there might be thirty, all at different stages of the sales cycle. And since we are rapidly and continuously innovating our product in a new category, I’m constantly adapting and changing my talk track.

I work very closely with our amazing SDR team. We meet weekly, so we are very focused on our goals for the coming week. Our prospects typically bring several personas with different levels of seniority to a call, so we often do discovery calls together. This AE and SDR collaboration plays a big part in our numbers.  

What are your key rituals? 

Forecasting for the month and quarter are key rituals that I focus on multiple times a week to ensure I’m on track as deals move forward. Using tools such as Salesforce, Gong, and Sales Navigator—and having those fully integrated—really makes my week a lot easier. I save a huge amount of time on admin tasks.

What other tools do you use? 

One of our key tools for collaboration is Gather, our virtual office. Our sales teams are distributed across Europe and North America, but even though we’re in a remote setup, I have never felt isolated from any of my colleagues. Gather really enables us to foster great relationships. It’s a fun game-like setup that brings us closer together, which has been integral to us moving fast as we scale. It also really helps when onboarding new hires because it makes it very easy to get up and running. Our weekly all-hands are also done via Gather, so it’s also a big part of our company culture.

What impact does remote/flexible work have on your life?

Being a fully remote employee, I have the flexibility to manage my own schedule, which really helps with work-life balance. I have a family with two kids, so if I need to do the school run or anything else,  I have full autonomy to deal with everyday life.

TheyDo truly believes in fostering great relationships, and our People team is building an exceptional culture. We have company-wide retreats twice a year, which are really important to our growth. Every single one has been a fantastic event with a great agenda and lots of opportunities to get to know everyone in person. We also have team meet-ups twice a year.

What is it like being TheyDo’s longest-reigning Account Executive? 

As one of the early AEs at TheyDo, I’ve had the fantastic opportunity to work with clients and prospects across the US and EMEA. Representing TheyDo at events like the Forrester CX Summit in Nashville in 2023 and, most recently, in London was an absolute blast. These experiences have given me a front-row seat to many innovative projects and allowed me to collaborate with clients and colleagues around the globe.

Since coming on board, I’ve landed many large enterprises across various sectors, from a Fortune 500 American multinational automobile manufacturer to a Fortune 500 aviation group. One of the biggest highlights was landing the largest net new deal right before Christmas weekend! Knowing that my work directly contributes to the company’s success is highly motivating and drives me to continuously raise the bar.

What do you enjoy most about being an Account Executive? 

The discovery phase is particularly exciting for me. Every client has its unique set of challenges, and uncovering the true power of Journey Management to deliver those "aha" moments is very rewarding. I love being a trusted advisor and an extension of our clients’ teams, genuinely solving complex problems together.

What do you enjoy most about working at TheyDo? 

The evolving challenges I face daily make each day unique, pushing me to adapt and excel. Sometimes, we need things done, like yesterday, and I appreciate that my fellow TheyDoers go above and beyond to get it done.

Journey Management is a new category, and we are innovating rapidly as the global market leader. This year, we raised another $34 million, which is a testament to the incredible work we TheyDoers are delivering. We are bringing Journey Management to the masses, led by our three amazing co-founders and highly talented teams. I’m extremely proud of what we have achieved so far and of the trust and responsibility entrusted to me by TheyDo. 

We have a brilliant, positive, inclusive culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance and a supportive work environment. All of this has fueled my passion and commitment to the company.

What advice would you give to someone considering or interviewing for a Sales role at TheyDo? 

You have an incredible opportunity to build something special. You are already a leader in the space, and we are only getting started. Do you want the opportunity to have access to an addressable global market share of $48.5 billion by 2032? Do your research. We have a wealth of content on our website that can really help you. I would recommend you start there. Understand the product, set up a free account, and let AI create a beautiful workspace for you to discover the power of TheyDo. 

Reach out to us and subscribe to our TheyDo Academy for online tutorials, and join our up-and-coming webinars. TheyDo is a powerful solution, to master the art of selling Journey Management, emphasize your ability to adapt, and continuously being able to reflect and craft your pitch and skills. 

Willingness to learn and being coachable are critical to succeeding. Finally, demonstrate your passion. Why TheyDo? Why you? What impact can you bring to the company?