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How to Evaluate a SaaS Sales Offer (Beyond Base & OTE)

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Why This Guide Exists

A flashy OTE means nothing if the ramp is unrealistic, quota is broken, or support is missing. Before you accept any offer, here’s how to dig deeper and make sure it’s the right fit.


Key Elements to Evaluate


1) Ramp Plan

  • How long is your official ramp? 30 days? 90?

  • Is quota adjusted during ramp? (It should be.)

  • Do you receive any guarantee commission during ramp?

  • What does success look like in months 1-3?


Red Flag: Full quota by month two with no real training or warm pipeline unless it is a very transactional, SMB sale.


2) Quota Realism

  • What percent of reps are hitting quota today?

  • Is quota based on historic performance or what leadership wants?

  • Are there inbound leads or SDRs to help build your pipeline?

  • How long is the average deal cycle vs. quota period?


Green Flag: 60 to 70 percent of reps hitting goal. That shows the bar is high but achievable.


For Early Stage Startups: Quota realism may be harder to gauge if there is little or no historical performance data. In those cases, it comes down to your confidence in the founders and sales leadership to set expectations, provide enablement, and iterate quickly based on early rep performance. Ask about how they plan to support new reps and adjust targets as they learn.


3) Comp Plan Mechanics

  • Are there accelerators, caps, or clawbacks?

  • How are multi year or upsell deals paid out?

  • What percent of OTE is tied to net new vs. expansion?


4) Equity Terms

  • What is the strike price and valuation?

  • What is the vesting schedule? (Standard: 4 years with 1 year cliff)

  • Any recent 409A valuation? (Gives a sense of fairness on equity)


Green Flag: Transparency around ownership percent, cap table stage, and expectations for liquidity.


5) Support Systems

The right infrastructure can be the difference between consistently hitting quota and burning out. Dig into what kind of sales enablement and team support actually exists, not just what is on the job description.


Key Questions to Ask:

  • Will I have support from SDRs, RevOps, or marketing?

  • What tools are in place, Salesforce, Outreach, Gong, etc.?

  • Is there a formal onboarding process or sales playbook?

  • Are sales enablement resources up to date and actually used?


Red Flag: You are expected to build pipeline, pitch, close, and onboard customers completely solo with no support systems in place.


Important Context for Early Stage Roles: This kind of setup may be expected at early stage startups, especially if you are joining as a founding AE or founding sales leader. If that is the case, make sure expectations are clear:

  • Will you help build the process from scratch?

  • Is there budget to hire or bring in tools soon?

  • How involved will leadership be in supporting GTM motion?


Bottom line: It is okay to wear multiple hats. Just make sure you are aligned on how many you will be wearing, and for how long.


Final Offer Evaluation Checklist

  • Is quota achievable based on rep performance data?

  • Does the comp plan reward effort, not just territory?

  • Is ramp structured with real support?

  • Is equity meaningful and explained clearly?

  • Will I have the tools and people I need to succeed?


About ClosedWon Talent

ClosedWon Talent is a specialized sales recruiting firm that helps growth focused companies hire top GTM talent. We partner with founders, revenue leaders, and investors to build high performing sales teams across SaaS and beyond.


What sets us apart is the ClosedWon Method, a proven recruiting framework built on speed, precision, and transparency. We combine deep industry expertise with a curated candidate network to deliver shortlists of qualified, motivated sales professionals...fast. Our team does not just fill roles, we act as embedded partners who understand how to assess selling style, territory experience, and growth potential based on each clients' specific needs.

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