Billy H.

Account Executive (AE)

Uber

Account ExecutiveOutbound HeavyTransactionalOn-site📍 San Francisco, CA
Deal Size: Revenue-share (15-30% commission per order)
Sales Cycle: 1-3 weeks
Posted by Billy H.

Overview

You run full-cycle sales to sign restaurants onto the Uber Eats platform across Northern California. You cold call to fill your pipeline, run discovery meetings, negotiate commission structures in person, and close deals. You're measured on how many restaurants you activate per month.


Role Snapshot

AspectDetails
Role TypeFull-cycle AE (source, qualify, close)
Sales MotionOutbound-heavy with some AR support
Deal ComplexityTransactional (short cycle, straightforward contracts)
Sales Cycle1-3 weeks from first call to activation
Deal SizeRevenue-share model (15-30% commission per order)
Quota (est.)15-25 new restaurant activations/month

Company Context

Stage: Public (NYSE: UBER)

Size: 148,677 employees globally

Growth: Uber Eats is in aggressive expansion mode competing with DoorDash for restaurant density in every market

Market Position: #2 player behind DoorDash, fighting to close the gap through restaurant acquisition and retention


GTM Reality

Pipeline Sources:

  • 30% AR-generated meetings - dedicated ARs set qualified meetings for you
  • 60% Self-sourced outbound - You still cold call and prospect to fill your pipeline
  • 10% Inbound/referrals - Some restaurants reach out or get referred by existing partners

SDR/AE Structure: Hybrid model - ARs feed you meetings but you're expected to self-source as well

SE Support: None - straightforward product demo, no technical selling


Competitive Landscape

Main Competitors: DoorDash (market leader), Grubhub, ChowNow, local delivery services, restaurants' own delivery infrastructure

How They Differentiate: Uber's massive consumer base (100M+ global users), dual platform with Uber rides, strong brand recognition, marketing promotions

Common Objections: "DoorDash already brings us enough orders", "30% commission kills our margins", "We tried delivery before and orders were too small", "We don't want to manage multiple tablets", "Your drivers are unreliable"

Win Themes: Incremental order volume, customer reach beyond DoorDash, cross-promotion with Uber rides, flexible commission tiers, marketing support during onboarding


What You'll Actually Do

Time Breakdown

Prospecting/Cold Calling (35%) | Active Deals (35%) | In-Person Meetings (20%) | Internal Admin (10%)

Key Activities

  • Cold calling restaurants: You make 50-70 cold calls per day to restaurants that ARs haven't covered or to re-engage old prospects. You're trying to book your own discovery meetings to supplement AR pipeline.
  • Running discovery calls: You walk restaurant owners through how Uber Eats works, commission structures, order volume projections, and the onboarding process. Many have questions about how it compares to DoorDash.
  • In-person negotiations: You drive around Northern California meeting restaurant owners face-to-face. This is where deals get closed - showing up in person to sign contracts and walk through tablet setup.
  • Overcoming commission objections: The 15-30% commission is the biggest sticking point. You negotiate based on restaurant type, order volume projections, and exclusivity arrangements. Some deals hinge on getting approval for lower rates.
  • Coordinating onboarding: Once signed, you hand off to ops teams for menu setup, tablet installation, and driver onboarding. You're accountable for getting restaurants live and processing orders.

The Honest Reality

What's Hard

  • Restaurant margins are thin. Convincing them to give up 15-30% per order is tough, especially when they're already on DoorDash.
  • You're competing for the same restaurants as DoorDash reps who are making the same pitch. It's a land grab.
  • Many restaurants tried delivery platforms during COVID and had bad experiences (low order values, driver issues, customer complaints). You're fighting skepticism.
  • In-person meetings require lots of driving. You'll spend hours in your car going between appointments across NorCal.
  • Deals can stall when you need approval for commission concessions. Internal processes slow things down.
  • Some restaurants sign up but never actually turn on the tablet or promote it. Your activation numbers depend on them following through.

What Success Looks Like

  • Activating 15-25 new restaurants per month
  • Maintaining a 20-30% close rate from discovery to signed contract
  • Getting restaurants live and processing orders within 2 weeks of signing
  • Building a sustainable pipeline through cold calling + AR meetings

Who You're Selling To

Primary Buyers:

  • Restaurant owners (independent restaurants, highest decision-making authority)
  • General managers (chain locations, often need corporate approval)
  • Operating partners (multi-location restaurant groups)

What They Care About:

  • Order volume projections - will this actually drive incremental revenue?
  • Commission economics - can they make money after giving up 15-30% per order?
  • Operational burden - how much work is this to manage? (tablet, menu updates, driver coordination)
  • Brand control - how are their items presented? What if orders go wrong?
  • Competitive dynamics - if they're already on DoorDash, why add another platform?

Requirements

  • 1+ years of full-cycle sales experience (ideally B2B or transactional sales)
  • Comfortable with high-volume prospecting and cold calling
  • Willingness to drive around Northern California for in-person meetings
  • Ability to negotiate and handle commission objections
  • Quota-driven mentality with hunger to exceed targets
  • SF Bay Area based (this is an in-person, field sales role)