Overview
You're selling marketplace services to buyers and sellers of heavy equipment—fire trucks, government fleet vehicles, industrial gear. Think eBay or Bring a Trailer, but for municipalities and industrial operators. You're dealing with government procurement processes on one side and equipment dealers/sellers on the other. This is a YC company that 10x'd revenue last year and just raised a Series A, so things are moving fast. They can take you from first interview to offer in 10 days if you're a fit.
Role Snapshot
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Role Type | Full-cycle AE |
| Sales Motion | Outbound-heavy (government/municipal sales don't come inbound) |
| Deal Complexity | Consultative to Enterprise (government procurement is slow) |
| Sales Cycle | 2-6 months (varies by buyer type—dealers faster, government slower) |
| Deal Size | $15-50K annual marketplace fees (estimate based on OTE) |
| Quota (est.) |
Company Context
Stage: Series A (closed last year)
Size: Likely 20-50 employees based on stage and growth
Growth: 10x'd revenue last year—aggressive expansion mode
Market Position: Modernizing a fragmented, offline market. They're the tech disruptor in an industry that still uses phone calls and in-person auctions.
GTM Reality
Pipeline Sources:
- 80%+ Outbound - you're cold calling fire chiefs, fleet managers, municipal procurement offices, and equipment dealers
- 10-15% Referrals - word of mouth in tight-knit communities (fire service, government fleet)
- 5-10% Inbound - some SEO/content from people searching "sell fire truck" or "buy used fleet vehicles"
SDR/AE Structure: Likely self-sourcing at Series A stage
SE Support: No SE support—you're explaining the marketplace yourself
Competitive Landscape
Main Competitors: Traditional auction houses (Ritchie Bros for industrial), classified sites (TruckPaper, EquipmentTrader), OEMs with trade-in programs, local dealers
How They Differentiate: Digital marketplace vs. in-person auctions, transparency on pricing, nationwide reach vs. local dealers, faster transactions
Common Objections: "We've always done it this way", "Our guy at [local dealer] takes care of us", "Government procurement requires specific processes", "What's your fee structure vs. auction house?"
Win Themes: Convenience, transparent pricing, larger buyer/seller network, faster time-to-sale, digital paper trail for government compliance
What You'll Actually Do
Time Breakdown
Prospecting (40%) | Active Deals (35%) | Internal/Admin (25%)
Key Activities
- Cold Outreach to Sellers: You're calling fire departments, municipal fleet managers, and equipment dealers. You're pitching them on listing their surplus trucks/equipment on your marketplace instead of local auctions or trade-ins. Lots of gatekeepers. Many don't call back.
- Cold Outreach to Buyers: You're also building the buyer side—equipment dealers, fire departments looking to upgrade, industrial operators. Two-sided marketplace means you're always balancing supply and demand.
- Navigating Government Procurement: If you're selling to municipalities, you're dealing with RFPs, budget cycles, committee approvals, and slow-moving processes. Deals take 3-6 months and often slip.
- Deal Management: You're shepherding sellers through listing their equipment, negotiating fees, handling buyer questions, coordinating inspections/logistics. Lots of hand-holding because this is new for them.
The Honest Reality
What's Hard
- Government sales are slow. Budget approval processes, committee meetings, risk-averse buyers who need to justify why they're trying something new instead of the vendor they've used for 20 years.
- Two-sided marketplace means you're always chasing both sides. You close a seller, but if there are no buyers, the listing sits. You have buyers, but need sellers to list inventory.
- This industry is old-school. You're calling people who don't live in their inbox, prefer phone calls, and are skeptical of "tech" solutions. Expect low email response rates.
- Quota pressure at $236K OTE means you need to close consistently in a market where deals move slowly.
What Success Looks Like
- You're closing 8-12 deals per quarter (mix of buyers and sellers signing up)
- You've built a network in your territory—fire chiefs refer you to other departments, dealers trust your marketplace
- You hit 80-100% of quota, which likely means $150-200K in actual earnings
- You're comfortable on the phone and don't get discouraged by low response rates
Who You're Selling To
Primary Buyers:
- Fire Chiefs / Fire Department Administrators (selling surplus apparatus)
- Municipal Fleet Managers (city/county vehicle fleets)
- Equipment Dealers (buyers and sellers)
- Industrial Operators (construction, mining, logistics companies)
What They Care About:
- Sellers: Can you get me a better price than my local dealer or auction? How fast can I sell? What's your fee?
- Buyers: What's the quality of equipment? Can I inspect before buying? Is pricing competitive vs. auction/dealer?
- Government: Does this comply with procurement rules? Do we need RFP? What's the risk if we try something new?
Requirements
- 3+ years of full-cycle closing experience at a venture-backed startup
- Comfortable with outbound-heavy sales (cold calling, persistence)
- BONUS: Experience selling to fire departments, municipalities, or government buyers
- BONUS: Based in Midwest, South, West Coast, or Southeast (likely territory focus)
- Ability to navigate slow, bureaucratic sales processes without losing deals
- Comfortable in a "blue-collar" industry—this isn't SaaS to tech companies