Inside ElevenLabs' $330M Sales Machine: How AI Companies Sell
ElevenLabs hit $330 million ARR in three years. That's remarkable growth. The sales playbook behind it reveals something important about how AI companies build revenue.
The Reina Playbook
Carles Reina built the ElevenLabs revenue organization from scratch. The approach differs from traditional enterprise sales:
Aggressive quotas. Quota equals 20 times base compensation. This creates extreme accountability.
Immediate impact required. New hires need their first contract within two weeks. No long ramp-up periods.
Outbound focus. Rather than waiting for leads, the team actively hunts business.
This approach isn't for everyone. But it produces results.
The Land and Expand Motion
ElevenLabs succeeds with land-and-expand:
Land quickly. Get initial value quickly with focused use cases.
Expand systematically. Grow accounts through usage expansion and new use cases.
This requires product quality that supports expansion. Customers who see value buy more.
Field Selling Matters
The insight: AI-native doesn't mean product-led-only.
ElevenLabs combines PLG with heavy field selling:
- Direct sales engagement
- In-person relationship building
- Customized solutions for big accounts
The hybrid approach adapts to enterprise buying patterns.
Pipeline Discipline
Growing fast requires rigorous pipeline management:
Public pipeline reviews. Everyone sees the numbers. Accountability is visible.
Conservative forecasting. Numbers are real, not wishful.
Onboarding speed. New reps get productive fast through intensive training.
This discipline prevents the growth-at-all-costs trap that catches many startups.
What This Means for AI Companies
The ElevenLabs model shows what's possible:
AI companies can grow extremely fast with the right sales approach. But it requires:
- Product that delivers immediate value
- Sales culture that accepts high pressure
- Systems that support rapid scaling
Not every AI company needs this approach. But those chasing rapid growth can learn from it.
The Takeaway
The sales machine behind ElevenLabs represents a new model for AI companies.
Traditional enterprise sales moves slowly. This approach moves fast. The difference determines which companies capture market share quickly—and which fall behind.
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