How This Newly Promoted AE Became #1 Rep in the US at Xero in Under 12 Months

What if I told you that a newly promoted account executive went from "winging it" to becoming the #1 AE in the entire United States at his company in less than 12 months?

You'd probably think I was exaggerating.

But that's exactly what happened to Matt Tavera at Xero.

When Matt first got promoted from SDR to AE, he knew his old systems weren't going to cut it anymore. He was essentially flying by the seat of his pants, hoping things would work out.

The problem? Most newly promoted AEs fall into this exact trap.

They coast on past success, thinking the same tactics that got them promoted will carry them through the AE role. But here's the reality: being a TOP AE requires completely different skills.

Matt recognized this immediately.

"I knew that I couldn't just rest on my basic systems I had before," he told me. "I knew it was time to level up."

But like most sales professionals, Matt had concerns about investing in coaching.

"A lot of it was price up front. I know that it was a big investment," he admitted. 

"And of course, there was some sort of ROI question."

Here's what separated Matt from the reps who stay stuck: He focused on the cost of NOT investing in himself.

What would it cost him to continue "winging it" for another year? What opportunities would he miss? How much commission would he leave on the table?

When you frame the investment this way, the math becomes clear.

Fast forward one year later, and Matt is the top-performing AE in the US for his company.

Here's his exact timeline:

Month 1-2: Started seeing tangible results almost immediately

Month 6: Had earned back his entire coaching investment

Month 12: Became #1 AE in the entire United States at Xero

But here's what I found most impressive about Matt...

Even though he's now the #1 rep out of hundreds of AEs, he still considers himself a "beginner" and stays incredibly humble.

"I still feel like such a beginner and like newbie in this thing," he says. "It's not about having more techniques and more things. It's about just going deeper."

This mindset (always looking to improve, always staying coachable) is exactly what separates the top 1% from everyone else.

What Matt discovered wasn't a collection of fancy sales tricks or manipulative closing techniques.

Instead, he found something much more valuable: A systematic approach to selling.

"I love that you're very systems focused," Matt explained. "Everything falls into a structure."

This systematic approach meant that instead of hoping each call would go well, Matt had frameworks for every situation:

• Structured discovery processes that uncover real pain

• Objection handling frameworks that address concerns systematically

• Follow-up sequences that keep deals moving forward

• Pipeline management systems that prevent deals from stalling

The beauty of having systems is that they work even when you're not at your best.

"Even now, with some shifts at work and personal stuff going on," Matt shared, "I can fall back on those systems and know where I've fallen off."

While the sales results were impressive, the real transformation went much deeper.

Matt developed the self-awareness to diagnose his own performance.

"Even on my lower days where mindset might be a little bit low, or I'm not getting all the deals that I want to get, I can still fall back on: Is it my prospecting? Is it how I'm doing objection handling?"

This self-diagnostic ability is what turns good reps into great reps. Instead of getting frustrated when things don't go well, Matt knows exactly where to look to fix the problem.

What Matt Would Tell You

If you're on the fence about investing in yourself, here's what Matt wants you to know:

"There's nothing better that you can do than investing in yourself. Finding somebody that makes sense for you and committing to get better."

He also emphasized the importance of commitment:

"This is a commitment to yourself. Even now I'm just like, yep, I'm in it. Like I'm here to get better no matter what. Make that promise to yourself to do better. And you will for sure do better if you commit to it."

Here’s the bottom line…

Matt's transformation from newly promoted AE to #1 rep in America didn't happen by accident.

It happened because he made a decision to invest in himself and commit to the process.

The question isn't whether you can achieve similar results.

The question is whether you're willing to make the same commitment to yourself that Matt made.

Because as Matt puts it: "It was one of the best things I've ever done for myself professionally."

And that was just the beginning.