Account Executive as a Career
Description of the Job
Account executives work in a sales role, helping to maintain or extend existing accounts (customers) and develop new accounts. In many organizations, account executives work with sales representatives, account managers, etc. and offer higher-level leadership. Depending upon the industry an account executive may progress into enterprise account management, regional or national account management, etc.
Fast Facts
- Number of hours per week40-50 hours
- Average starting pay$59k Nationally, $76k in the Bay Area
- Amount of travel requiredMay be required, depends on project or company
Roles & Responsibilities
- Manage the entire sales cycle from finding a client to securing a deal
- Present and demonstrating the value of products/services to prospective clients
- Developing sales strategies and setting quotas
- Communicating with clients and gathering information about a project’s scope, budgets and timelines
- Negotiate agreements and keep records of sales and data
Skills Needed
- Negotiation Skills: Account executives work to build contractual relationships, so negotiation skills are vital
- Technology Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CRM software, with aptitude to learn other systems
- Communication Skills: Strong communication skills are a must to develop client relationships within this role.
- Industry Knowledge: It is important to have a good understanding of the industry that you are an executive within as well as staying on top of relevant industry trends and current events
- Organizational Skills: Being able to successfully manage many different accounts requires excellent organizational skills.
Steps to Enter The Field
- A bachelor’s degree is required for a career as an Account Executive. Some common majors for this career include business administration, marketing, communications, or a related field.
- Any prior experience working in sales or marketing can help one enter this field.
- In addition to sales experience, management or leadership experience can prepare one for the management aspect of a career as an account executive.
- Customer service skills are paramount to this field so developing such skills can improve one’s chances of becoming an account executive
Landscape of the Field & Companies in the Field
- Almost any company that sells a product/service has account executives within its sales or marketing department
- Tech companies especially have a lot of Account Executives who meet with customers to demonstrate the product, discuss pricing, and other actions related to closing the sale
- Top Companies Hiring Account Executives: This list shows the variety of companies that hire account executives. Change the location in the search bar to see the top companies in your area!
External Resources to Learn More & Develop Skills
- edX’s Course on Account Management: This course from edX focuses on developing the skills needed for an account manager/executive position
- Richardson’s Account Management Training: An extensive online program focuses towards the sales aspect of the role of an Account Executive.
- Rain Group - Strategic Account Management Blog: This hyperlink showcases recent blog posts from the Rain Group centered on account management concepts.
Related Careers
- Sales Representative, Business Development, Sales Consultant, Marketing Development Representative, Marketing Consultant
Informational Interviews
Rachel Jepsen
Company Name: Vivun
Title: Enterprise Account Executive
Years of Experience: 3
Biography
Rachel Jepsen is an Enterprise Account Executive at Vivun. She graduated from Santa Clara University in 2018 with a Major in Marketing (Business and Tech Emphasis) and Minors in International Business and Classical Studies. After college, she joined AppDirect as a Sales Development Representative, then was promoted to an Account Executive. She joined Vivun in April 2021.
Overview
Steps to Enter Field
Challenges & Favorite Parts
Advice
Sergio Sicre
Company Name: Sisense
Title: Account Executive
Years of Experience: 5
Biography
Sergio Sicre is an Account Executive at Sisense. He graduated from Santa Clara University in 2016 with a Major in Marketing and a Minor in Entrepreneurship. Sergio worked as an Account Manager at Joyride Coffee Distributors and as a Regional Sales Manager at Sage Analytics before joining Sisense in 2019.