An Account Executive is a member of a SaaS B2B sales team who is focused on closing deals. AEs rely heavily on a team consisting of qualified leads to fill their pipeline. Depending on the target company's size, AEs might be responsible for the entire sale cycle. This means that AEs can handle the entire deal, from the initial contact point to the closing.

What Is an Account Executive?

A Day in the Life of an Account Executive

A Typical Day for an AE at a SaaS Company

Is It Really Worth the Effort?

Leveraging Autonomy and Teamwork

What Makes You A Good Fit for an AE Position?

Next Steps: What Comes After Being an AE?

An AE's main goal is to generate direct revenue for the company. They must build relationships with prospects to convince them that the company's product solves the problem they are trying to solve.

An AE's job is to match the prospect's requirements to the company's SaaS solution in a B2B SaaS environment. AEs try to understand prospects' unique challenges and talk to them about the product so that they can make an informed purchase decision.

An AE's salary can be anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000 annually with commissions. It will vary from company to company. Some AEs may even earn more than $300,000.

While most people understand that sales is selling products or services to potential customers, there are many more aspects to the concept. Six surprising truths I learned from years of working in client-facing sales roles have been distilled into this article. It's my hope that it will reveal a more realistic and authentic view of SaaS (Software as a Service).

1. Good Account Executives willingly say “no” to deals all the time.

Strategic sales is consultative. This means that customers' business needs are key when deciding whether they need specific software.

Account Executives (AEs) need to be more concerned about long-term relationships than just hitting quota with every prospect who comes along.

Numerous people have stumbled upon my software, which was recommended by Google. It borrows from Google’s intuitive UI (user interface) for non-techies. Sometimes they forget that they are looking for something completely different and have very different needs than what I can offer.

To avoid making them a customer, it is in my best interest as well as the prospect's. They may end up needing a different product to solve a different problem. Sales is about building mutually beneficial business relationships. This goes beyond the moment of sale. It extends to years later.

2. The best AEs (or just salespeople in general) listen more than they talk.

It's common for B2B velocity sales professionals to see 5-7 demos per day. Let's quickly explain velocity sales if you don't know what it is.

Velocity sales is the time it takes to close a sale. It's usually between two and three weeks. SaaS sales cycles can take anywhere from several months to more than a year depending on factors such as complexity of technology or the number of decision-makers involved in a client's procurement process. I often guide over 30 prospects through a software evaluation every week. Needless to say, I get so many calls that my voice gets hoarse.

Software sales include a discovery phase, before the solution is presented via screen share demo. The discovery phase is about learning about the prospect's company, their processes, and any business goals. It's important to continue the conversation and ask questions to the prospect during the presenting phase. This will ensure that the demo is relevant to their needs.

The recommended talk-to listen ratio for discovery calls is 46:54. This is almost 50/50, and you're not selling anything at this point. Listening and asking questions are your main focus. On the other hand, 65:35 is the ideal talk-to-listen ratio during a demo. Make sure to adjust for this.

3. A deal doesn’t close in a single moment, but rather through a series of “mini-closes” in succession.

It's not a good idea to go into a decision without knowing if it will close. But how are you supposed to know?

A series of mini-closes occur during the presentation phase of a sale. To achieve the mini-close, I will ask at least one open-ended question after demonstrating one core feature of this tool. Here are some examples: a. "How does it compare to your current method?"; b. "In what situations could you envision yourself using this feature?" c. "How can your team benefit from this tool?"

These questions encourage dialogue and engagement. You also force the prospect to give constant feedback about which aspects of the tool they like. Prospects are asked to imagine the tool at work.

These questions will allow you to build a mental picture of how prospects perceive the software. This gives you a better understanding of how prospects perceive the software. It also allows you to make an educated prediction about the likelihood of this deal closing.

4. If a demo feels too easy, it’s probably not going to close.

Let's suppose you ask open-ended questions and get short or unintelligible answers. So, you ask, "So, how does it compare to what I'm using right now?" And all you get back is "Looks great!" You can also ask "What do you need to know before you sign off on the software?" and get "I'll see it when I see."

There aren't any major concerns or combative questions being posed to you.

Here's the deal: If someone is serious about spending thousands on a piece of software, they will ask questions.

They will make their doubts known before they sign on the dotted lines. These are buying signals, ironically. You may not have a serious buyer if your demo is met with "Looks great!" or "Cool!" intermittently.

5. Tech sales is still a male-dominated industry. 

This one is likely to be surprising, given the number of innovative startups that promote diversity and inclusion throughout the country.

Bottom line, 25% of tech salespeople are women, and less than half of those are in sales management. Betts Recruiting is a great place to start your search for the top sales jobs, both entry-level and more advanced.

Events for women in tech have provided me with inspiring experiences. These include a fireside chat hosted by Emily Chang (author of Brotopia) and a PowertoFly event featuring women leaders at Slack's SF Headquarters. These types of events are something I usually hear about at work, or on LinkedIn. But if you are a woman in tech, I strongly recommend that you find one!

6. Being an Account Executive is like exposure therapy to rejection.

Your opportunity-to-win rate, which measures how many opportunities lead to sales, will determine how many rejections you receive. There are many other reasons I get rejected. Even if they have a sales team, most AEs prospect on their own. We are constantly calling and emailing contacts to help us set up appointments. Often, the reply is "No, thank you."

After many years of being told "no" repeatedly, I have come to the unexpected conclusion that rejection is less painful now.

More than that, I learned that the more I give out to the universe, in sales and in my personal life in general, the greater the chances of me being told "yes."

Even if it is only once in a while. That "yes" could be worth a hundred no's, especially if it transforms someone's entire business.

These truths are the result of Account Executives' constant hustle - not just to meet quota but to build long-lasting, mutually beneficial business relationships.

The title "Account Executive" (AE), is one of the most prominent sales positions in tech companies. (Unless you are a Chief Revenue Officer or VP of Sales -- those guys are really big shots).

Although you may already know what an Account Executive is, what exactly does it look like? Most tech sales teams see the next step in their career as an Account Executive (SDR) rather than a Sales Development Representative. An SDR's primary focus is to fill out the pipeline and qualify leads, but an AE's main responsibility is to close the deals.

Although it is a more senior position in SaaS companies than the AE, the responsibilities of an AE are both challenging and rewarding.

You might be thinking, "Yeah. Okay. You'll find many jobs like this. Do I have the right qualifications to do this job. Is it worth it?

Both of these questions can be answered "maybe". It all depends on your goals in life. Juan Arcila is an accountant executive who gave us a glimpse into what it's like to be an AE.

Juan is part of a small team that focuses on businesses with less than 50 employees. Juan's team often handles the entire sales cycle, even though there is a bigger business team. They source their own leads and close the deals with the assistance of the SDR team.

Juan is primarily inbound and doesn't do as much cold calling as an SDR.

Juan works remotely, which is becoming more popular with many sales teams. Sales teams hire remote workers 66% less often than other departments. Juan admits that he is able to work remotely even though he lives close enough to the office.

An AE must have a strict schedule in order to be productive in all environments. To maximize their sales potential, AEs often schedule specific activities in their days.

Mornings

Juan dedicates his mornings to prospecting and administrative tasks. After logging in, Juan follows up with all inbound leads via social media or email. These are often people Juan has already begun a conversation with. Although they may not all be qualified leads, they are still important to pay attention to.

Juan follows up immediately with hand-raisers, people who specifically request to speak with someone in sales. He then looks at his pipeline and follows-up with inbound leads.

This doesn't sound like much work.

On average, 80% of sales require at least five follow ups before closing. This is why AEs often get overwhelmed with follow-up. This is the first part of any day for an AE who does their job well.

AEs also make extensive use of technology to manage follow-ups, and their sales pipeline. Salesforce CRM (Customer Relations Management) is the most widely used software and it is also what most software companies use for managing their pipeline data. Drift and other programs help prospects connect with reps in real-time.

Afternoons

Juan takes about two to three hours each way for video and phone calls after lunch. Although email and social media can facilitate a lot of communication, nothing compares to a conversation in which you hear the voice of another person. Sales reps of all levels need to still make time for the phone.

Juan spends some of his call time following up with prospects, but the majority of these calls are discovery calls. During these calls, AEs will attempt to understand the prospect's business and their needs.

Demo calls will be conducted via Zoom or Slack, where they show the product in action. This is a great way to show prospects how the product might feel.

After hours

Even though the 9-5 work week is jam-packed with work, AEs still have a social life outside of the office. Your time as an AE does not have to exceed a 40-hour work week, as long as your goals are met.

Juan claims that sales reps rarely work more than 50-60 hours per week, contrary to what you might have heard. Although there are many ways to be more productive, it is not always possible.

He says, "As long as we reach our target within the 9-5/40-hour block week, that's fine." If there are weeks or months when we fall behind, and we know that we need more work to get it up, then we can put in more hours. It's not an expectation.

There will be bad days and good days in any career. You'll love the things you do and hate the things you don’t. Juan says that the hardest part about being an AE was getting meetings. Although demos and discovery calls with qualified leads are easier than others, it can be challenging to convince people to accept a first sales call.

Like SDRs, AEs may be rejected by potential customers. Sometimes, it takes a lot more prospecting, research, and emailing to get any results.

Juan believes that the job is worth it because it helps people solve their problems using a valuable product. "I work with marketers who see the value of investing in a tool. He says that in a way we can see the value of investing in a tool, and that the product speaks for itself. "But I love watching the results of how they implement it, whether that's generating more leads or being able to qualify better leads, or having more branded video experiences on their website."

Juan is not the only one who feels this way. Many AEs find satisfaction in their work because they help people solve problems with creativity, critical thinking, and do great jobs. Juan says that those are the things that make it worthwhile.

You've likely proven your ability as an entry-level SDR if you have moved up to AE. Although this may give you more autonomy and less supervision, the best AEs will still rely on the rest to help them succeed.

Metrics / KPIs

Your main KPIs as an SDR are about the number of qualified opportunities that you bring in. Your primary KPI as an AE is closing. Many sales teams also have secondary KPIs (e.g., phone calls made, emails sent). Sales managers care primarily about your ability to bring more money into the company. That's it.

Your sales manager will likely teach you contact sequences that have been successful to help you achieve these goals. Juan claims that his team gives him plenty of freedom to execute those sequences. Juan said that the cadences are available, but that he can personalize each one as he sees fit.

Some AEs worry about customers churning (stopping their subscription) later. However, some commission structures will be able to account for this in their success metrics. He is primarily focused on closing new business. Customers may decide to cancel their subscription at any time, but that does not affect his metrics. Account managers are often responsible for customer success.

How You Do It Is Up to You

An AE's primary goal is to close deals so there are many options for how they qualify leads.

Juan says that although AEs have a structure for each call and a checklist, it is up to the individual to decide how to obtain this information. Juan says that Account Executives have the freedom to choose how they want to live their lives. "We can pretty much control our careers and how much income we make."

AEs are often busy making a lot of phone calls, and leveraging their CRM to find important data that will help them qualify leads. To help close more deals, the best AEs will also use other strategies. Juan, for example, makes it a priority to be active on social media. This strategy helps him stand out from other businesses in the market.

Collaboration and Peer Review

Sometimes it can feel like you are pulling all the stops when you're driving your own success. Most AEs receive plenty of support. Juan answers a question about the help AEs receive from their managers. He says that they get a lot of feedback, a lot of support and a lot of training.

AEs meet with their sales managers every month to review calls and discuss ways to improve. They also receive support for their success. Juan says that many of his AEs will meet on a rotation basis to review their calls and to discuss strategies to improve.

Sales teams are often stereotyped as being competitive and all-out for their own ends. Juan has learned that the most successful sales teams are not like this. He says, "Everybody is a team." We're not trying keep our trade secrets to ourselves. We share everything that works because we know it will benefit everyone. We have a great environment for collaboration here."

You're not in the right place if you're searching for your dream job on Indeed. You've likely found great opportunities, but you don't have the experience or qualifications to take advantage of them.

You might assume that a job posting for Account Executive is the same as one posted on any other job board. But, it could be different. It is much easier than many people believe to become a successful AE. You might be a good fit if you have experience in other areas.

Background

Before being hired, many entry-level sales positions require previous experience in the same field. Although sales experience is a plus, an AE position at a SaaS company will require you to have some background in any field.

Juan says that you don't have to have sales experience. It can be as a customer-facing representative or something entirely different like teaching or working for a non-profit.

Juan has a similar background. He was a director for education at an organization that focuses on underrepresented communities before he entered the SaaS market. Later, he used the skills he gained there to connect with people better and personalize his messages.

Personality and Skills

When you think of a “sales” personality, the image you get in your head probably isn't good. Stereotypes of outgoing salespeople with big cheesy grins have warped the way we look at the industry today.

Let’s be clear: those types of salespeople STRUGGLE in today’s market. Modern sales isn’t about sneaky tactics to manipulate your prospect. It’s about making the value of the product as clear as possible for them to make an informed decision.

In fact, when we asked Juan what personal traits made him successful as an AE, the main characteristics he listed were “being an empath” and “personalizing every single touch point.”

Great AEs in today’s market will be the kind of people you want as friends. They’re helpful, truthful and will listen to what you have to say.

“I tend to just be more on the introverted side of the personality spectrum than extroverted,” says Juan. “Really taking the time to listen when speaking to my prospective customers, and taking that extra step in my outreach... I think that's what really stood me apart as an SDR and what helped me get promoted even faster to an AE.”

If you imagine a "salesperson", the image that comes to mind is probably not good. The industry has been distorted by stereotypical salespeople who are outgoing and have big, cheesy smiles.

Let's face it, these types of salespeople WORK in today's marketplace. Modern sales is not about manipulating your prospect with sleuthing techniques. It's all about making your prospect as informed as possible about the product's value.

Juan was able to identify the key traits that made him a successful AE when we asked him what his personal characteristics were. He said "being empathic" and "personalizing each touch point."

Today's top AEs will be friends. They are honest, helpful and willing to listen to your ideas.

Juan says that Juan tends to be more introverted than extroverted. "Taking the extra step to reach out to potential customers and listening to them when I speak to them, and really taking the time to truly listen to them. This is what truly set me apart as an SDR, and helped me to get promoted faster to AE.

Prior Training and Experience

While your experience and personality may make you a good AE candidate, there is more to it than simply submitting a job request. It's almost impossible to find an entry-level AE job without prior sales training.

Even if you have never worked in sales, most SaaS companies will not allow you to succeed. It can be overwhelming to learn so many things about sales, communication best practices, and common sales technology.

You can make the most of a career as a software salesperson by getting great training. You don't need to have a four year degree to get started.

However, it is not easy to break into the tech sales field. Most people begin as an SDR. It is a natural progression to AE once you have been promoted. Juan says that the transition was seamless since Juan had already done the SDR prospecting, qualification calls, and met with the AEs.

Moving up to an AE role requires patience. SDRs typically stay in their current role for between 18 and 48 months before they move on. Although the skills you learned in your first job are often transferable to the next one, it can take some time.

Many people are able to move up from Account Executive to Outside Sales Rep or Account manager.

In that they can handle all aspects of deals, outside sales reps often have the same autonomy and independence as AEs. They can also travel outside of the office to meet prospects and conduct business.

After a deal has been closed, account managers are responsible to ensure customer satisfaction. This team member helps renew subscriptions and ensures that customers get the support they require. It is a natural step to establish a stronger relationship with customers because AEs are good at building relationships.

Juan's next goal is to join an AE team that deals with larger business accounts. He is excited to be able to deal with more complicated sales cycles, and he also looks forward to the new challenges and the skills he will acquire while working with the SDR team.

There may be opportunities to advance at different stages depending on the company. If you put in enough effort, your career path may open up to the shiny office with a golden plaque.