A comprehensive guide to Becoming an Account Executive: All you need to Know

In this week’s newsletter, I will be sharing everything you need to know about being an account executive, including how much account executives earn, what it takes to be like an account executive and pro tips for getting a job as an account executive.

Here is the outline of the newsletter:

• ?What does an account executive do?
• ?How much does an account executive make?
• ?What skills does an account executive need?
• ?What is it like to be an account executive?
• ?A Day in the Life of an account executive
• ?How to get a job as an account executive

• What does an account executive do?

"An AE is a sales professional who focuses on meeting the needs of current clients and acquiring new customers by closing deals. They usually have a revenue target and earn commissions on sales. In SaaS sales, they work closely with an SDR, who generates leads and arranges initial sales meetings. The AE takes over by conducting discovery calls, providing product demos, and finalizing the sale."

• How much does an account executive make?

"While sales can offer high earning potential, the average income for AEs can vary based on industry and location. According to Glassdoor, AEs typically earn an average base salary of $60,000 annually, in addition to commissions averaging $29,000."

An account executive working at a large software company in Boston may be able to make upwards of $350,000 per year, while an AE working at a smaller manufacturing firm in North Carolina may make $80,000 per year.

• What skills does an account executive need?

"Recent years have brought rapid changes to the sales profession due to the emergence of new sales tools, shifting buyer preferences, and the widespread use of AI. As a result, industries have become increasingly competitive, and AEs need to develop a diverse set of skills to thrive in this environment."

Some of the most important fundamental skills and characteristics of a good salesperson are:?

• Communication skills?
• Empathy?
• Organization?
• Problem-solving?
• Negotiation?
• Determination?
• Goal-oriented?
• Presentation skills

Account executives also need to be very hard-working. Sales can be a competitive profession, and hard work is one sure way to stay a step ahead of the rest.

• What is it like to be an account executive?

Here’s a rough overview of what an account executive’s calendar might look like in any given week, based on my years of experience in sales.

As an Account executive, I am most effective when I work in a rhythm. As a result, I will structure my time in chunks so I can focus on different types of tasks at different times of the day or week.?

As you can see in the above sample calendar, I set up emails only early in the morning or late in the afternoon, so I can use the middle part of my day for sales meetings, preparations, and phone calls.

• A Day in the Life of an account executive

As an Account Executive, my day-to-day life is fast-paced, competitive and filled with interactions with many stakeholders like work colleagues, customers, and prospective clients. While no day is the same as an account executive, here is what a “typical” day might look like when I am working from my desk:

• 8:30 AM - Overnight Emails Check and Respond - I send some quick responses to emails from customers and prospects because fast and timely communication is important to close deals.
• 9:30 AM - Standup meeting with the team. I connect with my team for sales huddles, we understand the priority for the day and ask for whatever help is required from each other and do brainstorming to address any problems or challenges?
• 10:00 AM - Email and Research - I take some time to learn more about the people I will be speaking to and make some notes. As an AE, I am expected to speak with lots of people so it’s very essential to think and make notes of all questions to ask and pick relevant use cases for every individual.
• 10:30 AM - A Quick 10 min break. Grab a cup of coffee?
• 10:45 AM - My day picks up the pace from here. I work on discovery calls, attend a product demonstrations or work on proposals to be shared with prospective customers.?
• 12:00 PM - Follow-ups - Except Monday, I spend 30 min to follow up on the deals I am working on that are still on track to close. Generally, I send emails to prospects, address their concerns, and push to ensure the next steps are met on time.
• 1:00 PM - Lunch - Time to refuel
• 2:00 PM - Check in with my manager - This doesn’t happen every day but I have a blocked time with my manager to address any pressing issues to be dealt with.
• 2:30 PM - LinkedIn check-in - I check LinkedIn for any messages or communication from prospective customers. Reply to their posts and share it with my connections
• 3:00 PM - Favourite part of the day - Next phase of discovery and demo call. I usually plan 3-4 discovery calls with customers and modify any proposal to be shared
• 4:00 PM - Call prospects - Take their feedback for the next steps and plan the next course of interactions with them
• 5:00 PM - Social selling - Connect with prospects on LinkedIn?
• 6:30 PM - Wind up the day and prepare a to-do-list for the next day

• How to get a job as an account executive

Generally, BDRs or SDRs get promoted to AE as being an Account Executive requires excellent communication and organisational skills. If you are applying for an Account executive, here are some “do’s and don’ts” to be consider

Do:

• ?Prepare and practice answering common sales interview questions?
• ?Present yourself professionally
• ?Be confident and communicate clearly
• ?Follow up with your interviewers quickly
• ?Set the next steps after each stage of the application process
• ?Share specific results you’ve achieved in the past
• ?Ask questions during the interview
• ?Be persistent, but polite

Don’t:

• ?Wing it in the interview
• ?Be late for interviews or phone screens
• ?Leave it to your interviewer to follow up with you
• ?Talk only about yourself during the interview

I hope you had a great reading, if you find it useful, please share it with fellow BDRs and SDRs and help them to build trust with their prospects.

Umesh Khadela