Hire an Account Executive
Hire an Account Executive
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How to Hire a Full Time Account Executive
Hiring an account executive can be the make or break for your sales team, as a full time account executive is typically a very central and senior salesperson within the sales department. They focus on winning new business so that the salespeople can make sales, as well as maintaining and expanding client relationships to drive sales and grow revenue.
Account executives (and account managers) are very skilled in communication, making them crucial for negotiating new sales contracts, understanding client needs, and collaborating with other departments, helping lower tier salespeople, to ensure customer satisfaction. 1,153,828 account executives are currently employed in the United States – make sure you hire the best one!
When looking to hire an account executive in 2024 and 2025, you want to make sure that they have these 3 qualities: 1) Leadership 2) Problem Solving 3) Communication.
5 Steps to Hiring an Account Executive for Your Company
- Evaluate Track Records and Potential: Look for a blend of proven experience and growth potential. While 83% of hiring managers prioritize past achievements, adaptability and coachability are critical for long-term success in roles that evolve rapidly!
- Focus on Communication Skills: Strong interpersonal and presentation abilities are essential. Candidates should articulate their thoughts clearly, as AEs often close deals worth $50,000–$70,000 annually in base salary plus commissions, depending on the industry and location.
- Assess Research and Preparation: AEs need to excel in discovery and understanding client needs. During interviews, ask candidates how much they know about your company and products; as their preparation reflects how they will approach prospective clients.
- Test for Coachability: Great AEs value feedback. Simulate a coaching scenario during the interview, such as providing critique on a mock pitch, and observe how they adjust. This ensures they can improve and adapt in a competitive sales environment.
- Verify Responsiveness and Proactivity: Account Executives should demonstrate a sense of urgency. Prompt follow-ups during the hiring process often correlate with timely client communications, a key to successful sales and customer retention.
Compensation: Salaries for Account Executives vary based on experience, industry, and geographical location. The average salary may range significantly – the current U.S. average is about $75k per year and much higher for private companies.
Why Hiring The Right Account Executive Can Make or Break Your Total Sales
At least 50% of all sales from a B2B buying journey begins before the buyer even interacts with a sales rep! This shows us how crucial an Account Executive is in terms of playing a key role in bridging the gap between a company and its clients for eventual sales. Hiring an above average account executive can be a gamechanger for your company!
Communication With Clients
An Account Executive ensures effective communication with clients to understand their needs and maintain strong ongoing relationships. Which is precisely why they are so important to hire correctly. Clear and consistent communication is at the core of their duties, encompassing everything from initial prospecting to the negotiation process. These 3 traits of an AE should be identified during the recruiting and hiring process:
- Prospecting: Identifies potential clients using strategic communication methods.
- Client Meetings: Schedules and conducts meetings to discuss clients’ needs and goals.
- Negotiation: Represents the company during the bargaining stage to secure favorable terms.
Sales and Marketing Strategies Led by a Smart Account Exec
Developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies is integral to an Account Executive’s role, which is yet another reason they are a super important hire. AE’s work closely with others (SDRs, BDRs, and Marketing) to target potential clients effectively, tailor campaigns to different markets, and introduce new products and services. Hiring a rock solid account executive can help with these other sales-related areas:
- Sales Campaigns: Designs and manages sales campaigns to drive product/service awareness.
- Market Analysis: Continuously evaluates market trends to adapt sales approaches accordingly.
Managing Client Accounts
Hiring an Account Executive also means hiring a directorial type of person who wants to truly lead others – and because AE’s are tasked with the overall management of client accounts, it makes hiring them all the more crucial. Hiring a solid AE will help track the performance of accounts, address issues promptly, and often negotiate terms to maintain and grow the client relationship. If you have a smaller team you may be able to hire a part time account executive instead of hiring the traditional full time account executive.
- Account Performance: Monitors and reports on the performance of client accounts.
- Customer Service: Resolves any issues to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction.
