Sales account executives focus on soliciting new business and nurturing relationships with current clients to increase sales and profitability. They prospect for new business, adapt sales approaches to meet customer needs, and engage with customers after the sale to ensure satisfaction and identify new opportunities.
While job descriptions for a sales account executive may vary across organizations, the key responsibilities inherent in the job are similar. Soliciting new business is the main focus of the role; however, how this is done will depend on the hiring company. Some positions will require a focus on acquiring new clients, while others will focus on nurturing relationships with current clients to encourage additional business. More often than not though, the role will involve a combination of the two with the aim of increasing new sales and increasing the profitability of existing accounts. The account executive accomplishes this by following an established marketing plan and using their sales, prospecting, and customer relationship skills to gain new business, following up with customers after the sale at regular intervals to check on progress.
Prospecting for new business is critical to the executive function of the sales account. Whether through phone calls or personal visits, people in this role will approach potential customers to introduce their company and its products or services. Additionally, he will approach existing customers or establish new contacts on an existing account to introduce additional products and services that the customer can benefit from. Keeping a pipeline full of new prospects from both approaches is essential to achieving sales targets.
Understanding customers’ needs and adapting your sales approach to meet those needs are crucial aspects of presenting products and services. This process involves talking to potential new customers or existing customers, asking them relevant questions related to their business, and sketching out possible solutions where there is a fit. A good sales account executive spends a great deal of time listening to existing and potential customers to understand what matters to them. Doing so is part of establishing a working relationship and adapting responses that address concerns while empathizing with the client’s situation.
Qualifying customer concerns is also part of what a sales account executive does. While listening is important, stating what is communicated ensures that he has all the information he needs and that the information is understood correctly. Showing potential customers how your products and services can help the customer address these concerns is accomplished through a personalized sales presentation that is more interactive rather than rehearsed.
After the sale, a sales account executive doesn’t walk away and leave the customer to deal with other representatives in their organization. Instead, he or she will engage that customer on a regular basis to ensure your solution meets the customer’s needs, as well as addressing issues the customer may have using the new product or service. In addition, he will use this interaction to identify other opportunities to offer other products and services that may be of benefit to the customer.
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