Account executive is a common yet undescriptive job title. However, an account executive fulfills an important role in a business, typically managing client relationships. They also handle sales and business development.
Almost every enterprise-level business has account executives. It's essentially a requirement for any company with a stable base of business customers.
Overview
What is an Account Executive, exactly?
An account executive is a job title for a person who manages customer accounts. It's the account executive's job to make sure the client is happy and getting what they need. They are also responsible for ensuring that their company is supporting the client well.
One industry in which account executives are common is public relations. An account executive, or AE, is responsible for making sure their clients are getting publicity as needed, handling relationships with the press, coordinating advertising, and other needs.
Where they work
What businesses have account executives?
A wide variety of businesses use account executives. Typically, these are companies that serve white-collar clients like advertising agencies, financial services companies, and public relations companies.
Other types of businesses with AEs include software, logistics, and building materials.
Businesses that hire account executives tend to serve other businesses, and they tend to have a lot of customers.
Account executives are key in determining the success of the business as managing customer relationships since adding new customers is a priority for any business.
To be a successful account executive, an applicant must have good communication and sales skills and understand the product or service they're selling. Account executives don't typically require any specialized degree, though the jobs are usually done by college graduates.
At its core, being an account executive is a sales job, and the same skills that are required in sales will make a good account executive.
Career outlook
Is account executive a good career choice?
An account executive is considered a mid-level sales position. Prior to working as an account executive, you might have a title like account coordinator, account assistant, or junior account executive.
Account executives can be of any age. At a smaller company, they might be younger, though at a larger company, an account executive could stay in the position for their whole career, adding clients as they can manage.
An account executive is a good career choice for someone who likes sales and managing client relationships and wants to grow accounts for their organization.
Day-to-day tasks could include emails and calls with clients, cold calling to find new clients, and dealing with client needs as they arise. Seasoned account executives will learn how to pitch clients and how to follow a sales cycle from hunting for a new client to closing them.
Account executives can make good salaries. Typically, they are paid a base salary along with sales commissions or bonuses for bringing in new business.
Whether it's a good career for an individual will depend on their skills and personality, but working as an account executive is a common stepping stone for people who work in sales or a related area.
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A typical day
What's an example of a typical day for an account executive?
Much of the typical day for an account executive is spent preparing for client meetings and calls and then doing those calls. An AE might also spend some time cold calling or looking for new customers.
You might have internal meetings with your own team or boss, but account executives are responsible for individual accounts.
Your knowledge base will depend on the kind of business that employs you and the services they sell, but the routine is similar regardless of the company.
A skilled account executive can help a business achieve organic growth, meaning growth without needing to make an acquisition.
If you're interested in sales, working as an account executive could be a good fit for you, especially if you like managing client relationships and are passionate about the products or services you're providing.
