Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Graduate Account Development Executive

💰 $ - $

SalesGraduateAccount DevelopmentB2B

🎯 Role Definition

The Graduate Account Development Executive (ADE) is an early-career, client-facing sales role focused on building a healthy pipeline of qualified opportunities for the sales organization. The ADE combines outbound prospecting and inbound qualification, uses CRM and sales engagement tools to manage activities, and collaborates with marketing and account teams to convert prospects into meetings and demos. This role is ideal for recent graduates who are motivated to develop consultative sales skills, master lead qualification frameworks, and progress into full-cycle sales positions such as Account Executive or Business Development Manager.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • University graduate or recent graduate scheme (Sales/Business/Marketing).
  • Internship in sales, marketing, or customer success.
  • Frontline customer service or inside sales support role.

Advancement To:

  • Account Executive / Sales Executive (quota-carrying)
  • Senior Account Development Executive / Senior BDR
  • Business Development Manager
  • Sales Team Lead / Sales Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Customer Success Manager
  • Demand Generation / Marketing Specialist
  • Sales Operations / CRM Analyst
  • Product Specialist or Solutions Consultant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Proactively build a high-volume, high-quality outbound sales pipeline by researching, prospecting and engaging target companies and stakeholders using phone, email, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and other sales engagement platforms.
  • Qualify inbound marketing leads and convert them into sales-ready opportunities by applying established qualification frameworks (e.g., BANT, MEDDIC, CHAMP) and scheduling discovery calls or demos for Account Executives.
  • Execute multi-touch outreach cadences using sequence tools (e.g., Outreach, SalesLoft) and personalize messaging to increase response rates while tracking performance metrics and outcomes.
  • Conduct insightful discovery conversations to uncover business needs, decision-making processes, budgets, and timelines, and create detailed lead notes and next-step plans in the CRM.
  • Collaborate with marketing to implement account-based marketing (ABM) plays and targeted campaigns, sharing feedback on creative messaging, ICP fit, and conversion blockers.
  • Manage daily and weekly activity metrics—calls, emails, LinkedIn touches, meetings booked—to meet and exceed individual KPIs and team quota for qualified pipeline contribution.
  • Maintain and update CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) records with accurate contact information, lead statuses, account mapping, and activity logs to ensure pipeline integrity and forecasting accuracy.
  • Build and maintain relationships with multiple stakeholders within target accounts, including relevant buyers, influencers, and champions, to expand engagement beyond initial contact.
  • Support lead nurturing programs by creating multi-stage engagement plans and coordinating with marketing to deploy lead magnets, webinars, and content assets that accelerate qualification.
  • Prepare tailored meeting agendas, discovery templates, and qualification checklists to ensure consistency and quality across all prospect interactions.
  • Deliver compelling product overviews and live demos (supported by AE when required) that articulate business value, ROI, and competitive differentiation to early-stage prospects.
  • Perform account research and map organizational structures to identify key decision-makers, budget holders, and potential blockers using tools like LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, and company websites.
  • Track and report weekly performance metrics, conversion rates, and pipeline health to the Sales Manager, recommending tactical adjustments to outreach and targeting.
  • Collaborate closely with Account Executives and Sales Leadership to coordinate hand-offs, prepare account briefings, and ensure seamless transition of qualified opportunities.
  • Handle objections and gatekeepers professionally, leveraging prepared rebuttals, case studies, and value statements to maintain momentum in the sales cycle.
  • Support pilot programs and proof-of-concept activities by coordinating stakeholder availability, logistics, and follow-up to accelerate deal progression.
  • Participate in regular coaching, role-plays, and skill development sessions to continuously improve messaging, objection handling, and qualification techniques.
  • Identify process inefficiencies in lead routing, scoring, and follow-up, and propose improvements to sales processes and CRM workflows to increase conversion rates.
  • Maintain awareness of competitor positioning and market trends, reporting insights to Product and Marketing teams to refine product messaging and differentiation.
  • Contribute to pricing and contract discussions by gathering initial budget guidance and helping prepare material for commercial conversations (with AE/Manager oversight).
  • Support cross-functional projects such as new product launches, territory reassignments, or campaign experiments by providing frontline insight into prospect behavior and responsiveness.
  • Adhere to all data compliance and privacy standards (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) when prospecting and managing contact data, ensuring ethical and compliant outreach at all times.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist with preparing sales collateral, case studies, and one-pagers targeted at specific verticals or buyer personas.
  • Shadow senior AEs on discovery calls and demos to accelerate learning and ensure consistent messaging.
  • Help maintain the sales knowledge base by documenting common buyer objections, successful outreach templates, and repeatable qualification playbooks.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • CRM proficiency (Salesforce, HubSpot) — accurate data entry, lead/opportunity management, and pipeline hygiene.
  • Sales engagement platforms (Outreach, SalesLoft, Yesware) to run multi-touch cadences and track outreach performance.
  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator and advanced boolean search techniques for prospect research and account mapping.
  • Cold calling and cold emailing expertise with the ability to create high-conversion outreach templates and subject lines.
  • Lead qualification frameworks (BANT, MEDDIC, CHAMP) and experience documenting qualification outcomes and next steps.
  • Basic demo and presentation skills using slide decks and screen-sharing tools (Zoom, Teams) to illustrate solution value.
  • Familiarity with prospecting intelligence tools (ZoomInfo, Clearbit, Apollo) and enrichment workflows.
  • Reporting and analytics using Excel/Google Sheets and CRM dashboards to monitor KPIs and generate weekly reports.
  • Understanding of account-based marketing (ABM) concepts and coordination tactics for targeted outreach.
  • Data privacy and compliance awareness (GDPR, CCPA) relevant to prospecting and contact management.
  • Experience with marketing automation platforms (Marketo, Pardot) is a plus for lead lifecycle understanding.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills tailored for outreach messaging and discovery calls.
  • Strong resilience and persistence — comfortable with high-volume outreach and repeated follow-up.
  • Consultative mindset with the ability to ask diagnostic questions and uncover real business pain points.
  • Excellent time management, organization, and ability to prioritize activities that drive pipeline velocity.
  • Coachability — open to feedback, rapid iteration, and continuous improvement in sales skills.
  • Relationship-building and networking mindset to create advocates and champions within target accounts.
  • Active listening and empathy to align solutions with buyer needs and decision criteria.
  • Problem-solving and critical thinking to qualify complex buying scenarios and propose next steps.
  • Team collaboration — ability to coordinate with marketing, AEs, and operations to improve hand-offs and outcomes.
  • Results-driven orientation with a focus on KPIs, conversion metrics, and measurable impact.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience. Recent graduates with strong sales potential and relevant internships are encouraged to apply.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, Communications, or related field.
  • Sales training certifications (e.g., Sandler, Challenger, MEDDIC) or completion of a formal sales enablement program is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Marketing
  • Economics
  • Communications
  • Data Analytics / Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 0–2 years (entry-level / graduate role). Internship experience or participation in university sales societies is highly valuable.

Preferred:

  • 6–18 months of relevant experience in inside sales, SDR/BDR, customer-facing internships, or sales development programs; demonstrable outcomes (meetings booked, pipeline created) preferred.
Explore More Careers