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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Inside Account Executive

💰 $55,000 - $120,000 (base + OTE)

SalesInside SalesAccount ManagementSaaSB2B

🎯 Role Definition

The Inside Account Executive is a quota-bearing salesperson who manages the full sales cycle for inbound and outbound opportunities using remote channels (phone, video demos, email, chat). The IAE owns pipeline development, deal qualification, negotiation, and closing for a defined book of business while collaborating cross-functionally with marketing, customer success, product, and finance to accelerate deployment and drive expansion. Ideal candidates are results-driven, metrics-focused, and experienced with CRM systems and sales engagement platforms in a SaaS or B2B technology setting.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Sales Development Representative (SDR) / Business Development Representative (BDR)
  • Account Coordinator / Sales Coordinator
  • Customer Success Representative or Renewal Specialist

Advancement To:

  • Senior Inside Account Executive / Senior Account Executive
  • Enterprise Account Executive or Field Account Executive
  • Sales Manager / Team Lead
  • Revenue Operations or Sales Enablement Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • Customer Success Manager / Customer Success Director
  • Sales Operations / Revenue Ops Analyst
  • Product Specialist / Solution Consultant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Own a monthly and quarterly sales quota; build, manage, and forecast a qualified sales pipeline to consistently achieve or exceed revenue targets as an Inside Account Executive.
  • Prospect and generate new business through outbound calling, targeted email campaigns, LinkedIn outreach, and coordinated account-based marketing efforts to fill the top of funnel with qualified opportunities.
  • Qualify inbound leads promptly and thoroughly using standardized frameworks (BANT, MEDDIC, CHAMP or company-specific processes) to accelerate time-to-close and prioritize high-value deals.
  • Conduct compelling product demonstrations and virtual presentations tailored to buyer personas, use cases, and ROI metrics that clearly articulate product value and competitive differentiation.
  • Build trusted advisor relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers across technical and business functions to drive consensus and shorten sales cycles.
  • Prepare and deliver customized proposals, statements of work, pricing negotiations, and contract negotiations in coordination with legal and finance to drive timely and compliant closes.
  • Execute multi-threaded outreach and account strategies to mitigate single-thread risk and increase win probability across accounts.
  • Manage deal progression in the CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.), maintaining up-to-date opportunity stages, activity logs, contact records, and accurate forecasting to support revenue predictability.
  • Collaborate closely with Customer Success and Implementation teams to ensure smooth handoffs, defined success criteria, and plans for onboarding to support retention and expansion.
  • Leverage sales engagement platforms (Outreach, SalesLoft) and sequences to scale personalized outreach while measuring and optimizing conversion metrics.
  • Analyze account and pipeline data to identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities, and proactively create expansion plays that increase customer lifetime value.
  • Execute territory and account plans based on segmentation, company fit, verticals, and historical win data to maximize coverage and return on effort.
  • Demonstrate strong objection handling and negotiation skills to overcome pricing, procurement, and product-fit concerns and bring deals to closure.
  • Partner with Marketing to test and iterate demand-gen campaigns, content, and offers, and provide feedback on which messages convert best for target verticals.
  • Conduct competitor research and battlecards preparation to position the product advantageously during buyer evaluations and RFP processes.
  • Manage renewal conversations for small and mid-size accounts where renewals fall under inside sales remit, coordinating terms and timing to minimize churn risk.
  • Track and report key sales KPIs (conversion rates, average deal size, sales cycle length, CAC payback) and use insights to optimize personal and team performance.
  • Maintain active knowledge of product roadmaps, feature releases, and pricing models; translate product updates into value propositions for prospects and customers.
  • Facilitate discovery calls to uncover pain points, budget timelines, decision-making criteria, and technical constraints, documenting findings to inform solution recommendations.
  • Drive fast response times for inbound requests and prospects, prioritizing high-intent opportunities and minimizing lead response latency to improve win rate.
  • Leverage social selling techniques and personal branding on LinkedIn to cultivate relationships, attract warm leads, and maintain visibility in target markets.
  • Collaborate with Sales Engineering / Solutions Consulting on complex technical evaluations, POCs, and custom demos to validate feasibility and drive technical buy-in.
  • Mentor junior sellers and SDR partners on effective messaging, demo best practices, and closing tactics to elevate overall team quota attainment.
  • Actively participate in sales and product training, calibration sessions, and role plays to continuously sharpen selling skills and adapt to evolving buyer behaviors.

Secondary Functions

  • Maintain CRM hygiene and process compliance; participate in weekly pipeline reviews and forecasting cadences with sales leadership.
  • Provide structured feedback to Product and Marketing on customer pain points, feature requests, and messaging improvements based on market conversations.
  • Support ad-hoc pricing exception requests, contract amendments, and renewal escalations in partnership with Legal and Finance.
  • Assist in building and updating sales collateral, playbooks, pricing sheets, and ROI calculators used by the sales organization.
  • Participate in cross-functional projects such as go-to-market launches, channel enablement, and pilot program rollouts to accelerate revenue initiatives.
  • Contribute to case study collection and customer reference coordination by identifying successful customers and capturing quantifiable outcomes.
  • Support virtual and in-person events, webinars, and trade shows as needed to represent the company and generate qualified leads.
  • Conduct win/loss analyses and competitive assessments to inform product positioning and sales strategy adjustments.
  • Help define territory boundaries and account segmentation logic to ensure equitable opportunity distribution and coverage efficiency.
  • Aid in training new hires on internal systems, reporting templates, and lead qualification standards to shorten ramp time.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient CRM management (Salesforce or HubSpot) with demonstrated ability to maintain accurate opportunity stages, contact records, and forecasting discipline.
  • Experience using sales engagement and sequencing platforms (Outreach, SalesLoft, Groove) for scalable outbound outreach.
  • Skilled at conducting virtual demos using Zoom, Teams, or Webex and producing clear, persuasive presentations tailored to buyer roles.
  • Practical experience with LinkedIn Sales Navigator and social selling techniques to identify and engage prospects.
  • Strong familiarity with SaaS pricing models, subscription contracts, and licensing terms, including familiarity with e-signature tools (DocuSign, HelloSign).
  • Comfortable executing discovery using qualification frameworks (MEDDIC, BANT, SPIN) and translating findings into actionable opportunity plans.
  • Ability to produce and interpret sales reports and dashboards (Salesforce Reports, Tableau, Looker, or Excel) to inform territory strategy.
  • Competent in objection handling, negotiation tactics, and closing methodologies (Challenger, Consultative Selling, SPIN).
  • Experience working with Sales Engineers / Solutions Consultants and supporting proof-of-concept or pilot deployments.
  • Basic understanding of integration and technical requirements for SaaS products (APIs, SSO, security considerations) to facilitate technical conversations.
  • Skilled in using Google Workspace or Microsoft Office (advanced Excel for deal modeling and forecasting).
  • Familiarity with inbound lead routing, marketing automation (Marketo, HubSpot MA), and account-based marketing practices.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with ability to tailor messaging to varied buyer personas and seniority levels.
  • Strong negotiation, persuasion, and closing instincts combined with a consultative, value-based selling approach.
  • High level of resilience and tenacity; comfortable with frequent rejection and motivated to iterate on outreach tactics.
  • Time management and organizational skills to prioritize pipeline activities, follow-ups, and administrative tasks.
  • Customer-centric mindset with empathy to understand business pain points and align solutions to customer outcomes.
  • Collaborative team player who works cross-functionally and shares best practices to improve collective performance.
  • Analytic curiosity and data-driven decision-making for optimizing personal sales funnel and strategies.
  • Coachability and continuous learning orientation with willingness to adopt feedback and new sales techniques.
  • Problem-solving aptitude for structuring creative offers, pilots, or contract terms that overcome procurement obstacles.
  • Professional presence and emotional intelligence to navigate complex buying committees and internal stakeholder dynamics.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in sales or customer-facing roles preferred.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Finance, Computer Science, or related fields.
  • Any sales certifications, relevant SaaS product certifications, or training in consultative selling/negotiation is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration / Management
  • Marketing / Communications
  • Information Technology / Computer Science
  • Finance / Economics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of inside sales, account executive, or quota-bearing sales experience (SDR->AE progression common).

Preferred:

  • 3+ years of consistent quota attainment in B2B SaaS, technology, or services sales.
  • Demonstrated track record of closing deals remotely, managing pipeline end-to-end, and collaborating with technical teams on POCs.
  • Experience selling to mid-market or SMB customers with multi-stakeholder buying processes.
  • Prior experience with outbound prospecting, account-based strategies, and using modern sales engagement tools.
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