Torchora
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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Sales and Account Manager

💰 $75,000 - $150,000 OTE

SalesBusiness DevelopmentAccount Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Sales and Account Manager is a pivotal, dual-function role responsible for driving new business acquisition while simultaneously nurturing and growing existing client relationships. This individual acts as the primary commercial point of contact, balancing strategic hunting of new opportunities with the consultative farming of current accounts to achieve and exceed revenue targets. They are the face of the company to our most valuable assets—our customers—and are directly responsible for translating our value proposition into tangible, long-term partnerships and measurable business outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Sales Development Representative (SDR)
  • Business Development Representative (BDR)
  • Junior Account Manager

Advancement To:

  • Senior Sales and Account Manager
  • Key Account Director / Strategic Account Manager
  • Regional Sales Manager / Sales Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Customer Success Manager
  • Channel Partner Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and execute strategic territory and account plans to achieve ambitious sales targets and expand the company's customer base in key verticals.
  • Proactively identify and source new, qualified sales opportunities through a combination of inbound lead follow-up, outbound prospecting, industry networking, and strategic alliances.
  • Manage the entire sales cycle from initial contact and discovery calls to formal qualification, contract negotiation, and deal closure with new logos.
  • Serve as the primary relationship owner and strategic advisor for an assigned portfolio of existing clients, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.
  • Conduct regular and insightful Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with key accounts to review performance against goals, understand evolving business needs, and identify upsell/cross-sell opportunities.
  • Achieve a deep, technical understanding of the company’s product suite and value proposition to deliver compelling and customized sales presentations and product demonstrations.
  • Prepare, present, and meticulously follow up on complex proposals, statements of work (SOWs), and contracts that meet both client requirements and company profitability standards.
  • Skillfully negotiate pricing, terms, and conditions with prospective and existing clients to secure profitable, long-term agreements that provide mutual value.
  • Build, maintain, and manage a robust sales pipeline, accurately forecasting sales activity and revenue achievement on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis within the CRM system.
  • Cultivate deep, trust-based relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers within client organizations, from day-to-day contacts to influential C-level executives.
  • Understand and navigate complex customer organizational structures to identify internal champions, build consensus across different business units, and mitigate competitive threats.
  • Act as the primary voice of the customer internally, consistently communicating market feedback, customer needs, and competitive intelligence to product, marketing, and leadership teams.
  • Collaborate effectively with pre-sales engineers, solution architects, or technical specialists to address complex customer requirements and design optimal, integrated solutions.
  • Meet and consistently exceed established monthly, quarterly, and annual sales quotas and key performance indicators (KPIs) such as pipeline generation and deal velocity.
  • Stay perpetually abreast of evolving industry trends, emerging market conditions, and key competitive activities to inform and refine sales strategy and positioning.

Secondary Functions

  • Diligently maintain and update all customer and prospect interactions, pipeline stages, and forecast data within the company CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) to ensure data integrity.
  • Partner with the marketing team to provide critical feedback on lead quality and collaborate on the development and execution of targeted campaigns, webinars, and field events.
  • Assist the finance, operations, and legal teams in resolving any client billing, invoicing, or contractual issues in a timely and professional manner to ensure a smooth customer experience.
  • Actively participate in regular sales team meetings, training sessions, and professional development activities to continuously sharpen skills and share best practices.
  • Contribute to the development of sales collateral, playbooks, and case studies by providing valuable insights and success stories from the field.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • CRM Proficiency: Advanced, hands-on experience using CRM platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot for comprehensive pipeline management, forecasting, and activity tracking.
  • Sales Methodologies: Demonstrable experience applying structured sales methodologies such as MEDDIC, Challenger Sale, Command of the Message, or Solution Selling.
  • Prospecting Tools: High-level familiarity with sales intelligence and prospecting tools including LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Lusha, or similar platforms.
  • Proposal & Presentation Software: Mastery of Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Word, Excel) and/or Google Workspace for creating compelling, data-driven proposals and executive-level presentations.
  • Forecasting & Data Analysis: The ability to analyze sales performance data, interpret trends, and generate accurate, defensible revenue forecasts.

Soft Skills

  • Consultative Selling & Active Listening: A master of asking insightful, open-ended questions to uncover deep-seated customer needs and challenges, positioning solutions as strategic outcomes.
  • Negotiation & Closing: Tenacious and sophisticated negotiation skills with a proven track record of successfully closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals while preserving value.
  • Relationship Building: An innate talent for building authentic rapport, establishing trust, and cultivating long-term strategic relationships with clients at all organizational levels.
  • Communication & Presentation: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the polish and presence to articulate complex concepts clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, from technical experts to C-suite executives.
  • Resilience & Grit: The mental toughness to handle rejection, navigate ambiguity, overcome obstacles, and maintain a positive, motivated attitude in a highly target-driven environment.
  • Strategic Thinking: The capacity to move beyond transactional sales and develop long-term account strategies that align with both customer goals and company objectives.
  • Time Management & Organization: World-class organizational skills to effectively manage multiple competing priorities, demanding clients, and complex sales cycles simultaneously.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent, relevant professional experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Marketing & Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3-7 years of direct experience in a B2B sales or account management role, supported by a demonstrable track record of meeting or exceeding sales quotas.

Preferred:

  • Experience in a specific industry (e.g., SaaS, Technology, Financial Services, Healthcare) is highly desirable. A history of selling complex, multi-year solutions with a consultative, value-based approach is a significant plus.
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