Dear SaaStr: What Makes for a Great AE?
A skilled AE (Account Executive) consistently closes deals, achieves targets, and fosters strong customer relationships.
Essential traits of a remarkable AE include:
1. Product Mastery:
They possess in-depth knowledge of your product. They can demonstrate it, tackle tough questions, and present it as the customer’s solution. This is crucial in B2B, where AEs are expected to be experts. AEs from diverse backgrounds can flourish by obsessively learning the product and understanding customer needs.
2. High Velocity and Efficiency, Especially for SMB Sales
Exceptional AEs manage numerous deals without compromising quality. At Gorgias, AEs closed 30-40 deals monthly by utilizing automation and streamlining workflows, delivering high-quality demos and follow-ups promptly.
3. Data-Driven and Coachable. Don’t Just Want Run Playbook For Their Last Gig.
They aren’t guided solely by intuition. They enhance their approach using data and welcome feedback. Sales is a repeatable process, and top-performing AEs constantly seek improvements through metrics and coaching.
4. Customer-Centric. They Don’t Ghost The Day The Deal is Signed.
They are genuinely invested in solving the customer’s issue, not just closing the deal. This builds trust and fosters long-term relationships, vital for SaaS businesses reliant on renewals and upsells for growth.
5. Resilience and Drive. It’s Even Harder Without a Brand to Sell Behind.
Sales is challenging. An outstanding AE isn’t deterred by rejection and persistently strives to achieve goals. They are self-driven and excel in competitive settings.
When hiring, look for these traits. Inquire about candidates’ past performances, their handling of challenging deals, and their approach to learning new products. Invest in tools and training to empower your AEs.
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