What does a Strategic Account Executive do?
Strategic account executives are sales professionals who typically focus on an organization’s high-value corporate accounts or priority partners. They identify key influencers and stakeholders, establish new relationships with target connections in that category, and nurture existing relationships with the goal of generating more revenue from current accounts. They deliver sales pitches, proposals, and presentations that emphasize solutions for the customer’s challenges and pain points. They recommend expanded services and enhanced solutions to existing customers to grow those successful accounts.
Strategic account executives typically have a bachelor’s degree in a business field, although equivalent professional experience may be acceptable. They have a strong background in sales, including roles that focus on building strategic partnerships. These roles require excellent customer relations skills, and the ability to tailor solutions that meet customers’ personalized needs.
- Work with commercial, marketing, and communications teams to create compelling value propositions and messaging.
- Lead and/or engage with teams develop innovations for new products, services, business models, or development capabilities.
- Develop and execute sales plans to meet or exceed corporate targets, including prospecting at the senior executive level and establish new client and customer relationships.
- Develop actionable strategy roadmap with recommendations for issues and finding innovation opportunities where possible.
- Anticipate changes in client, patient or other drivers of demand in the marketplace.
- Analyze customer requirements, develop solutions to complex problems, and communicate and inspire a vision for the business to customers and prospects.
- Understand customer business objectives and ensure strategic partners get help to meet their goals.
- Collaborate with the marketing team to develop and deliver on build brand awareness and targeted lead generation.
- Partner with analytics teams to guide prospects through savings and ROI analyses.
- Partner with internal and external stakeholders to support client contract, including and development of pricing, tailoring solution engagement model to each client, and coordination of prospect security reviews.
- Forecast and manage sales pipeline to track and drive progress towards growth objectives.
- Implement structured and consistent communication framework to ensure internal stakeholders and senior management have up-to-date visibility into the account status and opportunities to identify and implement corrective actions early in the process.
- Negotiate contractual and financial terms and ensure ongoing customer satisfaction during presales and post sales engagements.
- Communicate effectively and coordinate cross functional teams to ensure customer success.
- Maintain and update knowledge on all new technology in business and participate in various professional meetings for same.
- Maintain contact with customers to ensure long-term relationships and build trust.
- Bachelor's Degree in business or computer science.
- Strong leadership and critical thinking skills.
- Persistence, organization, and discipline in setting targets and manage associated pipeline activities to stay on track and modify the plan as needed.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.
- Collaboration and negotiation skills.
Strategic Account Executive Salaries
Average Base Pay
Strategic Account Executive Career Path
Learn how to become a Strategic Account Executive, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Strategic Account Executive Insights
Samsara“You have to manage your work life balance since there is seemingly always something to do.”
CareerBuilder“I progressed in my career and learned alot that would make me good at my job.”
Harvard Business Publishing“Brand recognition was both a plus and a negative in the market I served”
Canon Solutions America“good benefits and quality product”
Impact Networking“Money can be really good and they reward excellence.”
Optum“They expected you to work and neglected work life balance.”
Ricoh“Ricoh offers a good work life balance”
JATO Dynamics“Great people to work with”
Frequently asked questions about the role and responsibilities of a Strategic Account Executive
- Regional Account Executive
- Enterprise Account Executive
- Account Executive
- National Account Executive