Sales / Business Development, Marketing / Advertising

Account Executive

Related positions: Account Executive, Account manager, Sales representative, Business development representative, Client manager, Client relationship manager, Sales account manager, Key account manager, Field sales representative, Customer account representative, Business development manager, Territory manager, Client liaison, Sales consultant, Account specialist, Sales account representative

Overview

An account executive is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with clients. They identify new business opportunities, negotiate contracts, and ensure that client needs are met. They typically work in advertising, marketing, or public relations agencies, or in-house at companies.

The goal of an Account Executive is to increase sales and revenue by identifying new business opportunities and maintaining relationships with existing clients.

Common tasks 

    TaskRelated trait(s)
    Identifying opportunities in the market Strategic Innovation Meticulous Execution Client Intuition Resilient Determination
    Building relationships with clients  Client-Focused Empathy  Client Intuition
    Maintaining and deepening relations with clients  Relationship Builder Principled Relationship Building Client-Focused Empathy  Client Intuition
    Ensuring customer retention Strategic Innovation Principled Relationship Building Client-Focused Empathy  Meticulous Execution Client Intuition
    Understanding client needs and goals Client-Focused Empathy Meticulous Execution Client Intuition
    Developing plans to meet client objectives Strategic Innovation Meticulous Execution
    Negotiating contracts Principled Relationship Building Client-Focused Empathy  Client Intuition
    Negotiating pricing Client-Focused Empathy  Client Intuition
    Collaborating with teams to deliver client requirements  Client-Focused Empathy Meticulous Execution Client Intuition Integrity & Trust Supportive Collaboration 
    Preparing reports and presenting findings to clients and stakeholders  Relationship Builder

    Soft skills measured by TraitForward

    TraitNo of QuestionsCronbach’s  alpha (α)
    Strategic Innovation80.77
    Can they generate innovative ideas and solutions that address complex client needs and create new business opportunities?
    Social Poise50.82
    Can they interact with clients and colleagues with natural confidence and without social discomfort or inhibition?
    Relationship Builder60.75
    Can they easily establish rapport and build meaningful professional relationships with new clients and stakeholders?
    Principled Relationship Building80.71
    Can they build authentic client relationships based on integrity and mutual benefit rather than manipulation or purely self-serving motives?
    Client-Focused Empathy80.71
    Can they genuinely understand clients’ needs and perspectives, even when these differ from their own, and use this understanding to build trust and develop tailored solutions?
    Persuasive Communication110.84
    Can they effectively influence and persuade clients through articulate expression, compelling arguments, and adaptive communication style?
    Meticulous Execution80.77
    Can they consistently execute tasks with careful attention to detail, maintain organized workflows, and reliably follow through on commitments?
    Client Intuition60.70
    Can they accurately sense clients’ unexpressed needs and adapt their approach accordingly to build meaningful connections?
    Integrity & Trust90.74
    Do they consistently demonstrate honesty, ethical behavior, and reliability in their professional interactions and commitments?
    Supportive Collaboration60.75
    Can they genuinely prioritize others’ needs and actively contribute to their success with empathy and dedication?
    Collaborative Excellence90.72
    Can they foster productive teamwork and create inclusive environments where all stakeholders feel valued and engaged in the sales process?
    Resilient Determination70.77
    Can they maintain focus and persistence when facing rejection, setbacks, or challenging client situations?
    *Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α) determines the extent to which the questions consistently measure each trait and it is expressed as a number ranging between 0 and 1 . Higher values indicate higher agreement between questions.  A value of α equal to greater than .7 indicates acceptable reliability or internal consistency.  For more information on the psychometric properties of the solution, please click here.

    Find out the psychometric properties for the Account Executive Traitforward questionnaire

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