Sales Representative (B2B) / Account Executive (SMB) Job Description Template
- Function: Drive B2B sales and revenue growth by acquiring and managing small-to-medium business (SMB) clients. The Account Executive owns the full sales cycle - from prospecting new leads to closing deals - and is accountable for meeting sales targets and expanding the customer base . - Core Focus: Building and maintaining a healthy sales pipeline through consistent outreach, consultative selling, and relationship management. The role emphasizes understanding client needs, presenting tailored solutions, negotiating terms, and securing long-term partnerships that fuel SMB customer success. - Typical SMB Scope: Handles accounts typically in the 10-400 employee range, often in a high-volume, fast-paced sales environment. Deals are usually moderate in size with shorter sales cycles than enterprise sales, requiring the rep to balance multiple opportunities simultaneously. The role operates in a hybrid work setting (mix of remote and in-person), following common U.S. business norms but adaptable to global clients. It involves frequent client calls/meetings (often via video), CRM updates, and collaboration with internal teams (e.g. marketing, customer success) to meet the unique needs of SMB customers.
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Sales Representative (B2B) / Account Executive (SMB) Responsibilities
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Prospect & Qualify Leads: Proactively identify new business opportunities through cold calls, emails, social media, and networking. Follow up on inbound inquiries and qualify leads via discovery calls to assess fit and needs .
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Sales Presentations & Demos: Conduct compelling product demos and sales presentations for decision-makers. Clearly communicate value propositions, tailoring the message to each client's business challenges and industry.
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Pipeline Management: Manage the full sales cycle from initial contact to close. Diligently update and track all opportunities in the CRM, maintaining a robust pipeline with accurate status and next steps .
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Negotiation & Closing: Prepare proposals and quotes, negotiate pricing and terms within guidelines, and close deals to meet or exceed monthly/quarterly sales quotas
. Ensure contracts are executed correctly and all paperwork is in order.
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Account Management Handoff: Once a deal is won, coordinate a smooth handoff for onboarding. Transition new clients to the account management or customer success team with complete context, while ensuring initial customer satisfaction and setting the stage for retention and upsells.
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Relationship Building: Develop strong relationships with prospects and clients through regular follow-ups and value-add touchpoints. Act as a trusted advisor by understanding the client's business and providing insights or best practices, thereby fostering long-term partnerships.
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Reporting & Feedback: Monitor personal sales metrics (e.g. pipeline coverage, win rate) and prepare periodic sales reports. Provide feedback on market trends and customer needs to internal teams (marketing, product) to help refine offerings
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Collaboration: Work cross-functionally with colleagues - e.g. coordinating with marketing on lead generation campaigns, with product on custom requirements, and with support on resolving any client issues. Engage in team meetings and share knowledge/best practices to collectively hit team targets.
Required Skills & Qualifications
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B2B Sales Process Expertise: Solid understanding of the entire sales cycle and pipeline stages - from lead generation and initial outreach, through discovery, proposing solutions, and closing negotiations . Ability to execute each stage methodically and effectively.
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Prospecting & Lead Qualification: Proficiency in identifying target SMB prospects, cold calling/ emailing, and using qualification frameworks (e.g. BANT) to assess budget, authority, need, and timeline. Skilled at asking insightful discovery questions to evaluate fit.
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Product & Market Knowledge: Fast learner with the ability to absorb product knowledge and industry context. Can articulate how the product/service addresses specific business pains. Stays informed on market trends and competitors to position solutions advantageously.
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CRM & Pipeline Management: Hands-on experience with CRM software (e.g. Salesforce, HubSpot) - updating contacts, logging activities, and forecasting deals accurately. Able to analyze the pipeline to prioritize high-value opportunities and ensure no deal "falls through the cracks."
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Presentation & Demo Skills: Ability to deliver engaging sales demos and presentations. Comfortable speaking to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, adjusting tone and detail accordingly. Uses storytelling and data effectively to spark buyer interest.
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Negotiation & Objection Handling: Skillful at handling common objections (e.g. price, timing, competition) with a consultative approach. Negotiates deal terms that protect value while addressing client concerns, aiming for win-win outcomes . Closes for commitment confidently at the right time.
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Data Literacy: Adept at working with sales metrics and basic calculations. For example, can compute percentages (growth, quota attainment), interpret sales reports, and use data to make decisions (such as identifying pipeline gaps or ROI for a client).
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Tools & Tech Savvy: Comfortable using sales and office tools - email clients, spreadsheets for tracking sales data, slide decks for proposals - and quickly adapts to new software (sales engagement platforms, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, etc.) to improve efficiency.
Preferred Soft Skills
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Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication. Able to explain complex concepts in clear, concise terms. Writes emails and proposals with professional tone and correct grammar. Speaks confidently on calls and actively adjusts communication style to the audience (executive vs. user-level).
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Active Listening & Empathy: Listens attentively to prospects and clients, truly hearing their concerns and questions. Asks clarifying questions and reflects understanding before responding Demonstrates empathy by validating customer viewpoints and showing genuine interest in helping solve their problems.
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Relationship-Building: Interpersonal skills that build trust and rapport quickly. Friendly, respectful, and adept at finding common ground with diverse stakeholders. Maintains a customer-centric mindset, ensuring the client feels valued throughout the sales process
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Time Management & Organization: Highly organized in managing daily tasks and follow-ups. Can juggle multiple leads, calls, and admin work by prioritizing effectively and using calendars/tasks lists. Meets deadlines (e.g. sending a proposal when promised) and respects the client's time by being punctual and prepared.
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Problem-Solving: Solutions-oriented thinker who can handle curveballs during the sales cycle. When faced with an objection or an unusual request, able to think on their feet, adapt fast, and propose creative solutions or workarounds rather than getting flustered .
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Resilience & Stress Management: Handles the pressures of sales targets and frequent rejection with a positive attitude. Stays calm and professional in challenging situations (e.g. when a deal goes wrong or a client is upset), and bounces back quickly from setbacks without losing momentum.
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Collaboration & Teamwork: Works well with colleagues across departments. Keeps internal stakeholders informed about big deals or potential issues, and cooperates to achieve team objectives. Willing to share knowledge and help teammates (for example, mentoring junior sales reps or pitching in on group initiatives).
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Interview Questions for Sales Representative (B2B) / Account Executive (SMB)
- Tell me about a time you had to win over a skeptical prospect or customer.
- Describe a time you failed to meet a sales goal or lost a deal you expected to win.
- Walk me through your typical sales process for a new SMB client - from the moment you identify a prospect to the point you close the sale.
- How do you manage and prioritize a large pipeline of leads and opportunities?
- Suppose a long-time client of yours calls and says a competitor offered them a similar product at 20% less price - and they're thinking of switching. How would you handle this situation?
- Tell me about a piece of constructive feedback you received in a sales role (from a manager or colleague). How did you respond to it, and what did you do afterward based on that feedback?
- Why did you choose that approach?
- If the candidate chooses an obviously unethical action in the SJT
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Sales Representative (B2B) / Account Executive (SMB) do?
- Function: Drive B2B sales and revenue growth by acquiring and managing small-to-medium business (SMB) clients. The Account Executive owns the full sales cycle - from prospecting new leads to closing deals - and is accountable for meeting sales targets and expanding the customer base . - Core Focus: Building and maintaining a healthy sales pipeline through consistent outreach, consultative selling, and relationship management. The role emphasizes understanding client needs, presenting tailored solutions, negotiating terms, and securing long-term partnerships that fuel SMB customer success. - Typical SMB Scope: Handles accounts typically in the 10-400 employee range, often in a high-volume, fast-paced sales environment. Deals are usually moderate in size with shorter sales cycles than enterprise sales, requiring the rep to balance multiple opportunities simultaneously. The role operates in a hybrid work setting (mix of remote and in-person), following common U.S. business norms but adaptable to global clients. It involves frequent client calls/meetings (often via video), CRM updates, and collaboration with internal teams (e.g. marketing, customer success) to meet the unique needs of SMB customers.
What qualifications does a Sales Representative (B2B) / Account Executive (SMB) need?
. B2B Sales Process Expertise: Solid understanding of the entire sales cycle and pipeline stages - from lead generation and initial outreach, through discovery, proposing solutions, and closing negotiations . Ability to execute each stage methodically and effectively. . . - . Prospecting & Lead Qualification: Proficiency in identifying target SMB prospects, cold calling/ emailing, and using qualification frameworks (e.g. BANT) to assess budget, authority, need, and timeline. Skilled at asking insightful discovery questions to evaluate fit.
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