Strategic Account Executive

The Strategic Account Executive at Productboard is responsible for driving revenue and managing the complete sales cycle. This includes prospecting new leads, interacting with C-suite executives, negotiating contracts, and closing both new and renewal business. Additionally, you'll build a robust pipeline of opportunities and utilize solution-selling techniques to guide prospects to a successful close.

To be a successful Strategic Account Executive at Productboard, candidates should have at least 5 years of experience in a closing sales role with a proven record of exceeding sales targets in a direct B2B software environment. Familiarity with sales coaching practices and experience engaging with senior-level decision-makers is highly beneficial.

As a Strategic Account Executive at Productboard, you'll primarily engage with large enterprises, specifically those with over 5,000 employees. This role focuses on understanding their product needs and guiding them in leveraging Productboard for enhanced product management.

The culture at Productboard foster's creativity, openness, and inclusivity. As a Strategic Account Executive, you'll work in an environment where trust and transparency are valued, and every employee is encouraged to contribute to the company's goals and successes.

Productboard supports the development of their Strategic Account Executives by providing a collaborative environment and opportunities for professional growth. They champion continuous learning through various initiatives and the sharing of best practices, ensuring that every team member has a voice in shaping the company and their own careers.

When answering this question, emphasize your understanding of the full sales cycle, starting from prospecting to closing. Explain how you use specific strategies to identify leads, engage stakeholders, and tailor your pitch to meet the unique needs of each client.

Discuss your approach to relationship-building, highlighting your ability to understand their business needs and challenges. Mention how you use empathy and effective communication to create trust, which is essential in securing long-term partnerships.

Share a step-by-step method for addressing objections, such as listening actively to concerns, responding thoughtfully with data or case studies, and empathizing with the client's situation. Always aim to bring the conversation back to the value of the solution you're offering.

Describe your familiarity with Salesforce or other CRM platforms, emphasizing your ability to utilize these tools for pipeline management, tracking communication, and analyzing sales performance to drive efficiency in your selling process.

Talk about your adaptability and how you assess each customer's needs and requirements. Illustrate how you might customize your strategy based on the size, industry, and specific challenges of the client.

Provide a specific example where not only did you meet your targets, but exceeded them. Detail the strategies you implemented and the outcomes you achieved, showcasing your ability to drive growth.

Emphasize the value of collaboration and how working with cross-functional teams, such as marketing or product management, has enhanced your sales effectiveness. Share examples of successful teamwork contributing to closing deals.

Share an experience that illustrates your negotiation skills, focusing on how you prepared, engaged, and ultimately achieved a win-win outcome. Highlight the importance of understanding both parties' perspectives.

Discuss the techniques you use to maintain motivation, such as setting personal goals, seeking feedback, and celebrating small wins. Also, talk about how you handle rejection and continue to push forward.

Mention the KPIs that are most relevant to a Strategic Account Executive role, such as revenue growth, customer acquisition rates, and deal closure rates. Explain how you use these metrics to inform your strategy and performance assessments.