Account Executive, New Business (Mid-Market)

To qualify for the Account Executive, New Business (Mid-Market) role at Hootsuite, you should have considerable B2B full-cycle sales experience, ideally with a background in software sales. Proven abilities to meet or exceed quotas are essential. Furthermore, strong negotiation skills, a customer-focused approach, and a commitment to results are key attributes that will set you apart.

As an Account Executive, New Business (Mid-Market) at Hootsuite, your primary responsibilities will include acquiring new mid-market customers, managing sales cycles from prospecting to closing, and recommending tailored solutions that address client business challenges. You’ll work closely with both inbound leads and take initiative in generating your own leads, ensuring customer satisfaction and retention along the way.

The sales process for an Account Executive at Hootsuite involves navigating through value creation, negotiations, and closing deals with prospective customers. You'll conduct product presentations and demonstrations, work through Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) documents, and utilize tools like Salesforce and Sales Navigator to manage and report your activities. Building rapport with customers is crucial to successfully articulate the value of Hootsuite’s solutions.

As an Account Executive at Hootsuite, you can expect strong support from both pre and post-sales teams which is crucial for navigating roadblocks and ensuring customer success. You'll also have the opportunity to provide training and peer support to new team members, creating a collaborative environment that promotes growth and achievement among the sales team.

Hootsuite provides ample growth opportunities for Account Executives, as the role is designed to enhance your sales expertise and industry knowledge. You’ll gain exposure to diverse mid-market clients, access resources for skill development, and foster relationships that could lead to higher-level positions within sales management or strategic planning, all while working in a supportive and innovative environment.

In answering this question, focus on specific examples from your past B2B sales experiences that showcase your full-cycle sales abilities, particularly in software if applicable. Highlight how you’ve successfully navigated sales processes, built rapport with clients, and consistently achieved or exceeded quotas.

Discuss a mix of both inbound and outbound strategies you've successfully employed, such as leveraging social media, networking events, or targeted marketing campaigns. Emphasize your creativity in finding new prospects and your persistence in following up.

Explain your approach to understanding a customer’s specific pain points and business challenges. Share examples of how you’ve adjusted your sales pitches and recommendations based on thorough research and active listening during meetings.

Highlight the importance of open communication, trust, and consistent follow-up. Provide examples that demonstrate how maintaining transparency and showing genuine interest in client success have positively impacted your relationships in the past.

Provide a specific instance where you faced challenges during a sale. Detail your strategy for overcoming objections, how you maintained client interest, and the steps you took to ultimately close the sale successfully.

Discuss your experience with CRM tools like Salesforce, along with other sales enablement software. Mention how you’ve utilized these tools to manage leads, track interactions, and analyze sales data for improved decision-making.

Share your strategies for addressing objections by actively listening, empathizing, and providing relevant information or solutions. Highlight a specific scenario where you turned an objection into a strong selling point.

Speak to intrinsic motivators such as achieving goals, customer success, or personal growth. Discuss techniques you use to stay motivated, such as setting personal targets and seeking feedback from clients.

Detail your approach to facilitating communication and collaboration between the sales and implementation teams. Share specific actions you take to ensure that clients are informed and supported throughout their onboarding journey.

Explain your proactive strategies to stay informed, such as attending industry conferences, participating in professional groups, and reading industry publications. Highlight the importance of being knowledgeable for both effective selling and building relationships.