When hiring the best account executives for your company, a thorough interview is a must. So, let’s dive into our list of ten account executive interview questions to ask potential candidates. You can ask these prompts to evaluate their core traits, competencies, and passion for the field.
(P.S. If you’re having trouble finding the right talent, you might want to consider hiring a headhunting agency.)
What Is an Account Executive?
Account executives are responsible for handling a company’s client accounts, assisting with generating more business. There is some variation in terms of tasks, depending on the company and their own objectives.
In general- account execs are usually responsible for closing contracts, finding deals, searching for leads, managing existing clients, and other similar tasks.
But a senior account executive takes it a step further and guides a team of other account executives. They will set targets, monitor account progress, and lead the account executive team to meet goals.
10 Account Executive Interview Questions to Ask
Roll up your sleeves, grab a pen and notebook, and make a note of these ten account executive interview questions to ask potential candidates.
1. From your experience, what is the role of an account executive?
Do they know what the typical roles are of an account exec? Everyone has their own perception of what a role entails. However, they should demonstrate a base understanding that shows (1) real-life expertise and/or (2) they read the job description.
2. What were your main responsibilities in your previous role?
Ask them to describe their primary responsibilities at their previous job. This exec interview question will give you an idea of what’s fresh in their skillset and what they have been doing most recently. It also shows what they spent the most time doing.
3. What qualities do you associate with account executives?
This is a subjective, abstract account executive interview question to ask. Of course, the top hires will show similarities in their qualities. Not everyone will perceive this question the same, so it’s worth asking to get a look into their mindset.
4. How do you stay internally motivated at work?
When days are slow, how do they remain motivated to accomplish their goals? It’s important to know what keeps them internally pushing forward when things get tough. Their response will reveal the motivation side of their work ethic too.
5. Based on your past experience, what have you learned to do differently?
This is a great account executive interview question to ask because it shows the candidate’s ability to change and grow. Have they faced adversity and came out on top? Or perhaps they made a mistake and learned how to correct it.
6. What did you appreciate the most about your last role?
It is wise to ask this executive question because it allows you to see if they would be a right fit for your company culture. It also shows what they value the most out of a job without you having to directly ask that question.
7. What inspired you to seek out this opportunity?
Other than the fact that they want a new job, something made them seek out an opportunity with your organization. What drew them toward you? Their answer reveals what they liked about your job description and what opportunities & growth potential they are seeking.
8. Tell me about your leadership experience.
Not every account executive will have a wealth of leadership experience under their belt- unless you’re interviewing for a senior exec. But teamwork still counts. Make sure to ask about their teamwork abilities and experience working with a group.
9. What unique qualities can you bring to this position?
Now, we aren’t talking about their ability to juggle or do a cartwheel. We are talking about their unique qualities that add depth to the prospective role. What makes them shine? You can even ask for their top three qualities so they don’t feel limited to a single response.
10. Tell me about your sales accomplishments.
Sales is a skill that an account executive should have. There are so many ways sales can show up on someone’s resume, from making cold calls to gathering lead data. Ask follow-up questions to really get the bigger picture of their sales accomplishments.
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