What does an account executive do?
An account executive drives revenue by guiding prospective clients through the full sales cycle, from initial qualification to final contract signature. This role focuses on identifying business needs, presenting tailored solutions, and negotiating terms that result in signed agreements. The professional acts as the primary point of contact for prospects, building trust and demonstrating value to convert opportunities into closed deals.
- Manage the end-to-end sales pipeline by qualifying leads, conducting discovery calls to confirm fit, and tracking every deal stage in a CRM system. This process involves maintaining accurate records of interactions, updating forecasted opportunities, and ensuring no potential client falls through the cracks due to poor follow-up.
- Create and deliver customized sales presentations or product demonstrations that address specific prospect pain points and business objectives. These sessions require clear communication of value propositions, active listening to stakeholder concerns, and the ability to articulate how a solution solves real-world problems during live video conferences or in-person meetings.
- Negotiate contract terms, pricing, and service levels with decision-makers to secure mutually beneficial agreements that align with company goals. This responsibility includes drafting proposals, responding to objections, coordinating with internal legal or finance teams for approval, and finalizing the paperwork necessary to close the sale and onboard the new customer.
How to hire an account executive on Upwork
Step 1: Post a job
Define the sales cycle stage and revenue targets you need the freelancer to own. Use the Job Post Generator powered by Uma™, Upwork's Mindful AI to draft your listing. Describe your needs in a few sentences and Uma drafts a job post for the role. You can write a new post, update a saved draft, or reuse an existing post.
- Specify the CRM platform, such as HubSpot CRM, that the freelancer must use to track pipeline stages and forecasted opportunities.
- List the specific deliverables, including discovery notes, sales presentations, and submitted proposals that drive qualified leads to close.
- Clarify whether the role focuses on prospecting new business or managing existing accounts to expand revenue through upsells.
Step 2: Evaluate candidates
Look for work history that shows consistent conversion of qualified opportunities into signed business. Uma can run instant video interviews and build shortlists with side-by-side comparisons to help you assess fit.
- Review past deals to verify the freelancer negotiates terms and coordinates closing steps with internal teams effectively.
- Check for accurate pipeline maintenance in previous roles to confirm they track deal stages and next steps reliably.
- Assess their ability to deliver product demos or presentations that address specific prospect needs and confirm fit.
Step 3: Interview your top choices
Discuss their approach to qualifying leads and running discovery conversations to confirm customer needs. Interviews can be scheduled and conducted within Upwork Messages with an immediate transcript and summary after each one.
- Ask how they build and maintain customer relationships while managing multiple active deals in a sales cycle.
- Request examples of proposals they authored and how those documents helped convert prospects into closed-won agreements.
- Evaluate their communication style to ensure it aligns with your brand during high-stakes negotiation phases.
Step 4: Agree on scope and begin work
Set clear milestones for pipeline growth and closed revenue before launching the contract. Use Upwork Messages and the contract workroom for communication and project management, plus identity verification, payment protection, hourly tracking, and project funds for security.
- Define weekly reporting requirements for sales pipeline updates and forecasted opportunities tracked in your CRM.
- Establish specific targets for discovery calls completed and proposals submitted to measure early progress.
- Outline the approval process for quotes and contracts to streamline the path from negotiation to signed agreement.
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The rates and information provided in this article are based on current data and industry sources available at the time of publication. Freelance rates can vary depending on factors such as experience, location, project scope, and market conditions. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research to confirm current rates and trends, as this information may change over time.