Sales

Hire a Remote Account Executive

An account executive owns deals from first conversation to signature, running discovery calls and demos, handling objections, and closing new business.

Key takeaways
An account executive is the person who closes. They take qualified interest and turn it into signed customers.
The role covers discovery, demos, proposals, negotiation, and keeping the pipeline honest in your CRM.
Good account executives spend most of their time listening. Understanding the buyer's actual problem is what makes a deal close.
Most take six to eight weeks to become productive, depending on how complex your product is and how long your sales cycle runs.

What the role does

An account executive carries a number and works the deals that get them there. They run discovery calls to understand what a prospect actually needs, demo the product against that need, handle the questions and objections that come up, and negotiate through to a signature. Alongside that, they keep the CRM accurate so your forecast means something, and they feed back what they hear from buyers.

When a company needs one

Most companies bring in an account executive when the founder is still closing every deal and it has become the ceiling on growth. It is also the right hire when leads are arriving and nobody has the time to follow them up properly, so good opportunities go cold.

The founder closes every deal and has no time left for anything else
Leads come in and take days to get a first response
Your pipeline lives in someone's head rather than a CRM
Deals stall in the middle and nobody knows why
You have demand and no reliable way to convert it

What Growthbuddy looks for

We look for people who ask good questions and listen to the answers. They should be comfortable running discovery without turning it into a pitch, keep a pipeline clean without being chased, and stay steady when a deal gets difficult. We want someone your prospects will trust in a first conversation. We only shortlist people we would be happy to have representing our own business.

3+ years
Typical experience level
of specialists we place

Core skills

Discovery callsProduct demosObjection handlingNegotiationPipeline managementCRM disciplineForecastingOutbound prospecting

Our vetting approach

1

Screening call

A 30 minute conversation covering their background, the deals they have closed, and how they carry themselves in a first conversation.

2

Role play assessment

A three hour exercise including a live discovery and demo scenario, so we see how they handle a real buyer conversation.

3

In-depth interview

A 60 to 90 minute session on their sales judgment and process, with communication and culture fit assessed throughout.

Example responsibilities

Run discovery calls to understand what each prospect actually needs
Demo the product against that need rather than running a fixed script
Write and send proposals, and negotiate through to signature
Keep the CRM accurate so the forecast can be trusted
Follow up consistently on open opportunities and warm leads
Feed buyer objections and patterns back to marketing and product

The working model

You get a dedicated remote account executive who works as part of your team, in your tools, your meetings, and your priorities. Growthbuddy handles the search, the vetting, the employment, and the ongoing coaching, so you get the output while we carry the overhead.

Why hire remote talent

Hiring remotely opens your options well beyond the people who happen to live near you. You end up choosing from salespeople who have sold products like yours to buyers like yours, at a cost that usually sits well below a local hire. The match gets better and the search gets faster.

What it costs

You pay a simple monthly rate for a dedicated account executive. There is no recruitment fee and no long contract. The rate depends on seniority and scope, and our pricing page has the detail.

See full pricing →

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Salary ranges for the role you needHow it works, end to endWhether remote hiring fits you
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Frequently asked questions

How quickly can I have an account executive working with my team?
We usually introduce you to two or three vetted candidates within three weeks of our first call. After that, timing depends on how quickly you can interview and how much notice your chosen person needs to give.
How do you vet account executives?
Every candidate goes through a 30 minute screening call, a three hour assessment including a live discovery and demo role play, and an interview of 60 to 90 minutes on their sales judgment. We assess communication and culture fit throughout. You only meet the two or three people who come through all of it.
Will they be able to sell our product?
We match on sales motion first, meaning deal size, cycle length, and whether you sell to a technical or business buyer. Someone used to a two week transactional cycle works very differently from someone used to a six month enterprise deal, so we screen for the shape of your sales rather than your industry alone.
How do you handle commission?
The monthly rate you pay us covers their employment. Any commission or bonus structure you want to run sits between you and them, and we are happy to talk through what tends to work for a role like yours.
What happens if the person turns out to be the wrong fit?
We replace them, and you stop paying in the meantime. You pay a monthly fee only while someone is actually working with you, which keeps the risk of a hire not working out with us.
Will they work in our CRM and our hours?
Yes. Your account executive works inside your CRM, your calling and meeting tools, and their hours are aligned to your team's, which matters when they need to reach your buyers. They join your pipeline reviews like anyone else.
What does this cost compared with hiring locally?
Most clients pay around 60% less than they would for the same level of salesperson near them. It is a flat monthly rate with no recruitment fee and no long contract, and you pay only while they are working with you.

Final thoughts

Sales is the part of the business a founder usually holds onto longest. Getting the right account executive in place is what turns your own selling into something the company can repeat. Want help finding one? Talk to us

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Hire your next Account Executive now

Tell us what you need. We'll hand-pick the shortlist, and stay with you after the hire.

No upfront feePay only while they stayReplacement guaranteed