What does a national account executive do?
A national account executive is responsible for identifying sales opportunities and assisting the company in achieving its sales goals. Your duties and responsibilities will include identifying new market trends and conducting research to win new accounts, enforcing the company's sales strategies and plans, and developing new revenue from existing clients by offering additional services and selling new sites. Additionally, you will be responsible for maintaining good relationships with business decision-makers at major companies, investigating promotions, sales strategies, and competitor products, and setting performance goals.
National account executive responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real national account executive resumes:
- Manage a customer relations management (CRM) system by inputting customer orders and information necessary to manage each account.
- Use SalesForce to effective manage current relationships and new prospects.
- Utilize SalesForce daily in order to effectively prospect and manage sales cycle.
- Manage and negotiate contracts with large strategic IDNs while supporting GPO management.
- Manage OEM relationship from a proactive consultative role proposing strategy and tactics for client base on research data and marketing/engagement metrics.
- Maintain accounts utilizing a detail CRM database and continuous follow-ups.
- Recognize for effective management of industrial distributors in central and western region of U.S. while developing new distribution partners.
- Expand existing relationships inclusive of online recruitment advertising, applicant tracking solutions, diversity solutions, media advertising, and SEO.
- Generate $590,000 YTD in annual income from new reagent accounts signing 3- and 5-year contracts.
- Mail programs, SEM, and premium placement within job search engine.
- Sell LabCorp clinical testing into the hospitals.
- Service existing accounts and up sell any new esoteric type testing LabCorp has to offer the hospital environment.
- Pioneer seminars for training OEM customers and personally train in-plant line personnel on application procedures and quality control for powder coating.
National account executive skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of National Account Executives are proficient in Customer Service, Healthcare, and Account Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of National Account Executives that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 10%
Handled all customer service and account management aspects associated with accounts resulting in locking client into agreements a longevity basis.
- Healthcare, 6%
Analyze customer requirements and promote Bayer HealthCare products to meet those requirements.
- Account Management, 6%
Direct sales and business development functions including: key account management, customer relationship development, and contract negations.
- PowerPoint, 6%
Updated company CRM systems, produced presentations and quotations on PowerPoint, responded to client queries and general communication between team.
- National Accounts, 6%
Supported other account executives and field sales management on issues related to key national accounts and general business development.
- CRM, 4%
Maintained accounts utilizing a detailed CRM database and continuous follow-ups.
Common skills that a national account executive uses to do their job include "customer service," "healthcare," and "account management." You can find details on the most important national account executive responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a national account executive to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what national account executives do because "sales managers must collect and interpret complex data to target the most promising geographic areas and demographic groups, and determine the most effective sales strategies." Additionally, a national account executive resume shows how national account executives use analytical skills: "construct and analyze statistical data for market research to improve accuracy of our organization's sales objectives. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling national account executive duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." According to a national account executive resume, here's how national account executives can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "prospected small to medium businesses through cold calling and telemarketing to schedule appointments and formulate a solution for their telecommunication requirements. "
Leadership skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of national account executives is leadership skills. This skill is critical to many everyday national account executive duties, as "sales managers must be able to evaluate how their sales staff performs and must develop strategies for meeting sales goals." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "skilled at cold calling various levels of organizational leadership. "
Customer-service skills. For certain national account executive responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "customer-service skills." The day-to-day duties of a national account executive rely on this skill, as "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what national account executives do: "conducted warm/cold calling and face to face sale visits to recruit new customers. "
The three companies that hire the most national account executives are:
- Keurig Dr Pepper26 national account executives jobs
- The Hartford19 national account executives jobs
- The Independent Traveler15 national account executives jobs
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Compare different national account executives
National account executive vs. Account manager
Account managers are employees who act as the bridge between the company they represent and the client of the company. They are assigned to handle specific clients so that the company will be able to tailor-fit any product or service according to the clients' requirements. Account managers are responsible for maintaining a harmonious relationship between the two parties by ensuring that any agreement made is amenable to both the company and the client. They are also responsible for ensuring that the company will be able to provide the needs of the client within any limitation that the client may have. Account managers also ensure that the company's reputation and well-being are always considered in any dealings.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a national account executive are more likely to require skills like "national accounts," "salesforce," "customer relationships," and "pos." On the other hand, a job as an account manager requires skills like "project management," "sales territory," "payroll," and "customer accounts." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Account managers earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $76,412. On the other hand, national account executives are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $89,796.The education levels that account managers earn slightly differ from national account executives. In particular, account managers are 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a national account executive. Additionally, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.National account executive vs. Business development executive
A business development executive serves as a senior manager who drives company sales. Business development executives convince existing clients to buy more offerings and also source new clients. The focus of their job is on lead generation, prospect management, and customer acquisition. They collaborate with management in terms of sales objectives, planning, and prediction. The skills necessary for this job include customer service and relations, time management, strong written communication, and sales process experience.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real national account executive resumes. While national account executive responsibilities can utilize skills like "powerpoint," "national accounts," "product knowledge," and "pos," business development executives use skills like "digital transformation," "cloud," "client facing," and "value proposition."
Business development executives earn a higher average salary than national account executives. But business development executives earn the highest pay in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $112,177. Additionally, national account executives earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $89,796 annually.In general, business development executives achieve higher levels of education than national account executives. They're 8.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.National account executive vs. Account director
An account director is responsible for managing client accounts, monitoring budgets, and sales forecasting. Their goal is to maintain stable account management strategies, meet clients' demands, develop healthy professional partnerships that would generate revenues, increase profitability, and achieve the organization's long-term goals objectives. Account directors supervise the account management staff, ensuring the project's successful completion with the highest efficiency and accuracy. An account director also plans training programs to maximize their performance and productivity, especially when dealing with deadlines and clients' requests.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a national account executive is likely to be skilled in "powerpoint," "national accounts," "business relationships," and "product knowledge," while a typical account director is skilled in "project management," "strong work ethic," "digital marketing," and "cloud security."
Account directors earn the best pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $118,397. National account executives earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $89,796.When it comes to education, account directors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to national account executives. In fact, they're 4.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.National account executive vs. Sales/account representative
A sales account representative is responsible for managing and responding promptly to customer complaints and queries of clients. They focus on customer concerns and contact prospects. They work on upselling or cross-selling products and services, collaborating with account executives, and prepare reports to upper management. This job requires you to be a goal-driven person, energetic, and have excellent communication skills. Moreover, this is a challenging job; at times, it requires being extra polite and calm in handling customer complaints and other related situations.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between national account executives and sales/account representatives, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a national account executive might have more use for skills like "healthcare," "powerpoint," "national accounts," and "salesforce." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of sales/account representatives require skills like "sales techniques," "sales support," "enterprise resource planning," and "pre sales. "
The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for sales/account representatives, with average annual pay of $72,531. Comparatively, the highest national account executive annual salary comes from the finance industry.In general, sales/account representatives hold similar degree levels compared to national account executives. Sales/account representatives are 1.8% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of national account executive
Updated January 8, 2025
