Account executives work a fast-paced job that requires talent and discipline. They have to find sales opportunities, negotiate with customers, track multiple customers, and work to deliver on relevant KPIs every day. So when interviewing to fill that position, you should expect questions to be just as thorough.
Your interviewer will be asking questions that encompass all these responsibilities and more. In this post, we'll provide our best account executive interview questions to help you land your next interview — and get closer to that offer letter.
Account Executive Interview Questions
- Why do you want this role?
- What drew you to the sales industry?
- How did you find out about this company?
- What do you know about this company?
- What two to three adjectives would you describe yourself with?
- How would your previous supervisor describe your work ethic?
- What was your previous team like at your last company?
- What do you imagine an average day is like in this position?
- What can we expect from you in your first 30 days?
- As an account executive, what are your greatest strengths?
- As an account executive, what are your greatest weaknesses?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What questions do you have for us?
- What was your journey like becoming an account executive?
- What are your responsibilities in your current position?
- How has your educational background prepared you for this position?
- How is your success measured in your current position?
- How much experience do you have with cold-calling?
- How experienced are you in CRM/CMS systems?
- What channels or methods are the most effective for you when finding prospects?
- Do you have experience with finding prospects through social media?
- Which part of your curriculum has prepared you the most for this position?
- How are you working to improve your skills as an account executive?
- Have you done certifications or ongoing classes to build on your skills?
General Account Executive Interview Questions
Expect the interview to start with simple questions. These allow you to give the interviewer a good first impression and paint a picture of your personality type. Here are some of the most common general account executive interview questions.
1. Why do you want this role?2. What drew you to the sales industry?
3. How did you find out about this company?
4. What do you know about this company?
5. What two to three adjectives would you describe yourself with?
6. How would your previous supervisor describe your work ethic?
7. What was your previous team like at your last company?
8. What do you imagine an average day is like in this position?
9. What can we expect from you in your first 30 days?
10. As an account executive, what are your greatest strengths?
11. As an account executive, what are your greatest weaknesses?
12. What are your salary expectations?
13. What questions do you have for us?
General Account Executive Interview Question and Answer
Pro Tip: With these questions, try to tie your self-descriptive answers to the company's mission. It may be a small detail, but it shows that you've done thorough research on the company — enough to explicitly tie your own traits and values to the company.
Education and Experience Questions
To better gauge your relevant knowledge, hiring managers ask about your education and previous work experience. These questions allow you to showcase unique skills and qualifications through what you've already done in prior companies. Common education and experience questions are as follows.
14. What was your journey like becoming an account executive?15. What are your responsibilities in your current position?
16. How has your educational background prepared you for this position?
17. How is your success measured in your current position?
18. How much experience do you have with cold-calling?
19. How experienced are you in CRM/CMS systems?
20. What channels or methods are the most effective for you when finding 21. prospects?
21. Do you have experience with finding prospects through social media?
22. Which part of your curriculum has prepared you the most for this position?
23. How are you working to improve your skills as an account executive?
24. Have you done certifications or ongoing classes to build on your skills?
Experience Account Executive Interview Question and Answer
Pro Tip: Make sure you can tell a good story. While the hiring manager does want to hear about your qualifications, they also want to hear the passion or idea that led you to take each step in your career. It can set you apart from a candidate who's equally as qualified if they aren't as convincing.
Extensive Account Executive Interview Questions
These questions are the real focus of the interview. Candidates have to provide in-depth responses that not only test their understanding of the account executive role, but also to see how well their process or method can work in the company they're interviewing for.
25. What do you find drives your success as an account executive?
26. What does your current sales process look like?
27. What are your best methods for identifying sales opportunities?
28. What makes an effective sales pitch?
29. What makes an effective presentation?
30. Describe your ideal prospect.
31. How do you persuade a prospective customer with doubts?
32. Give an example of how you've solved a customer problem.
33. How do you prioritize multiple accounts at a time? Why?
34. What's your method for building a successful business relationship?
35. Tell me about a time when you and your supervisor disagreed. How did you resolve it or compromise?
36. Tell me about a time when you worked with an unhappy customer. How did you remedy the situation?
37. What's the most challenging deal you were able to close?
38. What is your biggest win to date?
39. What do you do if your current customer tells you they're considering going to your competitor?
40. What's the most impactful feedback you've received, and how have you used it in your career?
Extensive Account Executive Interview Question and Answer
Pro Tip: If the company you're interviewing for has marketing or sales collateral reflecting its business practices — read it. Newsletters, blogs, or eBooks can contain business strategy gems that can help candidates grasp the type of problem-solver the company is looking for.
Prepare to Land the Best Account Executive Position for You
Interviewing will always be nerve-wracking, but when you go into the interview knowing what to expect — you'll be signing an offer letter in no time. Preparing to answer tough interview questions before the day comes can help candidates rehearse and land their next account executive job interview.
