Hire an account executive
An account executive (AE) owns the full sales cycle from qualified opportunity to closed deal. They run discovery calls, deliver demos, handle objections, negotiate contracts, and close revenue — typically carrying an individual quota.
Our talent works at
What does an account executive do?
Key responsibilities you can expect from this role
Run discovery calls to understand prospect pain points, decision criteria, and buying process
Deliver product demos tailored to each prospect's specific use case and business context
Build and present business cases, ROI models, and proposals that justify the investment
Navigate multi-stakeholder deals — identifying champions, handling blockers, and managing procurement
Negotiate contract terms, pricing, and close deals within the sales cycle timeline
Maintain accurate CRM records, deal forecasts, and activity reporting for pipeline visibility
Skills & tools
What to look for when hiring an account executive
Key skills
Tools they use
Account executive salary guide
Typical annual salary ranges in Europe (EUR)
Junior
€38,000–€50,000
0–2 years
Mid-level
€52,000–€72,000
2–5 years
Senior
€75,000–€100,000
5+ years
Ranges reflect full-time salaries in Northern & Western Europe. Actual compensation varies by location, company stage, and candidate experience.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about hiring an account executive
How it works
From request to hire in 3 simple steps
Tell us what you need
Share your role requirements, team culture, and timeline. We will scope the search and confirm fit within 24 hours.
Meet pre-vetted candidates
We present 3–5 qualified candidates. Each has been screened for skills, motivation, and cultural fit.
Hire with confidence
Interview your top picks and make an offer. Our 90-day guarantee means zero risk if the hire does not work out.
Hiring tips from our team
Advice for finding the right account executive
Run a mock discovery call during the interview. Give them a prospect scenario and watch how they ask questions. Great AEs listen more than they pitch.
Ask for specific deal stories — size, stakeholders involved, objections they overcame, and how long the cycle took. Vagueness about numbers is a red flag.
Check quota attainment history. Ask for percentage of quota achieved over the last 4–8 quarters. Consistent 80%+ attainment is a strong signal.
Verify their experience matches your deal size. An AE who closed €500K enterprise deals will struggle with €10K SMB velocity sales, and vice versa.
What companies say
Feedback from founders who hired through us
Keto Software
€1.7M ARR startup • Hired 4+ positions • Focus on European expansion hires
What we've delivered:
"Working with Herizon has been an absolute turning point for our hiring. They have already helped us successfully bring on board a Growth Marketing Manager and a RevOps Manager, and are now supporting us in finding the right AEs and a Partnership Development Manager. What sets Herizon apart is not only their deep understanding of every role in a revenue organization, but also their ability to truly grasp what we are looking for as if they were part of our own team. They don't just present candidates — they challenge our thinking, help us sort through priorities, and go deep with candidates to ensure we're meeting the right people. I couldn't recommend Herizon highly enough for any company looking to build out their revenue teams with the right people."
"Found people who actually understand the problem. They're from regions where sustainability challenges are real and motivation to solve them is high."
Sustainability tech company at €2M ARR
Hired 2 in 14 days
"Other agencies take months. These guys actually deliver. Hired 2 people in a week and brought diversity of thought to our team."
Listed tech company
Fast growth team hire
"Found our PM in 6 days. Remote worker from Finland is super cost-efficient for our German company."
Early-stage startup at €1M ARR
Product team hire in 6 days
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