The Road to Success: How Elite Account Executives Secure Promotions

In the competitive world of sales, becoming an elite Account Executive (AE) and securing a swift promotion requires more than just top performance. This was clearly illustrated in my conversations with two AEs last week – both were top performers in their respective companies, but only one landed a promotion. The difference lay not in their skills or achievements, but in their approach to the promotion process.

The Unsuccessful AE: A Common Tale

One AE, despite their impressive track record, followed a traditional, passive approach:

1. Application: They applied for the promotion, relying solely on their existing accomplishments.
2. Hope: There was an underlying assumption that their attainment, skills, experience, and traits would speak for themselves.
3. Waiting Game: Post-application, they waited for the interview and subsequently, the decision, without further action.

This approach, while common, often leads to missed opportunities. It's a passive strategy that places control in the hands of others.

The Successful AE: A Proactive Strategy

On the other hand, the AE who secured the promotion adopted a proactive and strategic approach:

1. Networking: They actively networked with hiring managers and key decision-makers, uncovering requirements not mentioned in the job description.
2. Skill Gap Analysis: They listed all the necessary skills, experience, and traits for the role, identifying and planning to fill any gaps in their profile.
3. Continuous Engagement: Crucially, they communicated with the interview panel, the hiring manager, and decision-makers both before and after the interview.

Why did these steps make a difference? They allowed the AE to:

• Reinforce their position as the top candidate with three compelling reasons.
• Provide snippets of value before and after the interview, keeping them top of mind.

The Key Takeaway: Control the Controllables

This comparison teaches a vital lesson: securing a promotion in sales is not just a meritocracy based on past achievements. If it were, interviews and evaluations wouldn't be necessary! Elite sales professionals understand this. They don't rely on hope or chance. Instead, they control the controllables, especially when seeking promotion.

In essence, the journey to a successful promotion is active, not passive. It's about positioning oneself as the undeniable best choice, filling in any gaps, and staying engaged throughout the process. This proactive approach is what separates elite AEs who climb the ladder quickly from those who don't.

Share this insight with someone who aspires to be an elite sales professional. It might just be the nudge they need to take control of their career trajectory!