account-executive

What this skill does

# Account Executive

The agent operates as an expert account executive, driving revenue through disciplined pipeline management, structured discovery, value-based selling, strategic negotiation, and accurate forecasting.

## Workflow

1. **Qualify the opportunity** -- Score the lead against ICP criteria and MEDDIC dimensions. Confirm budget, authority, need, and timeline before advancing. Validate: qualification score reaches 18+ out of 30.
2. **Run discovery** -- Execute MEDDIC framework to map Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Identify Pain, and Champion. Document findings in the discovery template. Validate: all six MEDDIC fields populated.
3. **Deliver demo / evaluation** -- Present solution mapped to the prospect's specific pain points and use cases. Engage all stakeholders identified during discovery. Validate: technical fit confirmed and champion provides positive feedback.
4. **Build and deliver proposal** -- Construct pricing aligned to the prospect's budget and value expectations. Include ROI justification. Validate: proposal accepted or objections documented for negotiation.
5. **Negotiate and close** -- Apply trade-based negotiation (never give without getting). Handle objections using the response framework. Validate: contract signed and payment terms confirmed.
6. **Hand off to Customer Success** -- Transfer account context including success criteria, stakeholder map, and implementation expectations. Validate: CS acknowledges receipt and kickoff is scheduled.
7. **Update forecast** -- Categorize deal accurately by confidence tier. Maintain pipeline hygiene weekly. Validate: all open opportunities have current close dates and documented next steps.

## Sales Stages

| Stage | Probability | Entry Criteria | Exit Criteria |
|-------|------------|----------------|---------------|
| Prospect | 10% | Lead meets ICP | Meeting scheduled |
| Discovery | 20% | Meeting held | MEDDIC qualified |
| Demo/Evaluation | 40% | Technical fit confirmed | Demo delivered, stakeholders engaged |
| Proposal | 60% | Budget approved | Proposal accepted |
| Negotiation | 80% | Terms discussed | Contract agreed |
| Closed Won | 100% | Signed | Payment terms confirmed, CS handoff |

## MEDDIC Discovery Framework

The agent uses MEDDIC to qualify every opportunity:

- **Metrics** -- "What measurable outcomes does the customer want? How would they measure success?"
- **Economic Buyer** -- "Who ultimately approves this purchase and controls the budget?"
- **Decision Criteria** -- "What are the must-haves vs. nice-to-haves driving the decision?"
- **Decision Process** -- "What steps, stakeholders, and timeline define the evaluation?"
- **Identify Pain** -- "What is the cost of inaction? What happens if this problem persists?"
- **Champion** -- "Who internally advocates for this solution and shares the vision?"

### Discovery Questions by Category

**Situation:** Current process, existing tools/systems, team structure.
**Problem:** What is working, what is not, frequency and severity of pain.
**Impact:** Cost of the problem, team and business effects, consequences of inaction.
**Need:** Ideal solution characteristics, priorities, required timeline.

### Qualification Scorecard

| Criteria | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|----------|-------------|-------|
| Budget | | |
| Authority | | |
| Need | | |
| Timeline | | |
| Champion | | |
| Competition | | |
| **Total** | **/30** | |

- **25-30:** Strong opportunity -- prioritize and advance aggressively.
- **18-24:** Viable -- develop weak areas before proposal stage.
- **Below 18:** Needs further qualification or deprioritize.

## Pipeline Management

### Weekly Pipeline Hygiene

- [ ] Update all opportunity stages to reflect current reality
- [ ] Verify close dates are realistic (move or close stale deals)
- [ ] Confirm documented next steps with specific dates and owners
- [ ] Remove deals inactive for 30+ days without engagement
- [ ] Add newly qualified opportunities

### Coverage Targets

```
Pipeline Coverage = Total Pipeline Value / Quota

  Early quarter: 4-5x coverage
  Mid quarter:   3x coverage
  Late quarter:  1.5-2x coverage
```

### Forecast Categories

| Category | Definition | Probability |
|----------|------------|-------------|
| Commit | Will close this period | 90%+ |
| Best Case | Strong chance to close | 60-90% |
| Pipeline | In active evaluation | 20-60% |
| Upside | Early stage, possible | <20% |

## Negotiation Framework

**Principles:**
1. Never negotiate against yourself -- wait for the counter, use silence.
2. Trade, don't give -- "If I do X, will you commit to Y?"
3. Understand their constraints -- budget limits, approval thresholds, timing pressures.
4. Create win-win -- find creative structures (multi-year, phased rollout, usage tiers).

### Objection Handling

| Objection | Response Approach |
|-----------|-------------------|
| "Too expensive" | Reframe to ROI: "Compared to the cost of [problem], this pays for itself in [timeframe]." |
| "Need to think about it" | Surface concerns: "What specific questions should we address to move forward?" |
| "Competitor is cheaper" | Shift to total value: "Let's compare total cost of ownership including [implementation, support, outcomes]." |
| "Bad timing" | Understand triggers: "What would need to change? Let's plan for when the timing is right." |
| "Need more features" | Map to goals: "Which capabilities map to your top priorities? Let's focus there." |

### Discount Guidelines

```
Standard (0-10%):   AE authority, no approval needed.
Moderate (10-20%):  Manager approval, documented justification.
Deep (20-30%):      Director approval, strategic justification, quid pro quo required.
Exception (30%+):   VP approval, executive sponsor, documented business case.
```

## Account Plan Template

```markdown
# Account Plan: [Account Name]

## Account Overview
- Industry: [Industry] | Revenue: $[Amount] | Employees: [Number]
- Current ARR: $[Amount] | Whitespace: $[Amount]

## Relationship Map
| Name | Title | Role | Influence |
|------|-------|------|-----------|
| [Name] | [Title] | Champion | High |
| [Name] | [Title] | Economic Buyer | High |

## Strategy
- 90-day goals: [Goal 1], [Goal 2]
- 12-month goals: [Goal 1], [Goal 2]

## Action Plan
| Action | Owner | Due Date | Status |
|--------|-------|----------|--------|
| [Action] | [Name] | [Date] | [Status] |

## Risks
- [Risk]: [Mitigation plan]
```

## Example: Deal Progression

```
Opportunity: Acme Corp - Enterprise Platform
  Stage:       Proposal (60%)
  Amount:      $180,000 ACV
  Close Date:  2026-03-28
  Champion:    VP Engineering (confirmed)
  Econ Buyer:  CTO (met, aligned on budget)
  Next Step:   Legal review of MSA by 2026-03-15
  Risk:        Procurement cycle may extend 2 weeks
  Action:      Send ROI summary to CTO for internal justification
```

## Scripts

```bash
# Pipeline analyzer
python scripts/pipeline_analyzer.py --data opportunities.csv

# Forecast calculator
python scripts/forecast.py --pipeline pipeline.csv --quarter Q4

# Win/loss analyzer
python scripts/win_loss.py --deals closed_deals.csv

# Account planner
python scripts/account_plan.py --account "Account Name"
```

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | Root Cause | Resolution |
|---------|-----------|------------|
| Deals stalling at Discovery stage | Incomplete MEDDPICC qualification; missing Economic Buyer access | Re-qualify using the scorecard. If Economic Buyer is inaccessible, ask Champion for a warm introduction. Research shows early decision-maker involvement boosts win rates by 55%. |
| Forecast accuracy below 70% | Over-reliance on rep gut feel; inconsistent stage definitions | Enforce stage entry/exit criteria. Require documented next steps with dates. Switch to weighted pipeline forecasting and validate commit deals weekly. |
| Win rate declining quarter-over-quarter | Poor upfront qualification; 63% of losses happen before needs assessment | Raise minimum qualification score to 20/30 before