---
tags: Teaser
---
# Sales roles

As we mentioned before, different sales roles perform different functions within the sales funnel.

Here’s an example of different roles within a typical SaaS sales team:

:::info
ℹ️ **An important note:** exact roles and responsibilities within the funnel vary depending on each company, their industry and size.
:::

Today, we want to cover the three main sales roles you're likely to encounter at the start of your career:

 
## Sales Development Rep (SDR)
All sales strategies require a way of building new potential client relationships. A Sales Development Representative (SDR) is a sales representative that focuses on outreach, prospecting, and lead qualification. SDRs don’t focus on closing business, but connecting with as many leads as possible and determining if they’re good customer fits.
SDRs move leads through the sales funnel. They connect and learn about their businesses and needs. If a prospect is a good fit, SDRs schedule the next steps with sales reps higher in the organization.

 
## Account Executive (AE)
Account Executives (AEs) exist in companies in virtually all industries. They are usually responsible for serving the needs of existing customers, and closing sales deals to create new customers. They typically have a revenue target and are paid commissions when they sell their company’s products and services.

In Tech Sales, an AE usually works with a Sales Development Representative (SDR), who develops initial interest and sets up the first sales meeting. The AE is then responsible for holding a discovery call, giving the prospect a product demo, and closing the deal.

 
## Customer Success Manager or Account Manager (CSM or AM)
The job of a CSM, as their title may suggest, is to ensure the success of the customer with the company’s product or services. A CSM may go by other titles such as Account Manager or something else depending on the organization, but as a whole, they are responsible for ensuring the customer is happy with the use and value of the product and maintaining the relationship such that the customer will choose to renew once the original contract’s term has lapsed.

The clear distinction between the AE and CSM roles is that the former is responsible for bringing in new business while the latter is responsible for retaining existing business.
 
# Roles at each stage of the sales process
So where do these roles fit along the sales process?

In the following video, Jacco explains the main roles and positions in sales and their responsibilities along the sales funnel.

To make it easier for you to follow, here is what the abbreviations in the video stand for:

- SDR: Sales Development Representative
- AE: Account Executive
- SMB: Small and Medium Business
- Enterprise: Large companies
- VSB: Very Small Businesses

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/118311022" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1" class="iframe-embed" data-aspectratio="0.562" style="opacity: 1; visibility: visible; width: 696px; height: 391.152px;"></iframe>

<style>

body > .ui-infobar, body > .ui-toc, body > .ui-affix-toc, body > .ui-community, body > .document-footer {
display: none !important;
}
</style>