Sr. Outside Sales Account Executive - Austin, TX

Waste Management, Inc. (WM) • Austin, TX

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Account Executive (SAE) covers the Austin territory in a hybrid role with occasional visits to the local office. Candidates must live in the territory. The position combines hunting for new business—especially through in-person cold calling and prospecting—with farming and retaining existing accounts.

The SAE prospects for and closes sales to new customers to achieve budgeted sales goals, implementing strategies that support revenue growth and target profitability. The role also manages existing customer relationships, pursues retention and price goals, negotiates to preserve business, and secures contract agreements from customers who are not currently under contract. The SAE handles cancellation requests, educates existing customers about contract details, obtains commitments during face-to-face interactions, and resolves customer-service escalations within the territory.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (accredited), or a high school diploma or GED (accredited) and four years of relevant work experience.
• Four years of direct business-to-business sales experience, including B2B cold calling and phone-based B2B prospecting that resulted in successfully obtaining customer appointments, in addition to the education requirement.
• Must live in the Austin territory.
• Must have or be willing to obtain a REAL ID or TSA-approved alternative if needed for business air travel or access to federal property.

Nice To Haves

• Recent experience with Salesforce.com (SFDC).
• Prior outside or field sales experience in a B2B setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and grow billable value in assigned accounts, prevent account losses, and sell permanent new waste streams, services, and products to current and prospective customers.
• Initiate business-to-business sales relationships.
• Prospect for and close sales opportunities to achieve budgeted sales goals using effective selling strategies.
• Develop prospect plans, maintain key information in the prospect database, and maintain a sales pipeline with sufficient quantity and quality to achieve new-sales goals.
• Preserve revenue and accounts by maintaining relationship-health standards and diffusing cancellation requests; meet or exceed proactive account-retention call activity goals.
• Increase revenue and profitability by executing retention plans that improve customer service and/or profitability.
• Establish and maintain high customer satisfaction.
• Propose customer solutions that comply with local, state, and federal regulations, and work with Area Sales Managers to resolve unique customer issues.
• Understand customer needs, pricing, and competition; communicate pricing and service strategies; and identify and refer other WM business opportunities internally as appropriate.
• Develop industry and company knowledge to prepare complex proposals and recommend equipment optimization and leasing options.
• Maintain knowledge of internal sales strategies and operational capabilities, as well as external market trends.
• Work and communicate effectively with Plant Managers and Brokerage Account Managers to upgrade materials, increase profitability, and achieve plant goals.
• Handle customer cancellation requests, educate existing customers about contract details, secure contract commitments during face-to-face interactions, and resolve territory customer-service escalations.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP).
• 401(k) company match of 4.5% with no vesting period.
• Unlimited vacation time.
• Annual education assistance benefit.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior