Senior SMB Account Executive - DACH

Job Description

Join us at Zendesk , where we’re on a mission to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. Our AI-informed solutions transform every interaction into an opportunity for authentic human connection, empowering organizations to create outstanding customer experiences at scale.

To advance this vision, we are seeking a dedicated, AI-savvy Senior SMB Account Executive with a proven track record in B2B sales and a passion for driving SaaS growth. In this role, you will grow our SMB account base by hunting new opportunities, closing deals of all sizes, and building broad, trusted relationships. As a key member of our team, you’ll harness the latest in AI-driven insights and solutions to accelerate revenue growth, align with customer goals, and deepen Zendesk ’s impact across the SMB landscape.
What You'll Be Doing:

- Drive top-line revenue growth by acquiring new SMB customers, leveraging innovative and AI-powered strategies for pipeline development and account expansion.

- Manage and nurture customer relationships to ensure high satisfaction and retention by personalizing outreach and automating workflows through AI tools.

- Proactively lead complex sales cycles by integrating AI insights and customer data to craft tailored, outcome-driven solutions for each customer.

- Co-create with customers clear AI transformation roadmaps grounded in measurable KPIs, uncovering and addressing unique business challenges through deep AI-driven insights.

- Develop and articulate compelling, data-backed ROI and value cases that impact procurement decisions and demonstrate clear business impact. Tracking and communicating realized outcomes to foster loyalty and drive upsell opportunities.

- Hold consultative technical conversations regarding AI product architecture and integrations, collaborating closely with Solutions Engineers, AI Specialists, and cross-functional teams to co-design innovative solutions.

- Identify and pursue opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell new products and services, maximizing account revenue and profitability by understanding adoption history and customer needs.

- Consistently anticipate AI market trends and competitor moves, leveraging this intelligence to sharpen deal strategies and influence Zendesk ’s go-to-market approach.

- Build and maintain a robust, accurately tracked pipeline of qualified opportunities in Salesforce, providing weekly, monthly, and quarterly forecasts while meeting or exceeding revenue targets and activity KPIs.

- Collaborate with Marketing, Business Development, and other internal teams to optimize sales campaigns and execution, ensuring seamless and tech-enabled customer engagement.

- Champion the customer voice and act as a Zendesk AI thought leader. Staying relentlessly curious about new trends and raising organizational standards for AI-powered sales excellence.

- Demonstrate an understanding of local market dynamics and customer behaviors relevant to your assigned territory or region.

- Manage sales pipeline rigorously, employing qualification frameworks and consistent forecasting to maximize deal velocity and accuracy.

- Handle renewal processes and collaborate cross-functionally to ensure seamless customer onboarding and account expansion.

- Collaborate effectively with internal teams including marketing, customer success, and product specialists to amplify sales impact.

What You Bring to the Role:

- At least 2 years B2B sales or solution engineering experience in SaaS, with a proven record of exceeding targets.

- Experience engaging and expanding relationships across various customer levels, ideally within a technology-driven environment.

- Strong technical aptitude and proven ability to have detailed conversations about AI product architecture and integrations.

- Demonstrated success in account research, prospecting, customer outreach, and closing deals using AI-assisted and traditional methods.

- Excellent organizational skills w