Account Executive Recruitment Agency

Archetype recruits Account Executives for B2B SMEs and mid-sized companies in Belgium: sellers who take over a qualified opportunity, run discovery, build the proposal, negotiate and close. We check that ability to close before you meet a candidate, using a structured interview on their results and the KOAN assessment. We work on a retainer, with fees set in a written proposal before the search starts, and a search takes 12 weeks on average. A 6-month replacement guarantee applies, and we recruit in French, Dutch or English. Tell us about your sales cycle and you will receive a proposal within 48 to 72 hours.

Account Executive presenting a proposal to two decision-makers in a Ghent meeting room — The Account Executive takes over the qualified opportunity and carries it through to signature.

The Account Executive’s role in your team

In a B2B sales team that splits the sales cycle, the Account Executive sits in the middle: they receive a qualified meeting, often booked by an SDR, and are responsible for turning it into a contract. Their target is measured in new clients signed. Once the contract is signed, they usually hand the client to an Account Manager, who retains and grows the account.

The title causes confusion that is worth clearing up before the search starts. In communication and advertising agencies, “account executive” often means a more junior client-service role that does not sell in the commercial sense. In other companies, the title goes to a salesperson who runs the whole cycle, prospecting included. What we recruit here is the seller in charge of closing.

Account Executive, Account Manager, Business Developer: who does what

Three neighbouring roles, three different profiles. The Account Executive signs new clients from opportunities that are already qualified. The Business Developer finds and signs new clients alone, often in a market or segment the company is opening: that is the subject of our page on Business Developer recruitment. The Account Manager grows clients already won: see Account Manager recruitment, and for the most strategic accounts, Key Account Manager recruitment.

Upstream, if you first need to feed your Account Executive with meetings, our page on Sales Development Representative recruitment describes the whole chain. And if your Account Executive will sell remotely only, see Inside Sales recruitment as well.

Account Executive KPIs, and what they say about a candidate

An Account Executive is judged on numbers. That helps when recruiting one: their past results can be discussed, provided you ask the right questions. The table below lists the usual indicators for the role. Target values depend on your market and your offer: we set them with you at the briefing, not in a generic table.

Account Executive indicators and the interview questions behind them
Indicator	What it measures	What we ask the candidate
Quota attainment	Share of the sales target achieved over the period	Over several years, not just the best one, and against what starting target
Win rate	Share of qualified opportunities that become contracts	Who qualified the opportunities, the candidate or an SDR?
Stage conversion	Where deals are lost: discovery, demo, proposal, negotiation	At which stage do they lose most, and what did they change?
Sales cycle length	Time from first meeting to signature	Does their current cycle look like yours?
Average deal size	Size of the deals signed	Have they sold at this price level, to this type of decision-maker?
Pipeline coverage	Value of open opportunities against the target	Do they generate part of their own pipeline?
Forecast accuracy	Gap between what they forecast and what they signed	How do they keep their CRM and monthly forecast?

A number on its own proves nothing. A high win rate on opportunities prepared by a team of SDRs is not worth the same as a lower one on deals the candidate created themselves. That context is what we rebuild in the interview.

How we check that a candidate can close

The structured interview goes through their results one by one, in context. Every finalist also takes the KOAN assessment, which we have used for 30 years to read competencies, drivers and behavioural dynamics. Within the KOAN Sales model, we look closely at results orientation, influencing strategies and method. If you want to go further before deciding, an assessment with role-plays and a case study can be added to the search: the approach is described on our page on assessment for recruitment.

We support clients and candidates before, during and after the hire. Not out of courtesy: by design. The first three months of a sales or management hire shape what happens for the next three years. If onboarding fails, the placement is lost, regardless of how good the sourcing was. That’s why our support doesn’t stop at contract signing. It’s also why our clients come back: they aren’t signing for a recruitment, they’re signing for a long-term partnership.
The Archetype method, since 1993

Our recruitment method

The first call is used to take a detailed brief and challenge the role: where will the opportunities come from, what target is realistic in year one, is the salary range in line with the market? You receive a proposal within 48 to 72 hours. Between the two calls, we prepare a summary of the need, the open questions, the scorecard for the role, the sourcing strategy and, for exclusive assignments, an employer branding proposal. On average, an assignment is signed 12 days after first contact.

In-depth briefing: offer, sales cycle, source of opportunities, target indicators, languages.
Written sourcing strategy for the assignment.
Structured screening: interview on indicators and KOAN.
Shortlist presentation with scorecard, interview transcripts and a validated job description.
Follow-up before, during and after the hire, including onboarding follow-up over the first three months.

Fees, timing and guarantee

We work on a retainer only, never on a success fee: you commit to the assignment and we see it through. Our fee is set before the search starts, in the written proposal you sign, based on the languages required, the seniority of the role, the technical complexity of your offer and the difficulty of the assignment. Allow 12 weeks on average between signing the assignment and the candidate signing, then their notice period. The 6-month replacement guarantee applies if the candidate leaves.

Archetype is a family business founded in 1993, a Federgon member specialised in Sales, Marketing and Management profiles. Sales roles account for 60% of our assignments, and more than 75 to 80% of our assignments are carried through to placement.

About Archetype

Archetype is a Belgian family business founded in 1993 by Marc Diamant and now co-managed with Davy Diamant and Steve Diamant. A member of Federgon, it won Talent Business Innovation of the Year 2025 for its ethical and structured use of AI.

Frequently asked questions about hiring an Account Executive

What is an Account Executive?

An Account Executive is the seller in charge of turning a qualified opportunity into a contract. They run discovery, present the offer, negotiate and close. Their target is measured in new clients and signed revenue.

Account Executive vs Account Manager: what is the difference?

The Account Executive signs new clients. The Account Manager takes over after signature: they retain, renew and grow existing clients. The first is judged on contracts signed, the second on retention and account growth.

Account Executive vs Business Developer: which should you hire?

If SDRs or your marketing already bring you qualified opportunities, hire an Account Executive to close them. If the same person must find prospects and sign them, often in a new market, hire a Business Developer.

Which KPIs should you track for an Account Executive?

The most common are quota attainment, win rate, conversion at each stage of the cycle, sales cycle length, average deal size, pipeline coverage and forecast accuracy. Target values depend on your market.

How much does the recruitment cost and how long does it take?

Our fee is set before the search starts, in a written proposal sent within 48 to 72 hours of the first call. Allow 12 weeks on average between signing the assignment and the candidate signing. A 6-month replacement guarantee applies.